Delete comment from: Elements Of Power
Hi Tim,
CFT weight could go either way, and given the unknowns between how the Block 50 and 60 weights are 'baseline'calculated we don't really need to know. On the one hand I'm using the HAF aircraft weights for Block 50 that includes pilot, trapped fuel, lubrication, two launchers and 2 AIM-9s (which I later substituted with AMRAAMs). This stuff adds up to about 500 pounds over the usual empty weight figure provided for the Block 50 (see AF Fact Sheet). On the other hand we just have a marketing 'weight' total for the Block 60 that may or may not include all of the above, and may have added trapped fuel to boot. This is the kind of uncertainty driving why I estimated 'ranges' as outputs instead of 'points. The Block 60 might be 400-500 lbs lighter, but it still has some unknown drag factor from the sensor suite missing and I gave it the same acceleration benefit from thust/weigh ratio as a lighter airplane. I call it a 'wash' for our back of the envelope look-see.
Apr 16, 2015, 9:57:47 PM
Posted to F-35 Transonic Acceleration vs. an F-16 Block 60 'Hot Rod'