Vanguard Magazine

The angle of attack, or AoA, is the difference between the angle the plane is flying at and the angle the plane's nose is pointed. The F-35's higher AoA means the pilot can better point the plane's nose (as well as its sensors and weapons) at an enemy aircraft during a dogfight. But don't just take his word for it, says Billie. Better yet, check out the Kampflybloggen (The Combat Aircraft Blog) – the offi- cial blog of the Norwegian F-35 Program Office written by Maj. Morten "Dolby" Hanche, who was the first pilot of the Royal Norwegian Air Force to fly the F-35. In the blog, Hanche debunks a report leaked last year, which detailed the F-35's lack of dogfighting prowess. Hanche has flown thousands of hours on the F-16 and uses the aircraft as his point of reference. "The F-35 provides me as a pilot greater authority to point the nose of the airplane where I desire. (The F-35 is capable of significantly higher Angle of Attack (AOA) than the F-16," Hanche wrote. "This improved ability to point at my opponent enables me to deliver weapons earlier than I am used to with the F-16, it forces my opponent to react even more defensively, and it gives me the ability to reduce the airspeed quicker than in the F-16." He also said the F-35's ability to rapidly brake or slow down allows him to point his aircraft's nose easily at an opposing plane that is turning towards him, "thus allowing more opportunities to employ weapons, before the distance decreases so much that a role reversal takes place." Hanche talks at length about his other observations, but he said: "To sum it up, my experience so far is that the F-35 makes it easier for me to maintain the offensive role, and it provides me more opportunities to effectively employ weapons at my op- ponent." In 2010, Boeing offered prospective Super Hornet custom- ers an "International Roadmap," which included conformal fuel tanks, enhanced engines, an enclosed weapons pod (EWP), a next-generation cockpit, a new missile warning system, and an internal infra-red search and track (IRST) system. The EWP has four internal stations for munitions; a single aircraft can carry a total of three EWPs, housing up to 12 AMRAAMs and 2 Sidewinders. The next-generation cockpit features a 19" x 1" touch-sensitive display. The Super Hornet is armed with an internal 20mm M61 ro- tary cannon and can carry air-to-air missiles and air-to-surface weapons. The Super Hornet is a very capable and reliable aircraft, but one of its chief selling points will likely be its cost efficiency and cost predictability. The per-unit cost of the Super Hornet is about $55 million. The Pentagon estimates that a single F-35 will cost around $110 million. Flying the Super Hornet for an hour costs about $16,000. The U.S. Air Force's target for operating the F-35 is $31,900 per hour. Boeing also says the Super Hornet is 25 per cent cheaper to fly than Canada's current CF-18 planes. "Proven technology and lower cost and maintenance, that's where we will win against the competition," says Traven. "Proven technology and lower cost and maintenance, that's where we will win against the competition." REDEFINING YOUR BUSINESS With best-in-class technologies, equipment and expertise, the CCPV offers you comprehensive prototyping and testing services in a single location. The CCPV is committed to helping you improve your products and market them faster through responsive, reliable and cost-effective testing. www.CCPV.ca 07090_CCPV_ad_FINALv4_c.indd 1 2016-05-03 10:21 AM www.vanguardcanada.com JUNE/JULY 2016 21 F-35 and F/a 18 Continued from page 18 Continued from page 19 F

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