F-35 Lightning II developments

[AK01]

3 Ausy F35's departed Luke yesterday (08-feb-21) for Hawai.
Callsign for the 35's was ASY1127. Support was 2x KC30A (ASY401 +413) and one C17A (ASY415).

[Flyboy]

Hidden in a newsitem about F-35 airshow appereance

“The engines on A-model F-35s have been running “hot,” or close to the limits of their design, and that heat has caused premature cracks, or delamination, of turbine blade coatings,” Bloomberg reported on Feb. 10, 2021. “That’s required the engines to be removed or repaired earlier than anticipated, aggravating an already backlogged depot system. The cracks in the coating aren’t a flight safety issue, but they reduce an engine’s useful life, said a defense official.”

“The Pentagon’s F-35 program office has briefed Defense Department acquisition leaders that, in the most extreme case, up to 20% of Air Force F-35s will lack engines by 2025. It’s a number that assumes corrective actions underway will be ineffective, or can’t be executed by the service, program office or Raytheon’s Pratt & Whitney engine unit, according to two defense officials.”

“The Air Force is working “diligently” with the F-35 Joint Program Office and Pratt & Whitney “to resolve supply and maintenance issues” with the engine, according to an Air Combat Command statement. Reducing air show performances will help “ensure the Air Force has enough engine capacity to meet operational requirements,” it added.”

Any news on this? Or can this be regarded as Teething problems...

[tally]

Getting caught up with my log over the middle of Jan and Feb.

First flights:
AF-273 (18-5382) no markings. Not even a tail number. Feb 1, 2021.
BF-111 (169696) no markings. Not even a tail number. Feb 2, 2021.

Also noted during Jan and Feb but not on their first flight were:
AF-270 18-5379 (354 FW, 356 FS), Jan 26, 2021.
AF-271 18-5380/AK (354 FW, 356 FS), Jan 26, 2021.
AF-272 18-5381 (354 FW, 356 FS), Jan 26, 2021.


Tally.

[Stratofreighter]

https://www.reuters.com/article/turkey- ... SL8N2KP29S

FEBRUARY 19, 202111:24 AM
UPDATED 10 MINUTES AGO

Turkey has hired a Washington-based law firm
to lobby for its readmission to the U.S. F-35 fighter jet programme
after it was suspended over its purchase of Russian air defences,
a contract filed with the U.S. Department of Justice showed.

Ankara had ordered more than 100 stealth fighters and has been making parts for their production,
but was removed from the programme in 2019
after it bought the Russian S-400 missile defence systems,
which Washington says threaten the F-35s.

It has now hired law firm Arnold & Porter
for “strategic advice and outreach” to U.S. authorities,
in a six-month contract worth $750,000 which started this month.

https://www.reuters.com/article/turkey- ... SL8N2KP29S

[tally]

First flight F-35A 18-5446/HL destined for the 4 FS, Feb 21, 2021. Do not know the AF number. Anyone?

Tally.

[Typhoon3030]

Still FY18 !?

[Melchior Timmers]

AF-275 is the next in sequence..... Also,the FY 18-54xx is till in doubt. Some mention AX-17/22 are 18-5441/5448 but that obvious is not correct.
Others mention AL-13/14 being 18-5441/18-5442, but that leaves 18-5439/5440 unknown.....

[Bjorn]

AF-275 is the next in sequence..... Also,the FY 18-54xx is till in doubt. Some mention AX-17/22 are 18-5441/5448 but that obvious is not correct.
Others mention AL-13/14 being 18-5441/18-5442, but that leaves 18-5439/5440 unknown.....

Can only mean one thing (I guess). It was reported before that AF-275/AF-277 were also a part of Lot 12 (so 18-5446/18-5448). It was also reported earlier that the Danish aircraft are Lot 13 which means the allocations for the Japanese scroll up. But then still 1 airframe 'double', so this can only mean there's only one Italian airframe (AL-13) foreseen in Lot 12.

Greets,

[tally]

First flights today, Feb 22, 2021.
AU-34 as A35-034
AS-26 as 941 (18-5437).

Tally.

[Worldnis]

AF-275 is the next in sequence..... Also,the FY 18-54xx is till in doubt. Some mention AX-17/22 are 18-5441/5448 but that obvious is not correct.
Others mention AL-13/14 being 18-5441/18-5442, but that leaves 18-5439/5440 unknown.....

Can only mean one thing (I guess). It was reported before that AF-275/AF-277 were also a part of Lot 12 (so 18-5446/18-5448). It was also reported earlier that the Danish aircraft are Lot 13 which means the allocations for the Japanese scroll up. But then still 1 airframe 'double', so this can only mean there's only one Italian airframe (AL-13) foreseen in Lot 12.

Greets,

DOD / USN Naval Air Systems Command procurement contract mentions:
Lot 12 RDAF 2 AMI 2 / Marina 1 Which could be AL-13/AL-14 and BL-3
Lot 13 RDAF 4 AMI 2 / Marina 3 Which should be AL-15/L-16 and BL-4 (mentioned as BuNo 169701) and BL-5/BL-6
Lot 14 RDAF 8 AMI 4 / Marina 5

So RDAF AP-01 (18-5439) AP-02 (18-5440) could be correct if they are to be included & delivered within Lot 12; AP-01 rolled out 13JAN21

[Bjorn]

Still a lot of speculations. I already made some alterations to the data I posted above. But I'm not going to post it yet since it is preliminary. Let us wait a couple of weeks for some new info to arrive. In the course of March the last Lot 12 jets should be making their first flights and Lot 13 aircraft are already making theirs (Australian A35-034 as Tally mentioned), so it should become clear then what the final setup will be.

Greets,

[Starfighter_F-104G]

[/quote]

DOD / USN Naval Air Systems Command procurement contract mentions:
Lot 13 RDAF 4 AMI 2 / Marina 3 Which should be AL-15/L-16 and BL-4 (mentioned as BuNo 169701) and BL-5/BL-6
Lot 14 RDAF 8 AMI 4 / Marina 5
[/quote]


AMI / Marina numbers for LOT 13 & 14 are completely WRONG

[raameagle]

AP-01 has not flown yet.
Regards
Mark

AF-275 is the next in sequence..... Also,the FY 18-54xx is till in doubt. Some mention AX-17/22 are 18-5441/5448 but that obvious is not correct.
Others mention AL-13/14 being 18-5441/18-5442, but that leaves 18-5439/5440 unknown.....

Can only mean one thing (I guess). It was reported before that AF-275/AF-277 were also a part of Lot 12 (so 18-5446/18-5448). It was also reported earlier that the Danish aircraft are Lot 13 which means the allocations for the Japanese scroll up. But then still 1 airframe 'double', so this can only mean there's only one Italian airframe (AL-13) foreseen in Lot 12.

Greets,

DOD / USN Naval Air Systems Command procurement contract mentions:
Lot 12 RDAF 2 AMI 2 / Marina 1 Which could be AL-13/AL-14 and BL-3
Lot 13 RDAF 4 AMI 2 / Marina 3 Which should be AL-15/L-16 and BL-4 (mentioned as BuNo 169701) and BL-5/BL-6
Lot 14 RDAF 8 AMI 4 / Marina 5

So RDAF AP-01 (18-5439) AP-02 (18-5440) could be correct if they are to be included & delivered within Lot 12, and AP-01 already flying in 09/20

[Worldnis]

DOD / USN Naval Air Systems Command procurement contract mentions:
Lot 13 RDAF 4 AMI 2 / Marina 3 Which should be AL-15/L-16 and BL-4 (mentioned as BuNo 169701) and BL-5/BL-6
Lot 14 RDAF 8 AMI 4 / Marina 5
[/quote]


AMI / Marina numbers for LOT 13 & 14 are completely WRONG
[/quote]

Thank you for your helpful insights

[tally]

First flight F-35A AF-275 18-5447/WA destined for the 6 WPS, Feb 24, 2021.

Tally.