The Lockheed-Martin-BAe F-35D Thunder

[PR19_Kit]

As you are retired, twice I believe, I would think you are effectively in holiday mode all the time?

Of course. The late Mrs_PR19 said 'Now everyday is Saturday, we have Monday-Saturday, Tuesday-Saturday, Wednesday-Saturday etc. etc'.     

[Wardukw]

As you are retired, twice I believe, I would think you are effectively in holiday mode all the time?

Of course. The late Mrs_PR19 said 'Now everyday is Saturday, we have Monday-Saturday, Tuesday-Saturday, Wednesday-Saturday etc. etc'.     

😀😀😀 I like that 

[zenrat]

Probably cost. It's not duct tape, it has to have as near the properties of the material it is covering and be adheisive as well.

That'll teach me to not include a smiley next time ... I thought the fact I was joking would have been fairly obvious

I knew.  Fart oo serious some folks on here.    

Of course it could be that a roll of the special tape is all that you need and all the other claims are a coverup to hide how much money has been wasted...
 

[NARSES2]

Of course it could be that a roll of the special tape is all that you need and all the other claims are a coverup to hide how much money has been wasted...
 

Can you imagine the price of a roll though ? 

[scooter]

Of course it could be that a roll of the special tape is all that you need and all the other claims are a coverup to hide how much money has been wasted...
 

Can you imagine the price of a roll though ? 

Probably be cheaper in the long run to develop a stealthy replacement for the F-15

[Jakko]

Of course it could be that a roll of the special tape is all that you need and all the other claims are a coverup to hide how much money has been wasted...
 

Well ... there is the semi-joke that the Pentagon is that place where every expenditure gets rounded up to the nearest ten million dollars ... so maybe they just bought a enough rolls to make the F-35 stealthy, but got billed individually for each of them?

[PR19_Kit]

Work on the F-35D has re-commenced as I've all, well some anyway, of my tool kit spread all over the bed of my hotel room on the IoW. 

Goodness knows what the cleaning lady will think when she comes in tomorrow morning....

I've cut and glued the tailplane and elevator extensions in place for the port side bits, and I'm waiting for them to cure completely before starting the PSR. The underside of the extended starboard wing has now had it's 2nd session of PSR and it'll probably need a third too.

I'll try those 3d printed 'decals' for the instruments later on, never used them before so it'll be interesting seeing how they work.

[PR19_Kit]

After a suggestion from Hazel, my lady friend, I've renamed the F-35D as the 'Thunder'.

As the RAF/FAA were the only users of this hybrid F-35B+C variant, their Airships having deemed that a UK aircraft called a Lightning could only have TWO engines, one on top of the other, they decided the -D variants should have their own name with the UK forces to distinguish them from the lesser capabilities of the F-35B Lightning IIs still remaining in service.

[Kit's Rule #2 applies....}

[McColm]

After a suggestion from Hazel, my lady friend, I've renamed the F-35D as the 'Thunder'.

As the RAF/FAA were the only users of this hybrid F-35B+C variant, their Airships having deemed that a UK aircraft called a Lightning could only have TWO engines, one on top of the other, they decided the -D variants should have their own name with the UK forces to distinguish them from the lesser capabilities of the F-35B Lightning IIs still remaining in service.

[Kit's Rule #2 applies....}

Airships? I've never heard a group of officers being called that before!

[PR19_Kit]

Airships? I've never heard a group of officers being called that before!

It's been in common use on here for ages, OGL started using it before I joined the Forum in 2008.

The Thunder's port wing extension is now well under way, and there's been lots of PSR and priming going on with the extended elevators and tailplanes too.

You cannot view this attachment.

[Jakko]

I keep wanting to hit the Like button but failing to find it

[PR19_Kit]

One of these will do fine, but wait until it's done perhaps. 

It's got the leading edge glued on now, so the wing extension's complete, just LOTS of PSR to go.

[Wardukw]

Even with all the PSR its looking  very cool   

[Dizzyfugu]

Nice. Now I know where all the Presto putty would go.   

Will we see canards? The extended wings make it look a bit tail-heavy (for me)? 

[AeroplaneDriver]

Nice. Now I know where all the Presto putty would go.   

Will we see canards? The extended wings make it look a bit tail-heavy (for me)? 

Canards AND conventional elevators??  The fewer moving surfaces the better for a stealthy jet.