BEST FIGHTER FOR CANADA

[Cue sad trombone...] Well...  This is embarrassing. Mere weeks after declaring the F-35A's IOC (initial operating capability) the USAF has grounded fifteen of them (two belonging to the RNoAF). The grounding was ordered when depot maintenance discovered coolant lines with decomposing insulation. "[I]t was possible for this crumbling insulation to become lodged in the siphon lines connecting wing and fuselage fuel tanks...  T his could result in excessive negative pressures in the fuel tanks during flying operations or excessive positive pressures during air or ground refueling. In either case, the under- or over-pressure could cause structural damage to the fuel tanks."   -US Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek At least nothing caught on fire this time! Unlike the engine fire that grounded the entire JSF fleet two years ago, this issue seems to be more of a quality control issue rather than a design flaw.  The problem seems to be c...

Pentagon authorities are now fairly certain that the JSF is safe to fly.  The cause of the F-35 fire on June 23rd is thought to be due to "excessive rubbing" of one of the turbine blades.   While the F-35 may be cleared for flight, its expected appearance at Farnborough is still uncertain. Until the exact cause of the fire is determined, the JSF will fly under "operating restrictions".  More news here: http://ca.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idCAKBN0FK0O520140715

Such a nice summer day, too... A week ago, F-35 flights were suspended after an engine fire.  Today, the word is that the JSF fleet is now officially grounded.  This is no real surprise.  According to one witness  “The engine ripped through the top of the plane” .   The timing of this comes at a particularly precarious time in the JSF program.  European support for the F-35 is less than stellar at the moment.  It was hoped that the F-35's presence during the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) and the Farnborough Air Show this month would give JSF boosters something to be proud of.   As it is, today's hoped for flyby during the HMS Queen Elizabeth's naming ceremony is off .  Instead, the part of the F-35 was played by a 50-year old de Havilland Sea Vixen .  Participation at RIAT (July 11th) is as good as cancelled, as the F-35's 36 hour turnaround time would require the grounding be lifted almost immediately.  C...

It seems there have been some conflicting reports regarding the JSF's flight status.  Contrary to my previous post reporting that all Lightning IIs were still flying after a F-35A caught fire on take off, it turns out that JSF fleet has indeed been placed on the no-fly list. The issue behind the confusion?  Wording.  Technically, the JSF has not been officially grounded, but F-35A and F-35B flights are now considered "suspended ".  According to Breaking Defense:   Readers who may be wondering why you haven’t seen the word grounded should know that grounding has a specific meaning for the military and these aircraft have not been grounded — yet. Grounded means the plane won’t fly until further notice or the specific conditions that led to the plane being banned from flight is found and fixed. So far they’re expecting to get the planes back in the sky as soon as they have some idea as to the fire’s cause. Part of the ambiguity comes from the fact that th...

It looks as if a slight case of spontaneous combustion is not enough to ground the JSF fleet for very long.  After its second grounding  (however brief) this month, the F-35 is still  flying. While the cause of the fire is still not known, authorities are confident (or desperate) enough to continue flying the JSF.  This is good news for those looking forward to seeing the JSF make its first trans-Atlantic appearance in the United Kingdom next month.