3 ms·

Isn’t F-35 capable of VTOL? Couldn’t they just land on the belly? Or the malfunctioning landing gears disabled VTOL?

• fransje26 1y ago
  The F-35B is the VTOL variant. The Air Force doesn't fly the F-35B, they fly the F-35A.
• Elmern 1y ago
  IIRC USAF does not use the F-35B, which to my knowledge, is the only VTOL capable F-35 variant.
• the__alchemist 1y ago
  Not this variant. I have no idea how VTOLs would work in this scenario, but I suspect it could be recovered safely in that config. Non-VTOL fighter landings with improper gear configurations have various guidelines (As discussed in the report here) in their checklists, depending on which gear are down. They range from landing normalish, landing while applying counter-forces etc, to approach-end-resentment, to ejection.
• deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
• Sharlin 1y ago
  No. F-35A is conventional take-off and landing. F-35B is STOVL. F-35C is CATOBAR (catapult take-off, arrestor landing).
  • rswail 1y ago
    Army, Marines, Navy?
    • Sharlin 1y ago
      Air Force. The Army doesn't operate the F-35.
      • rswail 1y ago
        Heh, I meant to say Air Force, can I get away with saying that they used to be part of the Army? Didn't think so :)
• szidev 1y ago
  Not the A variant, which is what USAF flies.