Tail Hook May Be Too Short To Snag Arresting Gear

Engineers testing the capability of the F-35C to snag an arresting cable on an aircraft carrier have come up with a stunning conclusion: the airplane may not be able to do it.

File Photo

The blog Aviationintel.com reports that the tailhook on the JSF's Navy variant is simply too short to engage the arresting wire under even ideal conditions. Roll in/roll out tests conducted by Lockheed Martin resulted in no ... as in not one ... engagement of the tailhook with an arresting wire in eight tries. The tests were conducted under ideal conditions ... not at sea on a moving ship.

And because of the airplanes stealth characteristics, the tailhook can't simply be made longer and not compromise the low-observable design. The stealth design has the tailhook masked by the aircraft's skin, and a longer hook would stick out in the radar signature.

The blog writer says the flaw was identified in the Pentagon's "quick look" assessment of the airplane's progress, according to an article posted on www.f-16.net.

FMI: www.f35.com