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And the critical distinction between the two variants is that the F-35B has VSTOL (vertical / short takeoff & landing) capabilities, via ducted fans, whilst the
by dredmorbius 3y ago
And the critical distinction between the two variants is that the F-35B has VSTOL (vertical / short takeoff & landing) capabilities, via ducted fans, whilst the F-35A does not. The reported test involved a rolling landing & takeoff, rather than a vertical approach as in the earlier test.
- KyleBerezin 3y agoThe F-35A also has superior air to air capabilities. It is a 9G capable fighter, where the B and C are not.
- doikor 3y agoIt is also cheaper both to buy and operate.
- phire 3y agoThe A, B and C are essentially three different aircraft, designed for different use cases. They were developed by the same program, designed to share as many parts/technology/software as possible, and to look almost the same... But the differences are larger than simply "the B has an extra lift fan" and "the c has foldable wingtips and a tail hook". The C actually has significantly larger wings and weighs almost 20% more than the A due to the extra strengthening needed for carrier operations. And it needs to carry more fuel to get the same range.