indian_foxhound
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![strike_figher_2456264e.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi.telegraph.co.uk%2Fmultimedia%2Farchive%2F02456%2Fstrike_figher_2456264e.jpg&hash=9eb9cf9eaf191769a6dd3bf520ee6587)
Britains £150 million new combat jet has been
banned from flying in bad weather amid fears
that it could explode. The production of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter the worlds most sophisticated and expensive
combat aircraft has been derailed after
engineers discovered that the jets fuel tank could
explode if struck by lightning. The disclosure is a major setback for the aircraft,
also known as the Lightning II, which is due to
enter service with both the RAF and the Royal
Navy by 2018. Attempts to increase fuel efficiency by reducing
the jets weight have also made it more
vulnerable to enemy attack than the generation
of aircraft it was supposed to replace. The damaging findings were disclosed in a
Pentagon document which revealed that a fault
within the JSFs fuel tank could potentially lead to
catastrophic explosion if the aircraft was struck
by lightning in a thunderstorm. The report from the Pentagons Operational Test
and Evaluation Office states that all test flying
within 25 miles of thunderstorms is not
permitted until a device in the fuel tank which
maintains correct oxygen levels is redesigned. The fear of an exploding fuel tank is just one of a
series of problem to befall the F-35 programme. A
design fault in the fuel tank has also prevented
the JSF being able to rapidly descend to low
altitude. The Pentagon report describes both failings as
unacceptable for combat or combat training. Examinations by the United States Air Force and
the Lockheed Martin, the aircrafts manufacturer,
also discovered a handful of cracks in the tested
aircraft, including on the right wing and right
engine of the F-35A variant, and on another part
of the F-35B variant. All of these discoveries will require mitigation
plans and may include redesigning parts and
additional weight, the report added. Britain is buying the F-35B the short take-off
and vertical landing version as a replacement
for the Harrier. The multirole plane will be used
for air defence, ground attack and
reconnaissance missions. The F-35 has a top speed of 1,300mph and a
range of 1,450 miles, while the Harrier could
reach a speed of 700mph and had a range of 350
miles. The older aircraft also had no radar
transparency or stealth capabilities, while the
F-35 has both. However the version being ordered by Britain is
the is the heaviest, least capable and most
expensive of the three versions of the plane, as it
carries a lift fan propulsion system for its jump
jet capability, which it needs to land on the
Royal Navys new aircraft carriers. The F-35 is also designed to be practically
invisible to radar. Its shape has no right angles,
which reflect radar waves, and a special fibre
coating make it difficult to detect on any enemy
radar. Low heat emissions and an ability to carry
armaments in an internal weapons bay instead of
mounted on wings and underneath the fuselage
further enhances its stealth capabilities. The aircraft will carry a range of weapons
including air-to-air rockets and satellite guided
bombs. Pilots are fitted with helmets which allow them
to see 360 degrees, and displays all the data they
need inside the visor. The cockpit also features an all-glass digital
instrument panel and a speech recognition
system. Each aircraft has more than 24 million
lines of software code.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/9813125/Lightning-will-ground-F35-fighter-jet-known-as-the-Lightning-II.html