F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

SARTHAK

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I am not sure about it though. But I will share my opinion on this:
It could be anything may be different purposes in different locations. From the last picture it looks like Aft band anteena of Integrated avionics suite. Looks different in Engine cowl. The shape and the mesh is for Stealth. May be passive sensors.
View attachment 128944
Also it' Appears to be some fort of conformal antennae. The dark colored part is probably di-electric to allow passage of RF signals.
Rest I will rest my case here. It's Confusing for me as well to what the Heck these are. Don't have anything else to say on this. I will research more about this and tell though.
the one guy probably can answer this is Indranil roy sir on twitter
 

Super Flanker

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the one guy probably can answer this is Indranil roy sir on twitter
Thanks. I will refer to him with regards to this matter. And than I will post the necessary information with regards to what this is.
 

Bhartiya Sainik

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I am not sure about it though. But I will share my opinion on this:
It could be anything may be different purposes in different locations. From the last picture it looks like Aft band anteena of Integrated avionics suite. Looks different in Engine cowl. The shape and the mesh is for Stealth. May be passive sensors.
View attachment 128944
Also it' Appears to be some fort of conformal antennae. The dark colored part is probably di-electric to allow passage of RF signals.
Rest I will rest my case here. It's Confusing for me as well to what the Heck these are. Don't have anything else to say on this. I will research more about this and tell though.
So these diamonds are either ventilation grills or sensors.
In such positions cooling & ventilation is required by -
- engine
- turbo-generator
- transformer/invertor/convertor
- other electrical components
- heat exchanger
- sensors
- gearbox
- what else?

APU has separate inlet & exhaust doors, moved from top side to bottom.

Bottom sensors are -
- Radar altimeter
- MLS/ILS antenna
- MADL/IFDL antenna
- L-band antenna
- EW/ECM/ESM antenna
- VHF/UHF anenna
- what else?

RWRs are embedded on wing tips.

Ultimately we shoud try to know precisely what these are, antenna then what antenna, vent then for which component?
 

Super Flanker

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So these diamonds are either ventilation grills or sensors.
In such positions cooling & ventilation is required by -
- engine
- turbo-generator
- transformer/invertor/convertor
- other electrical components
- heat exchanger
- sensors
- gearbox
- what else?

APU has separate inlet & exhaust doors, moved from top side to bottom.

Bottom sensors are -
- Radar altimeter
- MLS/ILS antenna
- MADL/IFDL antenna
- L-band antenna
- EW/ECM/ESM antenna
- VHF/UHF anenna
- what else?

RWRs are embedded on wing tips.

Ultimately we shoud try to know precisely what these are, antenna then what antenna, vent then for which component?
This doesn't seem to be a ventilation grill of any sort but rather Maybe a sensor? I don't know exactly what this is. I will research about this More on other sources and will try and provide you with an Answer. Even this seems to be a mystery to me as well.
f-35a.jpg


Nothing else to say here.
 

Bhartiya Sainik

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This doesn't seem to be a ventilation grill of any sort but rather Maybe a sensor? I don't know exactly what this is. I will research about this More on other sources and will try and provide you with an Answer. Even this seems to be a mystery to me as well.
View attachment 129079

Nothing else to say here.
But ventilation is required to cool down components which i mentioned.
Through Google search i found some images & diagrams.
In the pic here which u just shared there is a scoop to take air in just above rear landing door.
1641112007481.png

1641112129995.png


And some air could be taken from RAM-air inlets inside the Y-duct.
All this air required for cooling components, cockpit cannot be dumped into engine bcoz then seprate network of tubing, fixing have to be done. So they are vented through micro-mesh vents located nearby. Such vents can be easily seen on upper & lower sides of F-22.

Here is a block diagram of Thermal Management System
1641113079655.png


Here is another block diagram
1641113315691.png


Here is a small comparison b/w some components of F-16 & F-35
1641113449007.png

As we can see on F-16 side-
- Ram-air heat exchanger is there so that air needs vents
- Air-cycle ECS & Vapor-cycle ECS, their air needs vents
- APU needs vents
- Accessory Drive or gearbox need cooling & ventilation

On the F-35 side -
- Engine starter is the APU or IPP (Integrated Power Pack)
- Ram-air heat exchanger has become Fan Duct heat exchanger
- ECS has become PTMS or Power & Thermal Management System

Here is another comparison of certain components related to ECS/PTMS tested on testbeds like F-16 AFTI & then evolved for future platforms like F-22 & F-35
1641114101769.png


So in F-35 also there must be similar arrangement which we are not aware/confirmed yet. These things are not secret/classified anymore. People like engineers, pilots & even mechanics working in DoD or even civil aviation & even the aeronautical students a jet engine well, can throw significant insight into this. All it requires is a labeled diagram.
 

Bhartiya Sainik

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Who's the young lad Mr. Indranil Roy?
MADL & altemeter are just 1 of the many type of antennas which i already mentioned. Moreover, a labeled diagram/pic is needed, which aperture is what.

I found few things
1641126651617.png

1641126713276.png

1641126751827.png


The left from front is hexagonal MADL & other is DAS/MAWS.
1641127120286.png


So it seems Mr. Roy is right about radar-altimeter, although he didn't point exactly, but wrong about the MADL antenna locations.
 

Super Flanker

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But ventilation is required to cool down components which i mentioned.
Through Google search i found some images & diagrams.
In the pic here which u just shared there is a scoop to take air in just above rear landing door.
View attachment 129082
View attachment 129083

And some air could be taken from RAM-air inlets inside the Y-duct.
All this air required for cooling components, cockpit cannot be dumped into engine bcoz then seprate network of tubing, fixing have to be done. So they are vented through micro-mesh vents located nearby. Such vents can be easily seen on upper & lower sides of F-22.

Here is a block diagram of Thermal Management System
View attachment 129084

Here is another block diagram
View attachment 129087

Here is a small comparison b/w some components of F-16 & F-35
View attachment 129089
As we can see on F-16 side-
- Ram-air heat exchanger is there so that air needs vents
- Air-cycle ECS & Vapor-cycle ECS, their air needs vents
- APU needs vents
- Accessory Drive or gearbox need cooling & ventilation

On the F-35 side -
- Engine starter is the APU or IPP (Integrated Power Pack)
- Ram-air heat exchanger has become Fan Duct heat exchanger
- ECS has become PTMS or Power & Thermal Management System

Here is another comparison of certain components related to ECS/PTMS tested on testbeds like F-16 AFTI & then evolved for future platforms like F-22 & F-35
View attachment 129090

So in F-35 also there must be similar arrangement which we are not aware/confirmed yet. These things are not secret/classified anymore. People like engineers, pilots & even mechanics working in DoD or even civil aviation & even the aeronautical students a jet engine well, can throw significant insight into this. All it requires is a labeled diagram.
Will speak later on this topic bro. Till than have a nice day. For now ending the Conversation with a cool pic of the F-35!
20220102_190919.jpg
 

Bhurki

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Dec' 2020
Annual deliveries - 123
Total delivered - 614

Year.....Annual Rate...Total Units
2011...........9.................9
2012..........29...............38
2013..........35...............73
2014..........36..............109
2015..........45..............154
2016..........46..............200
2017..........66..............266
2018..........91..............357
2019........134..............491
2020........123..............614
Dec' 2021
Annual deliveries - 142
Total delivered - 756

Year.....Annual Rate...Total Units
2011...........9.................9
2012..........29...............38
2013..........35...............73
2014..........36..............109
2015..........45..............154
2016..........46..............200
2017..........66..............266
2018..........91..............357
2019........134..............491
2020........123..............614
2021........142..............756


 

BON PLAN

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Dec' 2021
Annual deliveries - 142
Total delivered - 756

Year.....Annual Rate...Total Units
2011...........9.................9
2012..........29...............38
2013..........35...............73
2014..........36..............109
2015..........45..............154
2016..........46..............200
2017..........66..............266
2018..........91..............357
2019........134..............491
2020........123..............614
2021........142..............756


Congrats to LM.
756 prototyps built so far (ie only with a very political IOC. Far from the FOC).
I hope LM to solve all the problems, if not it will be the biggest scandal of the 21st century.
 

Bhartiya Sainik

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Who's the young lad Mr. Indranil Roy?
MADL & altemeter are just 1 of the many type of antennas which i already mentioned. Moreover, a labeled diagram/pic is needed, which aperture is what.

I found few things
View attachment 129143
View attachment 129144
View attachment 129145

The left from front is hexagonal MADL & other is DAS/MAWS.
View attachment 129147

So it seems Mr. Roy is right about radar-altimeter, although he didn't point exactly, but wrong about the MADL antenna locations.
Updated images based on my searches & understanding.
Surface discontinuities like hatches, vents, panels, inlets, ventilators, apertures, etc also have saw-tooth edges or diamond shaped depending upon size.

Downward looking MADL antenna in front of weapons bay door

View attachment 129617

The ventilation micro-mesh grills, APU/IPP exhausts have "BEWARE OF BLAST" written near them.

View attachment 129577

View attachment 129580

View attachment 129608

If i'm right then the 3 maintenance stand points have tooth like symbol indicating tripod stand/jack.

1641381677197.png


View attachment 129582

If anybody has more info then please update pic & share back, thanks.

View attachment 129629

1641327451075.png
 

Bhartiya Sainik

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Who's the young lad Mr. Indranil Roy?
MADL & altemeter are just 1 of the many type of antennas which i already mentioned. Moreover, a labeled diagram/pic is needed, which aperture is what.

I found few things
View attachment 129143
View attachment 129144
View attachment 129145

The left from front is hexagonal MADL & other is DAS/MAWS.
View attachment 129147

So it seems Mr. Roy is right about radar-altimeter, although he didn't point exactly, but wrong about the MADL antenna locations.
Updated images based on my searches & understanding.
Surface discontinuities like hatches, vents, panels, inlets, ventilators, apertures, etc also have saw-tooth edges or diamond shaped depending upon size.

Another example of flat panel conformal antenna

1641383518847.png


Downward looking MADL antenna in front of weapons bay door

1641383652296.png


Left side lower hemisphere covering MADL antenna below tailplane elevator

1641383693717.png


The ventilation micro-mesh grills, APU/IPP exhausts have "BEWARE OF BLAST" written near them.

1641383728652.png

1641383765578.png


If i'm right then the 3 maintenance stand points have tooth like symbol indicating tripod stand/jack.

1641383804226.png

1641383860744.png



1641383277840.png


If anybody has more info on missing elements then please share, thanks.
 

BON PLAN

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Updated images based on my searches & understanding.
Surface discontinuities like hatches, vents, panels, inlets, ventilators, apertures, etc also have saw-tooth edges or diamond shaped depending upon size.

Another example of flat panel conformal antenna

View attachment 129768

Downward looking MADL antenna in front of weapons bay door

View attachment 129770

Left side lower hemisphere covering MADL antenna below tailplane elevator

View attachment 129771

The ventilation micro-mesh grills, APU/IPP exhausts have "BEWARE OF BLAST" written near them.

View attachment 129773
View attachment 129776

If i'm right then the 3 maintenance stand points have tooth like symbol indicating tripod stand/jack.

View attachment 129777
View attachment 129778


View attachment 129767

If anybody has more info on missing elements then please share, thanks.
need to be vented a lot !
A hot bird :lol:
 

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