SEO Version
Número 3 - 2012
56
Latin
aero
magazine
TECHNOLOGY AND INDUSTRY
overweight by more than 1,400kg. The
Marines expect to learn that at least
some adaptations are necessary in the
shift from the stocky AV‑8B Harrier II,
which has an empty weight of 6,340kg
(13,977lb), to the minimum targeted
13,600kg basic limit of the F-35B. Yet, in
2010, the F-35B faced its biggest obs-
tacle, when the fight tests were further
slowed down by fve disparaging design
problems in the propulsion system and
when durability tests halted after cracks
were spotted in a bulkhead, to start with.
Around the same time, Great-Britain
converted a planned order for 138 F-35Bs
to the carrier-based (CV) F-35C variant.
Even the USMC scaled back its acqui-
sition plans earlier in 2011, agreeing to
buy 80 F-35Cs instead of some STOVL va-
riants. But this would change again, with
a British government’s full U-turn on this
matter announced in mid-April 2012.
Perfdious Albion
Indeed, on account of excruciating bud-
getary causes, London has fnally de-
cided that its two aircraft carriers under
construction (HMS E
lizabeth
and HMS
P
rince
of
W
ales
) will not be reconfgured
so that French naval jets (i.e. Dassault
Rafale Ms) can operate from their deck—
Em 15 de outubro de 2011, dois JSF F-35B
Lightning II, BF-02 (mais próximo) e BF-04
(mais afastado) são vistos no convés de voo
do navio de assalto anfíbio USS Wasp (LHD 1)
durante testes no mar. É interessante notar
as portas abertas para atender à massiva
demanda de ar usado pelo motor F135 e pelo
LiftFan durante as fases de decolagem e pouso,
e também algumas das antenas conformais em
formato de lozango sob o cockpit.
On 15 October 2011, two U.S. Marine Corps
development F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike
Fighters, BF-02 (front) and BF-04 (further)
are seen on the flight deck of the amphibious
assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) during sea
trials. Of note are the open doors providing the
massive air demand needed by the main F135
engine and by the LiftFan during the take-off
and landing phases, as well as some of the
lozenge-shaped conformal load-bearing anten-
nas under the cockpit. Conformal load-bearing
antenna structures (CLAS) replaces separate
aircraft systems and antennas such as blades,
wires and dishes, with electromagnetic radia-
tors embedded directly in the airframe. This
approach reduces weight, drag and radar cross
signature, enhancing as well electromagnetic
performance, damage resistance and structural
efficiency. Both the F-22A and the F-35 employ
advanced CLAS features, now also seen of the
Russian T-50 and the Chinese J-20
.
© U.S. Navy
Vamos lembrar que em 2004, res-
ponsáveis pelo programa ampliaram
o desenvolvimento de todas as três
variantes em dois anos para redesen-
har o F-35B, que estava claramente
acima do peso em mais de 1.400 kg. Os
fuzileiros navais esperam confrmar que
pelo menos algumas adaptações sejam
necessárias na transição do atarracado
AV- 8B Harrier II, que tem um peso vazio
de 6.340 kg, para o F-35B, que tem um
limite basico mínimo esperado de 13.600
kg. No entanto, em 2010, o F-35B enfren-
tou o seu maior obstáculo, quando os
testes de vôo foram atrasados ainda mais
devido a cinco problemas depreciativos
de design no sistema de propulsão, e
quando testes de durabilidade foram in-
terrompido após rachaduras serem vistas
em um anteparo.
Por volta do mesmo tempo, a Grã-
Bretanha converteu uma encomenda
planejada de 138 F-35Bs para a versão
baseada em porta-aviões F-35C. Até
mesmo o USMC voltou atrás em seus
planos de aquisição no início de 2011, ao
concordar em comprar 80 F-35C no lugar
de algumas variantes STOVL. Porém isso
iria mudar novamente, com a completa
inversão do governo britânico sobre esta
matéria, anunciada em Abril de 2012.
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