On Tue, 30 Dec 2003 17:03:15 GMT, Fred J. McCall
wrote:

Scott Ferrin wrote:

:
: Those drag changes don't make for a 33% change in performance. The
: problems with the F-16 were over a 5% to 10% range, and that was between
: the design and the flying airframe, not between the early flying
: airframe and the production model.
:
:I beg your pardon? Can you point to any place where I said that there
:would be a 33% change or a difference between the pre-production model
:(that's what we call "the early flying airframe") and the production
:model?
:
:I think he's referring to the comment *way* back up the thread that
:suggested the F-35C wouldn't have the range of a Super Hornet and that
:it's range would have to be cut by 33% to be as low as the Hornet's.

I'm sure he is, but that's simply wrong. First normalize the numbers.
Equal percentage of load, fuel, same flight profiles, etc. Next, get
some REAL numbers for the combat range of an F-35C with those sorts of
constraints, rather than all this hand waving. Then we'll talk about
how far off it has to be.


You'd think though that they'd at least have an inkling from the
prototypes on the range so they could do something about it in the
production model if it was that far off. If they haven't something is
seriously wrong with the process.