The old adage about Navy planes is that you don’t worry when they are leaking fluids, you worry when they stop dripping. It means they are out of fluid. . . Except in the case of the Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35B (STOVL) variant. Which was grounded for precautionary reasons after an issue was discovered with the fueldraulic system.
Blogging from the brig. . .
Maybe we could sell the F-35 and the Little Crappy Ship in a package deal.
http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2012/05/a_moment_of_sai_1.html
We could throw in the soon to be history aquaflage. http://www.susankatzkeating.com/2011/04/new-navy-aquaflage-uniforms-are-better.html
I almost got onboard one of the LCSs this last Monday. Strange ship. . .
“fueldraulic “? I’m a federally licensed A&P and I do not recognize that term. Does it mean that they are using fuel in the hydraulic system, rather than a closed-system using 5606?
That would seem a little sketchy as, if you ran out of fuel on final approach, you would also be in total hydraulic failure and have to eject, unless of course, the ejection-seat was also dependent on “fueldraulics.”
Good thing I’m old and busted as the “new” technologies seem to be passing me by.
So it goes…
Ah, I thought it was some nod to the hydraulics. I’ll bet that was what they meant. . .
It’s probably a closed system specifically for the STOVL components. On some planes the engine thrust reversers (for non-airplane types that’s what the loud noise is when you land that helps slow the plane) use engine oil instead of hydraulic fluid to make them work. If they run out of fuel they wouldn’t be landing vertically anyhow.
While I get the need for a new plane I’m not $ure why there need$ to be three different ver$ion$ of it. Perhap$ I’m getting old and bu$ted a$ well.
Hmm, thanks Ed. Interesting engineering. . .
Found a follow-up to this today, thought you guys might be interested. http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2013/01/dn-grounded-f35b-will-fly-again-soon-pratt-and-whitney-says-012813/
Interesting, thanks for the follow-on. (And I learned a new world, fueldralic. . .)