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A pilot's point of view on F-35 in the CAS role

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posted on May, 4 2016 @ 06:13 AM
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a reply to: Blackfinger

Don't give them PlayStation pilots any ideas, pretty sure they're already making a drone with a built in cannon and it's just not publicized.



posted on May, 4 2016 @ 08:06 AM
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a reply to: misterhistory

Won't happen for a good long time. Between the vibration from the gun, and the control lag issue, a gun on a UAV would be a Bad Thing.



posted on May, 4 2016 @ 08:36 AM
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a reply to: Zaphod58

Depends, are they in an air conditioned building in Alabama or in the same time zone? If they're not near by then I see the issue but if they're in the same country, isn't the lag from the radio signals negligible?



posted on May, 4 2016 @ 08:44 AM
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a reply to: misterhistory

It depends on where they're flying. It's not going to be as bad, but when you're talking about getting down in the weeds, around mountains, you don't want any control lag, or any kind of lag, whether it's in the view from the sensors or whatever. And they'd have to build them a lot stronger structurally, which means more expensive, more fuel, less loiter time, etc.



posted on May, 4 2016 @ 08:49 AM
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a reply to: Zaphod58

They could give the controller to patrols could they not? And isn't something like attack helicopters better suited now anyway?



posted on May, 4 2016 @ 08:59 AM
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a reply to: misterhistory

The control units for something like a Predator is huge. They'd need a container unit sized box to house it in. And there's really no need for it. They have everything from B-52s to A-10s, and everything in between available for CAS.



posted on May, 4 2016 @ 12:32 PM
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originally posted by: Forensick
A-10 doesn't have the ability do CAS like the F-35, period.

I would rather have a F35 up there than an A-10, sensors, a2g radar, IR systems, payload and still has a Gatling gun!


The A is the only one with the cannon built in. The B and C are pods on the belly centerline and they have 184 rounds or so?



posted on May, 4 2016 @ 12:39 PM
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a reply to: Flipper35

The A-10 is the only one that has more than a few hundred rounds in the gun. It always makes me laugh when people talk about how many rounds a minute they can shoot but it holds like a third of that in total rounds.



posted on May, 4 2016 @ 02:22 PM
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a reply to: Zaphod58

I know. The F16 is 500-550 which gives it a few seconds worth. Not being the primary weapon I don't see the need for a thousand plus rounds, but less than 200 is a token amount. Granted the GAU-22/A is half the rate of the Vulcan.



posted on May, 4 2016 @ 02:25 PM
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a reply to: Flipper35

And will have better accuracy than other guns. At least it's going to have a gun.



posted on May, 4 2016 @ 02:25 PM
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Doh!
edit on 5/4/2016 by Zaphod58 because: (no reason given)



posted on May, 5 2016 @ 12:35 AM
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And will have better accuracy than other guns. At least it's going to have a gun.

This is the telling statement right here..For real close CAS, accuracy is the selling point.Area denial and heavier duties can be taken on by helos and heavier platforms...How much armour could they bolt onto a Scorpion?



posted on May, 5 2016 @ 12:17 PM
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As much as the amount of ordinance they want to leave off the aircraft.



posted on May, 6 2016 @ 08:57 AM
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a reply to: Zaphod58

Yeah, The Tomcat was typically loaded with 250 rounds, which was 2.5 squeezes with the 1 second limiter. Not a lot. Occasionally, when heading for a dedicated CAS mission, I understand they could get 500 rounds, but that's still only 5 trigger squeezes.







 
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