Modern Vertical Takeoff and Landing Fighter Jets

[retroborg]

Modern Vertical Takeoff and Landing Fighter Jets

Since I was very young, I’ve been a fan and admirer of the Harrier Fighter Jet, mainly for its unique characteristic that it can take-off and land vertically.

Harrier
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrier_Jump_Jet












http://www.strategypage.com/military_photos/20072100524.aspx

http://www.cyberheritage.org/harrier_painting.jpg

http://www.bbc.co.uk/guernsey/content/images/2006/09/1A0/bob06_harrier_2_1024_1024x768.jpg


http://www.bbc.co.uk/guernsey/content/images/2006/09/10/bob06_harrier_1_1024_1024x768.jpg

http://www.airventure.org/2005/media/images/10_Harrier.jpg

Seeing as to how far military aviation has developed in the past decade (F-22, Euro Fighter, Rafale & Grippen), it made me wonder of why there has not been a modern successor of the Harrier Jet or a new advanced Vertical/Takeoff and Landing Fighter Jet, with equivalent tech-specs of the previously mentioned jets?!

All I could find was this:

Vertical/Short Takeoff and Landing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical/Short_Takeoff_and_Landing

So, anyone got any info on the subject?

[Webster]

Seeing as to how far military aviation has developed in the past decade (F-22, Euro Fighter, Rafale & Grippen), it made me wonder of why there has not been a modern successor of the Harrier Jet or a new advanced Vertical/Takeoff and Landing Fighter Jet, with equivalent tech-specs of the previously mentioned jets?!

So, anyone got any info on the subject?

Hot-gas ingestion is the major problem with VTOL fighter jet.
google for "19680018805_1968018805.pdf " for more info.

The next generation of VTOL figher will be made by Lockheed Martin. The company beat out Boeing for the contract a few years back.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-35_Lightning_II

[rallynavvie]

Apparently the Osprey has been approved for USMC work after having a pretty terrible test phase. I don't think I'd want to fly in one. It isn't really a fighter jet though; it's more of a transport. I'm trying to figure out why it's better than a helicopter?

[MeDiCo_BrUjO]

I have to be in one of those planes before I die....

[Webster]

here is a short clip of the jet.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/400777/x35b_joint_strike_fighter/

[retroborg]

Interestingly enough, after observing these 2 videos it would seem that it can do both take off and land vertically!

F35 JSF vertical take off
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm7_PPE-8nk

JSF - Normal take off and vertical landing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz5I8o9k6Xg

Unless these videos are from two different model variations of the F-35?!

So, to get this straight, is there a model of the F-35 that can both take off and land vertically, like the good old Harriers?

Oh, wait! There is also the V-22 Osprey, but that’s not exactly what I had in mind!
It looks more like C-130.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-22_Osprey


Now that I think about it, the closest I've seen in real life to the jets of the Raiden fighter flipping vertically in Boss fights, is the F-35 it self!
If the F-35 had two engines, it would be exactly the same as the Raiden Fighter Jet!

I wonder if the F-35 creators where fans of the Raiden Series when they conceived the idea?!

[retroborg]

The F-35 will put the US air superiority roughly 70 years ahead of other nations.
The aircraft will be faster, more manoeuvrable, stealthier and cheaper than the current F-22.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F35

So with the F-35, you get air-to-air combat, tactical bombing, air support, VSTOL & VTOL capability, stealth and a carrier version all in one plane. Basically it will make the F-14, F-15, F-16, F-18, F-22, F-111, F-117, Harrier, Tornado, EuroFighter, Grippen, Russian Sukhoi Su series and a plethora of others obsolete when it's ready.

X35B Joint Strike Fighter
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/400777/x35b_joint_strike_fighter/

F35 hovering
http://youtube.com/watch?v=_GjrPvSBGXE

[bourboner]

Nothing beats the Science Patrol's VTOL!

http://monstersinmotion.us/ships/vtol.html#

[Doramius]

VTOL jets are great, but they break down quite easily. The track record for crashes is extremely high. One main reason they aren't more heavily used. The concept is not dead, which can be seen by all the other style of VTOL crafts that are being devloped and made.

The advantage of a VTOL is it's faster than a helicopter. Helicopters are actually better at being gunships. But if you want a light gunned transport that can move quickly, you need a jet. Landing speed is probably one of the most important things being looked at for VTOL jets. They land at speeds similar to a heli. Early Harriers were much slower at landing.

Once a VOTL jet starts it's eingine and lifts off, it can move out of an area quite fast, lessening ground anti-air lock-on, and also gain more distance from notified enemy aircraft to come and intercept. Heli's can be caught by fast moving jets.

If you can get a jet to quickly fly in, land, pickup, and fly off -it will create a huge advantage in any kind of transport or pick-up.

[AuroEdge]

In the US Military there are three fixed wing VTOL aircraft in use. The MV-22 & CV-22 are used by the Marine Corps and Air Force respectively. They are tiltrotors as designated by the V. The Marines also utilize the single seater A/V-8B+ Harrier (aka Night Attacker) as shown in your first post. The Joint Strike Fighter, F-35 Lightning II, will be the next step in the development of VTOL aircraft. The F-35A will replace the F-16, the B the A/V-8B II and F/A-18 Hornets, and finally the C the Hornets for the Navy. Note that the Bravo variant of the F-35 is the only model capable of STOVL.

[retroborg]

F-35 Variations:

F-35A CTOL (Conventional Takeoff Landing)
this will replace the F-16 and A-10's for the US air force.

F-35B VTOL
this will replace the AV-8B harrier and the F-18. this version will be designed for the marines and the UK royal airforce.

F-35C CV (carrier variant)
this one will be replacing the F-14's and earlier F-18's (excluding the F-18 E/F variants) for the navy, interestingly enough this will be the navy's first stealth aircraft.
it will host larger wing control surfaces to handle slower speeds during carrier landings, and it will also have an arrestor hook.

As for true VTOL status.
It's a matter of physics really. Full armament, speed & stealth are relative. If you can vertically take-off with full armament, then you can horizontally take-off with about double full & at full speed, especially if you have big wings...

I'm pretty sure the F-35 will gain a full VTOL operational status when it's released.

[retroborg]

After a 2nd thought, one shouldn't believe the superiority of the F-35 so quickly, there was serious reliability concerns due the complex nature of pivoting engine jet, it’s significantly cheaper than the F22 for a reason, although the manufacturing process is amazingly efficient. From an air defence point of view 30 very good planes are better than 8 excellent ones.

In my opinion the F22 still has the edge in terms of air superiority, but even the F22 was outclassed in some areas by the YF-23 blackwidow (cancelled project). Stealth is great for bombing and tactical strikes but when it comes to dog fights stealth planes aren't invincible.

The F-35 (whenever it comes out), regardless technology which is incredible, it is not an A/A oriented fighter. F-35 will be like F16-18 (=multi-role), while F-22 is like F-14-15 (=A/A). In a dogfight of the same generation, A/A has a big advantage over multi-role.

In other words, in a dog-fight situation the F-35 against & the F-22 and the following Russian prototypes:
Mig-35
Sukhoi Su-47 Berkut (S-37)
Sukhoi Su-37

All that stealth and high-tech the F-35 is carrying wont mean jack-squat and it would end up in flames before you know it!

That simple!

Su-37 performing the Cobra manoeuvre.


S-37

[Doramius]

The Osprey is not a jet. As stated, VTOL jets are still very dangerous. The use is very much needed. I'm sure it will get perfected or rebuilt well enough to where it will have a safer record, but until then the style of jet is still quite new.

[AuroEdge]

The main mission of the F-22 is very fast in and very fast out strikes as well as limited air defense. On the other hand, the F-35 especially the Marine/Royal Navy variant will be close in air support in much the same way the Harrier provided. Just safer and faster. Here's a pic I took last year. I've got hundreds of videos and pics...

[Doramius]

Again, the Speed of a VTOL jet is what the major interest is about. Heli's just do not have the speed of a jet.

[rhegedus]

All that stealth and high-tech the F-35 is carrying wont mean jack-squat and it would end up in flames before you know it!

That simple!

Su-37 performing the Cobra manoeuvre.

Nice for airshows but pretty useless in reality - it's not going to evade a missile by slowing down to a stall, and a cannon fired from 6 o'clock will have that much bigger a target to hit.

[Doramius]

I think it deopends on the situation. A lot of these maneuvers are discovered or created because of actual incidents. I highly doubt they are done in actual combat, much the same way they are seen at an airshow, but that's what an airshow is anyway. You want to make it look good and impressive for viewing.