| Author | Message | ||
     Brineusaf |
Joint Strike Fighter Rolled Out, Named Lightning II American Forces Press Service | Jim Garamone | July 10, 2006 Washington D.C. - The first F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which will be known as the Lightning II, was unveiled at Lockheed-Martin's facility at Fort Worth, Texas, today. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley announced the fighter's name, which pays homage to two predecessors. The P-38 Lightning was a Lockheed fighter that fought in all theaters during World War II. The aircraft had the legs to go long distances, and it was fast. Army Air Forces Maj. Dick Bong, the leading U.S. ace of the war with 40 kills, flew P-38s in the Pacific. Army Air Force Maj. Thomas McGuire, who had 38 kills in the Pacific, also flew Lightnings. The name also remembers the Lightning jet the British developed in the mid-1950s. The aircraft was the first British aircraft to pass Mach 2, and it remained in the inventory until the late 1980s. Britain has been part of the Joint Strike Fighter program since the beginning. The Lightning II is designed to meet the needs of the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. The F-35A version is designed for conventional takeoffs and landings, and will be used by the Air Force. It will replace the F-15, F-16 and A-10. The B variant has vertical lift capability, and will be used by the Marines as a replacement for the AV-8B Harrier. The C variant will be for carrier launches and will ultimately replace the Navy's F-18s. Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England congratulated the team that built the stealth-technology fighter, and said the aircraft will serve far into the future. "The F-35 Lightning II will be the centerpiece of airpower in the 21st century for America and our allies," England said. In addition to Britain, the consortium of countries that will field the aircraft includes Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Australia, Norway, Denmark and Canada. The first flight for the aircraft is set for later this year. Some 15 F-35s will undergo testing in the next few years. Hm... taking seconds to Buell ... good thing I already have the original Lightning. | ||
| Glitch |
Dick Bong  | ||
| Davefla |
..."the leading U.S. ace of the war with 40 kills"... Heh. I'm guessing Major Bong(!) wouldn't even notice the laughter! Since the F-35 is to replace both the -15, -16, and A-10, this thing must be tough and fast. Can't wait to see a Lightning II in antiarmor tests. Come to think of it, can't wait to see what what colors a Buell Lightning will come in next year, either. (Message edited by davefla on July 13, 2006) | ||
| Brineusaf |
You know... not sure if Buell will do this (if they do I hope it doesn't cost so much) but here on base they have a Special Edition Harley (not sure what model) but it is a military edition. It has blue paint with some jets on the tank. From what I've been told there were a limited amount produced, and the paint alone adds 3grand to the price. | ||
| Glitch |
Smokescreen, showed me a picture of the one for the Marines. Yep 3 grand for paint, it must be because H-D does it. Buell could do something similar I guess. Until then we'll just have to do what Buellers are famous for, doin' it ourselves... Here's Smokescreen on his XB9S with custom paint.  | ||
| Brineusaf |
Ya, I really like his scheme, I was talking to him about his supplier a while back. I think Buell could set the bar for special edition bikes, given the creativity of the Company, and it's willingness to support it's supporters. ...the helmets for Tourist Trophy (are those going into production?). | ||
| Swordsman |
That thing really doesn't look like it could replace the A-10.... doesn't look like it has nearly the same bomb capacity, and no big ass gun up front. The A-10 is a flying tank. This think is obviously a fighter. Strange... like to see it in action in the A-10's roll. ~SM | ||
| Tommy_k |
Just saw a show on this the other night. Looks to be awesome. The vertical takeoff version is really cool. It totally has the payload of the A10, and in Naval config. 1K lbs more. Most are probably carried internally to help with it's stealth characteristics. Plus the fact that it's supersonic capable makes it totally kick azz. With both these and the F22's in the air...Look Out! Here's a cool link with some pics: http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/jsf.htm We will all miss the awesome GAU-8/A of the A10 though... TK | ||
| Diablobrian |
I just noticed that both the F-22 and the F-35 use the f-114 motor. That is a huge bonus in terms of logistic support. A supersonic vstol aircraft (marine variant) is a scary thought for the bad guys. With forward support a couple of trucks and troops can re-arm that plane almost anywhere and extend it's reach. The old harriers were good planes, they were just slow. That's not a bad thing for close support roles, but in a dog fight it can be a very bad thing. |
