Гилморовский DOT&E разразился очередным (как водится - преимущественно ругательным) отчетом, подводящим итоги 2016 года.
http://www.dote.osd.mil/pub/reports/FY2016/pdf/dod/2016f35jsf.pdf
Документ очень длинный, я его читал пока "по диагонали". Несколько новых моментов (по сравнению с уже обсуждавшимися документами), бросившихся в глаза:
- Недопустимый перегрев хвостового оперения в сверхзвуковом полете (при 1,5М).
Overheating of the horizontal tail continued to cause damage, as was experienced on BF-3, one of the F-35B flight sciences test aircraft, while accelerating in afterburner to Mach 1.5 for a loads test point. The left horizontal inboard fairing surface reached temperatures that exceeded the design limit by a significant amount. Post‑flight inspections revealed de-bonding due to heat damage on the trailing edge of the horizontal tail surface and on the horizontal tail rear spar.
- Быстрое развитие усталостных явлений в хвостовом оперении.
Fatigue and migration of the attachment bushing in the joint between the vertical tail and the aircraft structure are occurring much earlier than planned in both the F-35A and F-35B, even with a newly designed joint developed to address shortfalls in the original design.
- Слабость узла крепления гака аэрофинишера.
Excessive and premature wear on the hook point of the arresting gear has caused the program to consider a more robust redesign. In fact, the hook point has required replacement after only one engagement in some instances; the longest a hook point has lasted to date is five arrestments. This fails to meet the minimum service life of 15 arrestments.
- Получены результаты испытаний на устойчивость к повреждениям (как положительные, так и отрицательные):
- Demonstrated the tolerance of the vertical tail attachments to high-explosive incendiary (HEI) projectile threats
- Confirmed the tolerance of the aft boom structures to Man-Portable Air Defense System (MANPADS) threats
- Demonstrated vulnerabilities to MANPADS-generated fires in engine systems and aft fuel tanks.
- Пока не очень понятна ситуация с весовой дисциплиной. Запас по весу невелик (напр. 272 фунта у Ф-35А), при этом нужно добавить 140 фунтов веса только на оборудование РЭБ.
Weight estimates for production Lots 10 and later indicate an expected weight growth of between 120 and 140 pounds, primarily due to new electronic warfare (EW) avionics.
- Сомнительна возможность базирования на десантно-вертолетный корабль-док 6 самолетов, не говоря уже о большем числе.
is likely unsuitable for regular Air Combat Element (ACE) operations on the Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) and Landing Helicopter Assault (LHA)-class assault ships with the standard complement of six F-35B aircraft, let alone F-35B Heavy ACE configurations with more aircraft.
- Контейнер, в котором поставляется сменный двигатель, неудобен для использования на корабле, особенно в качку.
They stated a preference for the type of container used for the T56 engine, installed on the E-2 Hawkeye and C-2 Greyhound aircraft. This type of container has a door on one side that opens outward, with the engine mounted on rails inside.
- С усовершенствованиями в конструкции катапульт. кресла и с помощью такой-то матери решили проблемы безопасности катапультирования для пилотов небольшого веса.
▪ Reduction in the weight of the pilot’s Generation III Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS), referred to as the Gen III Lite HMDS
▪ Installation of a switch on the ejection seat which allows lighter-weight pilots to select a slight delay in the activation of the main parachute
▪ Addition of a Head Support Panel (HSP) between the risers of the parachute.
Ну, и никуда не делись ранее озвученные проблемы.
- ОЛС - так себе.
Many pilots assess and report that the Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) on the F-35 is inferior to those currently on legacy systems, in terms of providing the pilot with an ability to discern target features and identify targets at tactically useful ranges, along with maintaining target identification and laser designation throughout the attack. Environmental effects, such as high humidity, often forced pilots to fly closer to the target than desired in order to discern target features and then engage for weapon employment, much closer than needed with legacy systems, potentially alerting the enemy, exposing the F-35 to threats around the target area or requiring delays to regain adequate spacing to set up an attack. However, due to design limitations, there are no significant improvements to EOTS planned for Block 3F.
- Проблемы с РЭБ, с отображением символов на дисплее шлема, "слиянием информации" от сенсоров, организацией целеуказания для НАП...
- Недостаточная четкость изображение и мешающее "зеленое свечение" при использовании шлема ночью.
- Раскачивание Ф-35С при старте с катапульты.
- Проблемы с ПО МТО "Alis".