Headsex Donating Members 2,528 Member For: 19y 7m 30d Gender: Male Location: Melb Posted 14/12/06 02:24 AM Share Posted 14/12/06 02:24 AM http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/lig...5685727877.html Quote Anticipation is building in Fort Worth, Texas, where a new generation warplane is due to make its first test flight.Australia yesterday committed to ongoing funding for the development and production of the contentious new warplane, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).The $US276 billion ($A352 billion) futuristic plane is the most expensive military program in history.Initial reports suggested the test flight would take place yesterday (Australian time) but rainy weather, wind and other factors had delayed the tests.In an elaborate ceremony in Washington DC witnessed by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Australian Defence Minister Brendan Nelson signed a memorandum of understanding pledging support for the project.The F-35 aircraft - christened "Lightning II" - will replace Australia's ageing F-18 and F-111 fighter bombers."The Joint Strike Fighter is most certainly the correct aircraft for Australia in terms of air-to-air combat and its strike capabilities," Dr Nelson said."It will see Australia through the next 30 to 40 years."The F-35 project has been criticised by some aerospace experts for being too expensive, while there are fears in Australia the aircraft will not be completed by the time the F-111s are due to be retired between 2010 and 2012.Last year Dr Nelson admitted the government was investigating other options.Australia joins Britain, Canada and The Netherlands in committing with the US to the development of the fighter, built by Lockheed Martin Corp.Turkey, Denmark, Italy and Norway are expected to sign by the end of the year.The Federal Government has already dished out $210 million of what is expected to be a $16 billion bill if it decides to buy about 100 F-35s.A spokesman for Lockheed Martin Corp, the company developing the aircraft, told theage.com.au the flight test team were waiting for "the right moment"."There are a whole lot of variables that have to line up, including weather," John Kent told theage.com.au today."We probably won't know until a couple of hours before the flight takes place, but everything is looking really good."Mr Kent said the flight was likely to take place soon after the successful completion of a high-speed ground taxi test yesterday, during which the F-35 reached a ground speed of 200kmh.The test flight would take about one hour, with the pilot initially testing the plane's basic features and handling.While the F-35 has been designed to reach a maximum flying speed of 1920kmh or Mach 1.6, it will be flown at about 800kmh during the first flight test."Right now there's only one F-35 completed and this will be the first time it has flown," Mr Kent said."We've got about 10 more in various stages of assembly."While Australia's defence minister Dr Nelson is in the United States, he will not be among what Mr Kent described as a "very select group" that will witness the F-35's maiden flight in Texas.The $350 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project is being funded mainly by the United States and United Kingdom.Three versions of the F-35 are being developed to suit the different needs of participating countries (including Australia, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, Turkey, Norway and Denmark) but the different models will share 80 per cent of parts.The joint project was initiated to keep development, production and operating costs to a minimum.Due to the involvement we have in the JSF project at work, This is a exciting time for us Danny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blonk Iconoclast Donating Members 4,330 Member For: 20y 6m 13d Gender: Male Location: CH Posted 14/12/06 02:31 AM Share Posted 14/12/06 02:31 AM Pity they will sell them to us but not the code for the software. Therefore allowing them to shut down the entire aircraft even whilst in flight....Even Ford dont do that.......Paranoid Yanks...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lumpen Poison Fish. Poison Fish. TASTY FISH!!! Donating Members 5,181 Member For: 22y 25d Gender: Male Location: The Bogan Shire Posted 14/12/06 02:33 AM Share Posted 14/12/06 02:33 AM Headsex said: The $US276 billion ($A352 billion) futuristic plane is the most expensive military program in history.←With that they could cure cancer, stop the spread of mosquito borne disease, reverse poverty, salination and a million other things. Instead they spend it on something designed solely to kill other humans. Headsex said: The Federal Government has already dished out $210 million of what is expected to be a $16 billion bill if it decides to buy about 100 F-35s.←Few hospitals and de-salination plants in that paltry bill alone.No wonder we as a species are destined for a short span Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil F6 Donating Members 830 Member For: 19y 3m Gender: Male Location: Sydney Posted 14/12/06 05:23 AM Share Posted 14/12/06 05:23 AM Lumpen Proletariat said: Headsex said: The $US276 billion ($A352 billion) futuristic plane is the most expensive military program in history.←With that they could cure cancer, stop the spread of mosquito borne disease, reverse poverty, salination and a million other things. Instead they spend it on something designed solely to kill other humans. Headsex said: The Federal Government has already dished out $210 million of what is expected to be a $16 billion bill if it decides to buy about 100 F-35s.←Few hospitals and de-salination plants in that paltry bill alone.No wonder we as a species are destined for a short span ←I'm a tech head and I love jet fighters, but this is the grossest waste of money ever and frankly I hope they all crash and burn. I'll bet that little licker Johnny will be putting a order for a few billions worth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rboksic Donating Members 514 Member For: 20y 11m 11d Posted 14/12/06 05:53 AM Share Posted 14/12/06 05:53 AM Blonk said: Pity they will sell them to us but not the code for the software. Therefore allowing them to shut down the entire aircraft even whilst in flight....Even Ford dont do that.......Paranoid Yanks......← Or the techinical spec's as well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tab Sucker Moderating Team 32,303 Member For: 20y 11m 15d Gender: Male Location: Brisbane Posted 14/12/06 06:05 AM Share Posted 14/12/06 06:05 AM Lumpen Proletariat said: Headsex said: The $US276 billion ($A352 billion) futuristic plane is the most expensive military program in history.←With that they could cure cancer, stop the spread of mosquito borne disease, reverse poverty, salination and a million other things. Instead they spend it on something designed solely to kill other humans.←Exactly....there's so many more efficient ways to kill humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lumpen Poison Fish. Poison Fish. TASTY FISH!!! Donating Members 5,181 Member For: 22y 25d Gender: Male Location: The Bogan Shire Posted 14/12/06 08:09 AM Share Posted 14/12/06 08:09 AM Evil F6 said: I'm a tech head and I love jet fighters, but this is the grossest waste of money ever and frankly I hope they all crash and burn. I'll bet that little licker Johnny will be putting a order for a few billions worth.←Bah@JetFighters. Give me a Spit any day.Smoke Me a Kipper. I'll be home for breakfast!Lumpy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chooch Member 256 Member For: 21y 2m 6d Location: Adelaide Posted 14/12/06 08:33 AM Share Posted 14/12/06 08:33 AM wonder if they will come with a clunky diff and brake shudder? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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