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TFA includes this image of an F-35 underbelly: https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/the-drive-cms-content-staging/message-editor/1553810000189-dadadac.jpg https:
by jaytaylor 8y ago
TFA includes this image of an F-35 underbelly:
https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/the-drive-cms-content-staging/message-editor/1553810000189-dadadac.jpg https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/the-drive-cms-content-sta...
The exotic curves are visually exquisite, and I'm curious what the production and fabrication technique and processes are.
Particularly for the jet engine housing. Is it comprised of a few large sheets, or many smaller pieces? Not sure how to get the curvature and bends consistently correct within tolerance limits for large sheets.
It seems like it would be extremely challenging.
It looks like it might be titanium?
If you know about this or have ideas, please do tell!
P.S.
What a cool read! This is the type of article I come to hacker news hoping to find :)
- ghostly_s 8y agoAny reason they couldn't just stamp, then CNC route the final profile for high tolerance?
- Gravityloss 8y agoI don't know if it works the same way for titanium but aluminium has been shaped like this for aircraft. https://boingboing.net/2012/02/13/machines.html https://boingboing.net/2012/02/13/machines.html
- craftyguy 8y agoWho said it was made of titanium?
- Green_man 8y agoI had thought that fighter jets used more specific aluminum alloys than titanium, but I found this on the f-35 specifically (Bruce Tanner is Lockheed Martin's CFO): "Tanner says Lockheed uses more aluminum than steel on its aircraft projects, which in addition to the F-35, include the C-130 cargo plane, and F-16 fighter. And the F-35 uses more titanium than aluminum and steel, he said. " https://www.defenseone.com/business/2018/03/how-much-do-americas-arms-makers-depend-foreign-metal-no-one-seems-know/146579/ https://www.defenseone.com/business/2018/03/how-much-do-amer...
- dba7dba 8y agoFun trivia I learned while ago. So before computer assisted drafting/manufacturing showed up, it was quite common to see Rubber Mallet in use on the production floor of the expensive planes. Workers literally had to beat certain parts of the plane into place using Rubber Mallets.
- crazypyro 8y agoA rubber mallet in general is a time tested tool of any worthwhile mechanic.
- dba7dba 8y agoHaha very true. However using rubber mallet on stealthy aircraft would be strictly prohibited as just a small imperfection on skin of aircraft would make it show up prominently in radar.
- watersb 8y agoYou can get nice curves in sheet metal by pounding it with a bag filled with metal spheres, like large ball bearings. Sort of like hand-grinding a telescope mirror, or polishing stuff. The dents average out. Not a good way to build anything with close tolerances, but a way to manually build a thing.
- dba7dba 8y agoGood to know. The rubber mallet in aircraft production in analog era was more for pounding ill fitting part into submission and into place.
- serf 8y ago>It looks like it might be titanium? it's a coated composite similar to carbon, but with specified radio properties. It looks like carbon fiber with a large weave before coating. I dropped a panel almost exactly like the one in question that was scrap from mis-machining, and it nearly deafened me, it rings like a toilet lid; like a ceramic. source : I had a small involvement with recent US planes.
- WrtCdEvrydy 8y agoThere was a recent post about someone who damaged his hearing from dropping a toilet lid that didn't shatter.
- Sharlin 8y agoLook at those High-Tech Hexagons[1]! The F-35 designers knew their tropes. [1] https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HighTechHexagons https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HighTechHexagons
- w1nst0nsm1th 8y ago> The exotic curves are visually exquisite... I would even say there is some sensual, if not sexual, feminine reminiscence.
- justinator 8y agoI guess too bad the job of the machine is to kill humans.
- justinator 8y agoat great expense.
- analognoise 8y agoWhy is that bad? We're in an era of unprecedented stability, if anything walking strongly and having large sticks is working.
- pravda 8y agoIn a way, but the real job of the F-35 is transfer wealth from the federal treasury to the stockholders and executives of Lockheed Martin. And it has been an incredible success!
- natalyarostova 8y agoThe real job of the f-35 is to project power.
- TallGuyShort 8y ago#THICC
- ARandomerDude 8y agoNo idea what that means
- 8y ago
- imandride 8y agoI swear I've seen someone put a very similar comment on another F35 article, time to scrub HN as a sanity check.