View allAll Photos Tagged lithium
Lithium is the third lightest element with the atomic number of 3. It is an alkaline metal that is silver in color but turns a silvery gray when exposed to the air.
There simply are not enough rings out there that are made to appeal to chemists. This is part of a series of rings dedicated to scientists-- who are every bit as fashionable as the rest of us.
This is a size 9. It is an 1 1/8" tall by about 1/2" in diameter. It is made of sterling silver, brass, and has a hematite cab on top. The brass "electrons" spin freely.
Esker / lithium (2019-)
Esker / lithium, La Terre en suspens exhibition by François Quévillon at OBORO (Montreal), 2023.
francois-quevillon.com/w/?p=2708
francois-quevillon.com/w/?p=4436
Esker / lithium, exposition La Terre en suspens de François Quévillon à OBORO (Montréal), 2023.
Toledo, Ohio Police Department Ford Crown Victoria at Lithium Innovations plant fire 3/2/17 in Toledo, Ohio
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
• Posted by Rachel McDonnell:
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
▪ Follow me on Social Media:
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ I would like to thank you in advance for all views, favorites and comments,I´m sorry if I don´t have time to thank to everyone ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
❇ Credits:
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
ON the right
❇ Lithium - L001 Dress & Gloves [FATPACK]
On the left
❇ Lithium - L011 DRESS [FATPACK]
the 2 items above are available at 📌 LITHIUM
❇ [VIPERA] Tasha Piercing
► Unrigged mesh nose piercing (Left and Right - mirrored)
► HUD for:
→ Change colors:
Metal: 8 colors
Gems: 16 colors
❇ [VIPERA] Brooke Earrings
► Rigged earrings for:
→ Lelutka EvoX Human (female)
→ Genus Human (female)
► + Unrigged version, resizable by script
► HUD for color changing:
→ Metals: 8 colors
→ Gems: 16 colors
VIPERA items are available at 📌 DREAMDAY (6 Jan - 24 Jan)
📌 VIPERA
❇ [VIPERA] Icy Necklace
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
📌 LELUTKA Avalon Head
📌 LEGACY- PERKY Meshbody (f)
Esker / lithium (2019-)
Eco(Systems) of Hope at Anteism Books (Montreal), October 18-30, 2022.
Curator : Erandy Vergara Vargas.
art2022.mtlconnecte.ca/art-portfolio/francois-quevillon
francois-quevillon.com/w/?p=2708
Esker / lithium (2019-)
Exposition Éco(systèmes) d’espoir chez Anteism Books (Montréal) du 18 au 30 octobre 2022.
Commissaire : Erandy Vergara Vargas.
Finally finished! First Custom in 2014.
What I did:
- Lip & nostril carving
- Fake-Up with Schmincke pastel chalk, watercolor pencils and MSC flat UV Cut spray
- 2 pairs of new eyechips (front: Brainworm R6 Light Gray with paper and hetrochromatic leftover eyechips)
- Boggling
- Gazecorrection
- New lashes (Kemper EL17LB)
- Nose ring
- Sleep eyes with original Blythe pullrings and wooden skull charms
- Original Blythe body with Licca arms
Esker / lithium (2019-)
GOLDEN DRAGON EV BUS XML6122JEVD0C | BUILD YEAR 2017 | ROUTE 968A | Chongqing,China |
Electric Engine: DAJUN TZ380XSDJ011
Battery: Lithium iron phosphate battery
Date Taken: Nov. 2021
Chassis n° ZFF76ZHB000203343
Estimated : CHF 2.600.000 - 2.800.000
Sold for CHF 2.185.000 - € 2.000.183
The Bonmont Sale
Collectors' Motor Cars - Bonhams
Golf & Country Club de Bonmont
Chéserex
Switzerland - Suisse - Schweiz
September 2019
"The LaFerrari is very possibly the world's fastest, most exciting hypercar. Which is some statement to make when there are machines such as the McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder to contend with. The bottom line, however, is that LaFerrari has more power (a whopping 950bhp) and less weight to carry around than its prestigious rivals so figuratively, if nothing else, it quite clearly has the upper hand. Either way, this is the ultimate Ferrari..." – Autocar.
In today's increasingly environmentally conscious times, even supercar manufacturers have felt the need to polish up their 'Green' credentials. Seeking better fuel economy and reduced emissions, they have brought 'hybrid' technology to this previously exclusively fossil-fuels-only sector of the market. This has resulted in a 'win win' situation: these latest hypercars being more environmentally friendly while at the same time considerably more powerful than before.
Ferrari's first offering in this expanding category was the LaFerrari, a limited-edition coupé that entered production in 2013. Ferrari's last model with a mid-mounted 12-cylinder engine, LaFerrari was the distillation of no fewer than nine design studies created during the process of its development. The car was unveiled at the 2013 Geneva Auto Show. Unusually, its styling had no input from Ferrari's long-term collaborator, Carrozzeria Pinifarina.
Clearly, a car evocatively titled 'LaFerrari' would have to have a V12 engine, a type of power unit used in the very first Ferrari of 1947 and for a glorious succession of the Italian factory's most famous models. The LaFerrari V12 displaced 6.3-litres and produced 789bhp, supplemented by an electric motor producing 161bhp for a combined output of 950 horsepower, the highest power output of any Ferrari road car. With the car is in motion, the electric motor's lithium-ion battery pack is charged by a KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) as used in the current generation of Formula 1 cars. Power reaches the rear wheels (there's no four-wheel drive) via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. And if you didn't use those 950 horses all the time, there was also a useful decrease in fuel consumption, not that that would have interested the typical LaFerrari owner.
Designed by Ferrari's F1 technical director, Rory Byrne, the LaFerrari has a carbon fibre monocoque chassis with suspension at the front by double wishbones and at the rear by a multi-link system - pretty much the norm for the current generation of supercars. Any car with a 200mph-plus maximum needs plenty of stopping power, and the LaFerrari was equipped with Brembo's finest carbon-ceramic brakes. Ferrari claimed a top speed exceeding 349km/h (217mph), similar to the Enzo's top speed; however, the LaFerrari could accelerating from 0-100km/h (0-62mph) in under 2.4 seconds and reach 300km/h (186mph) in 15 seconds, comfortably out-performing its predecessor. The factory also claimed that LaFerrari had lapped its Fiorano test track in 1:19.7, faster than any other road-legal Ferrari.
Electronic systems abound in even the humblest of modern hatchbacks, and as one would expect, the LaFerrari boasts just about every bit of automotive electrickery imaginable: electronic stability control; high performance ABS/EBD (anti-lock braking system/electronic brake distribution), EF1-Trac F1 traction control integrated with the hybrid propulsion system; E-Diff 3 electronic differential; and magnetorheological suspension dampers - all controlled by 21 computers. There was also active aerodynamics, the front and rear wings being adjustable on the move to provide either high or low downforce while also controlling cooling of the engine, gearbox, batteries, and brakes. More electronics were deployed in the cockpit in the form of a 12.3" (310mm) TFT digital dashboard display with a choice of three optional layouts capable of relaying data from the telemetry system. The steering wheel featured integrated controls, while the gearchange paddles were fixed directly to steering column.
One of the fortunate few to have driven a LaFerrari, Autocar's Steve Sutcliffe was mightily impressed when let loose in one at Fiorano. "The ride instantly feels spookily smooth and calm, the steering surprisingly light but bursting with a delicious, old school kind of feel. The brake pedal also feels light underfoot but is again rippling with feel. And the throttle response, the first time I go anywhere near the loud pedal is just outrageous; the car explodes down the back straight even on half throttle in fourth gear.
"And that's what you get when you integrate electric power with a thumping great V12. At low revs the electricity provides the torque, and provides it instantly, and from there on up – at about 3000rpm – the V12 takes over. Yet the transformation is so smooth you are never actually aware that it takes place. Instead, it feels like the car is powered by a 10-litre V12 that somehow has massive low rev response at the same time.
"And yet, in their way, the gearchange, the brakes, the steering, the turn in, the handling balance and the ride... they are all every bit as incredible as the engine – sorry the power source – and the acceleration it can produce."
Putting a 950 horsepower car weighing only some 1,255kg dry in the hands of mere mortals, as opposed to professional racing drivers, might be considered somewhat reckless, but in designing LaFerrari, its makers ensured that whatever the car did it did predictably. "You always know where you are with this car," declared Autocar. "And considering just how insanely fast it is, that is arguably its greatest achievement; being manageable."
Despite a price of £1 million each, all 499 examples planned had sold before the first had been delivered. However, merely having pockets of limitless depth was not alone sufficient for you to acquire a LaFerrari, which was only available to loyal customers vetted by Ferrari.
Representing a possibly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own one of these fabulous Ferrari hypercars, the LaFerrari offered here was delivered new to Germany and is currently registered on a temporary Swiss plate. The car has covered only 894km from new and is presented in generally excellent condition, reflecting its sparing use. Finished in yellow with black interior, this spectacular LaFerrari comes complete with charger, tool kit, and Equatorial Guinea registration document and technical inspection.
Finally finished! First Custom in 2014.
What I did:
- Lip & nostril carving
- Fake-Up with Schmincke pastel chalk, watercolor pencils and MSC flat UV Cut spray
- 2 pairs of new eyechips (front: Brainworm R6 Light Gray with paper and hetrochromatic leftover eyechips)
- Boggling
- Gazecorrection
- New lashes (Kemper EL17LB)
- Nose ring
- Sleep eyes with original Blythe pullrings and wooden skull charms
- Original Blythe body with Licca arms
in quello che è il mio mondo,
guardo la luce assorta
e penso di essere lì.
Dove tutto è un pò più magico,
dove tutto è un pò meno reale.
The new album of the great Bitter Lithium is comming out soon. Im honored to make the album cover and art. You can download his first single in www.bitterlithium.com
Two Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II fighter jets have successfully landed on board HMS Queen Elizabeth for the first time, laying the foundations for the next 50 years of fixed wing aviation in support of the UK’s Carrier Strike Capability.
Royal Navy Commander, Nathan Gray, 41, made history by being the first to land on board HMS Queen Elizabeth, carefully maneuvering his stealth jet onto the thermal coated deck. He was followed by Royal Navy Squadron Leader Andy Edgell, RAF, both of whom are test pilots, operating with the Integrated Test Force (ITF) based at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.
Shortly afterwards, once a deck inspection has been conducted and the all-clear given, Cmdr Gray became the first pilot to take off using the ship’s ski-ramp.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather, stealth, fifth-generation, multirole combat aircraft, designed for ground-attack and air-superiority missions. It is built by Lockheed Martin and many subcontractors, including Northrop Grumman, Pratt & Whitney, and BAE Systems.
The F-35 has three main models: the conventional takeoff and landing F-35A (CTOL), the short take-off and vertical-landing F-35B (STOVL), and the catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery, carrier-based F-35C (CATOBAR). The F-35 descends from the Lockheed Martin X-35, the design that was awarded the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program over the competing Boeing X-32. The official Lightning II name has proven deeply unpopular and USAF pilots have nicknamed it Panther, instead.
The United States principally funds F-35 development, with additional funding from other NATO members and close U.S. allies, including the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, Canada, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and formerly Turkey. These funders generally receive subcontracts to manufacture components for the aircraft; for example, Turkey was the sole supplier of several F-35 parts until its removal from the program in July 2019. Several other countries have ordered, or are considering ordering, the aircraft.
As the largest and most expensive military program ever, the F-35 became the subject of much scrutiny and criticism in the U.S. and in other countries. In 2013 and 2014, critics argued that the plane was "plagued with design flaws", with many blaming the procurement process in which Lockheed was allowed "to design, test, and produce the F-35 all at the same time," instead of identifying and fixing "defects before firing up its production line". By 2014, the program was "$163 billion over budget [and] seven years behind schedule". Critics also contend that the program's high sunk costs and political momentum make it "too big to kill".
The F-35 first flew on 15 December 2006. In July 2015, the United States Marines declared its first squadron of F-35B fighters ready for deployment. However, the DOD-based durability testing indicated the service life of early-production F-35B aircraft is well under the expected 8,000 flight hours, and may be as low as 2,100 flight hours. Lot 9 and later aircraft include design changes but service life testing has yet to occur. The U.S. Air Force declared its first squadron of F-35As ready for deployment in August 2016. The U.S. Navy declared its first F-35Cs ready in February 2019. In 2018, the F-35 made its combat debut with the Israeli Air Force.
The U.S. stated plan is to buy 2,663 F-35s, which will provide the bulk of the crewed tactical airpower of the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps in coming decades. Deliveries of the F-35 for the U.S. military are scheduled until 2037 with a projected service life up to 2070.
Development
F-35 development started in 1992 with the origins of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program and was to culminate in full production by 2018. The X-35 first flew on 24 October 2000 and the F-35A on 15 December 2006.
The F-35 was developed to replace most US fighter jets with the variants of a single design that would be common to all branches of the military. It was developed in co-operation with a number of foreign partners, and, unlike the F-22 Raptor, intended to be available for export. Three variants were designed: the F-35A (CTOL), the F-35B (STOVL), and the F-35C (CATOBAR). Despite being intended to share most of their parts to reduce costs and improve maintenance logistics, by 2017, the effective commonality was only 20%. The program received considerable criticism for cost overruns during development and for the total projected cost of the program over the lifetime of the jets.
By 2017, the program was expected to cost $406.5 billion over its lifetime (i.e. until 2070) for acquisition of the jets, and an additional $1.1 trillion for operations and maintenance. A number of design deficiencies were alleged, such as: carrying a small internal payload; performance inferior to the aircraft being replaced, particularly the F-16; lack of safety in relying on a single engine; and flaws such as the vulnerability of the fuel tank to fire and the propensity for transonic roll-off (wing drop). The possible obsolescence of stealth technology was also criticized.
Design
Overview
Although several experimental designs have been developed since the 1960s, such as the unsuccessful Rockwell XFV-12, the F-35B is to be the first operational supersonic STOVL stealth fighter. The single-engine F-35 resembles the larger twin-engined Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, drawing design elements from it. The exhaust duct design was inspired by the General Dynamics Model 200, proposed for a 1972 supersonic VTOL fighter requirement for the Sea Control Ship.
Lockheed Martin has suggested that the F-35 could replace the USAF's F-15C/D fighters in the air-superiority role and the F-15E Strike Eagle in the ground-attack role. It has also stated the F-35 is intended to have close- and long-range air-to-air capability second only to that of the F-22 Raptor, and that the F-35 has an advantage over the F-22 in basing flexibility and possesses "advanced sensors and information fusion".
Testifying before the House Appropriations Committee on 25 March 2009, acquisition deputy to the assistant secretary of the Air Force, Lt. Gen. Mark D. "Shack" Shackelford, stated that the F-35 is designed to be America's "premier surface-to-air missile killer, and is uniquely equipped for this mission with cutting-edge processing power, synthetic aperture radar integration techniques, and advanced target recognition".
Improvements
Ostensible improvements over past-generation fighter aircraft include:
Durable, low-maintenance stealth technology, using structural fiber mat instead of the high-maintenance coatings of legacy stealth platforms
Integrated avionics and sensor fusion that combine information from off- and on-board sensors to increase the pilot's situational awareness and improve target identification and weapon delivery, and to relay information quickly to other command and control (C2) nodes
High-speed data networking including IEEE 1394b and Fibre Channel (Fibre Channel is also used on Boeing's Super Hornet.
The Autonomic Logistics Global Sustainment, Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS), and Computerized maintenance management system to help ensure the aircraft can remain operational with minimal maintenance manpower The Pentagon has moved to open up the competitive bidding by other companies. This was after Lockheed Martin stated that instead of costing 20% less than the F-16 per flight hour, the F-35 would actually cost 12% more. Though the ALGS is intended to reduce maintenance costs, the company disagrees with including the cost of this system in the aircraft ownership calculations. The USMC has implemented a workaround for a cyber vulnerability in the system. The ALIS system currently requires a shipping-container load of servers to run, but Lockheed is working on a more portable version to support the Marines' expeditionary operations.
Electro-hydrostatic actuators run by a power-by-wire flight-control system
A modern and updated flight simulator, which may be used for a greater fraction of pilot training to reduce the costly flight hours of the actual aircraft
Lightweight, powerful lithium-ion batteries to provide power to run the control surfaces in an emergency
Structural composites in the F-35 are 35% of the airframe weight (up from 25% in the F-22). The majority of these are bismaleimide and composite epoxy materials. The F-35 will be the first mass-produced aircraft to include structural nanocomposites, namely carbon nanotube-reinforced epoxy. Experience of the F-22's problems with corrosion led to the F-35 using a gap filler that causes less galvanic corrosion to the airframe's skin, designed with fewer gaps requiring filler and implementing better drainage. The relatively short 35-foot wingspan of the A and B variants is set by the F-35B's requirement to fit inside the Navy's current amphibious assault ship parking area and elevators; the F-35C's longer wing is considered to be more fuel efficient.
Costs
A U.S. Navy study found that the F-35 will cost 30 to 40% more to maintain than current jet fighters, not accounting for inflation over the F-35's operational lifetime. A Pentagon study concluded a $1 trillion maintenance cost for the entire fleet over its lifespan, not accounting for inflation. The F-35 program office found that as of January 2014, costs for the F-35 fleet over a 53-year lifecycle was $857 billion. Costs for the fighter have been dropping and accounted for the 22 percent life cycle drop since 2010. Lockheed stated that by 2019, pricing for the fifth-generation aircraft will be less than fourth-generation fighters. An F-35A in 2019 is expected to cost $85 million per unit complete with engines and full mission systems, inflation adjusted from $75 million in December 2013.
[ Lithium }
Don't want to let it lay me down this time
drown my will to fly
here in the darkness I know myself
can't break free until I let it go
let me go
Darling, I forgive you after all
anything is better than to be alone
and in the end I guess I had to fall
always find my place among the ashes
..
Evanescense Band
Copyright © şãÐ FέëŁίήg™. All rights reserved. You may not copy,download or use any of my photos or designs in my photostream without my personal permission.
I've had this wonderful rocket carrier for quite some time now, but never took a picture of it. Thank you so much, SewPixie!
Lithium Innovations plant fire 3/2/17 in Toledo, Ohio. Tried getting a better photo of this truck but it was moving to fast. Actually kind of like how this photo turned out to be honest
Music Fix: Please Right Click and select "Open link in new tab"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LM9sq5GENbE
Nirvana & St. Vincent - "Lithium"
I'm so happy 'cause today I found my friends
They're in my head
Used to treat mood disorders such as: mania, hypo-mania or regular periods of depression
i did this double exposure for this band!
ISO 100
shutter 1/200
aperture F8
Flash einstein 640 in front of them on white background then its post process in photoshop
07147_DxO_1200
Zeitpunkt Aufnahme: 2015:10:09 17:12
Belichtung 1/80
Blende f/3.50
Brennweite 80 mm
BMW typische Bestform: Der BMW i8 bringt alle Merkmale eines reinrassigen Sportwagens mit. Die Front präsentiert sich extrem niedrig und breit. Alles ist auf optimale Aerodynamik ausgerichtet. Die auffälligen Flügeltüren setzen ein optisches Highlight und integrieren sich perfekt in die geschmeidigen Linien der aerodynamischen Karosserie.
Hubraum in cm³ 1499
Leistung in kW (PS) bei 1/min. 170 (231)/5800
Max. Drehmoment (Nm) bei 1/min 320/3700
Elektromotor: Leistung in kW (PS) 96 (-)
Elektromotor: Max. Drehmoment in Nm 250
Höchstgeschwindigkeit in km/h - [250]
Beschleunigung 0–100 km/h - [4,4]
Höchstgeschwindigkeit vollelektrisch in km/h - [120]
Die Gesamtleistung beträgt 266 kW (362 PS)
Leistung der Lithium-Ionen-Batterie in kWh 5,0
Ladezeit der Hochvolt-Batterie in h bei 16 A (80 %)
Leergewicht EU in kg - [1560]
Höchstgewicht in kg - [1855]
Kraftstoffverbrauch in l/100 km (kombiniert): 2,1
Stromverbrauch in kWh/100 km (kombiniert): 11,9
Leica AF-C 1
kompakte 35mm Autofokus Kamera
1989-1991
my photos with this camera:
www.flickr.com/photos/160349031@N04/albums/72157711142086116
Lens: 40 mm f/2.8 and 80 mm f/5.6
Shutter Speed: 1/8s to 1/400s
Exposure Control: Aperture Priority
Film Speed: DX-coded from 50 to ISO 3200 – Non-DX film set to 100 ISO
Focusing: Fully automatic
Flash: Auto + ON/OFF switch
Exposure Comp: NO
Battery: 6V lithium battery (2CR5)
The camera (lens allegedly not) was built by Minolta and is identical (with differences) to the Minolta AF-Tele Super.
At that time, the market demanded simple compact cameras. Leitz could not close his mind to this. Ignoring would have been wrong and developing something yourself - then Leitz would no longer exist today. So look for a recognized and strong partner and do what together. Later with Panasonic and Sony. The strategy has worked until today, the logo has not suffered and Leitz can dedicate itself to more profitable products.
If I haven't overlooked one, then Leitz/Leica has survived as the only German camera manufacturer thanks to this strategy.
In this respect, the AF-C1 has earned a place in my virtual dust-free showcase as the "saviour of Leica". :-))
Die Kamera (Objektiv angeblich nicht) wurde von Minolta gebaut und ist (mit Abweichungen) identisch mit der Minolta AF-Tele Super.
Der Markt hat damals nach einfachen Kompakten verlangt. Dem konnte sich auch Leitz nicht verschließen. Ignorieren wäre falsch gewesen und selber was entwickeln - dann gäbe es Leitz heute nicht mehr. Also einen anerkannten und starken Partner suchen und mit dem etwas zusammen machen. Später dann mit Panasonic und Sony. Die Strategie ist bis heute aufgegangen, das Logo hat nicht gelitten und Leitz kann sich gewinnbringenderen Produkten widmen.
Wenn ich keinen übersehen habe, dann hat Leitz/Leica als einziger deutscher Kamerahersteller dank dieser Strategie überlebt.
Insofern hat sich die AF-C1 als "Retterin von Leica" einen Platz in meiner virtuellen staubfreien Vitrine verdient. :-))
Sleep eyes with original Blythe pullrings and wooden skull charms - those were a gift ages ago from my dear friend Jean!
:::LITHIUM::: new stuffs
lithium-interior.blogspot.com/
Water hyacinth stool
Ladder
slurl.com/secondlife/Bellflower%20Island/216/201/1506
and
Happy birthday hiroy
The new album of the great Bitter Lithium is comming out soon. Im honored to make the album cover and art. You can download his first single in www.bitterlithium.com
Finally finished! First Custom in 2014.
What I did:
- Lip & nostril carving
- Fake-Up with Schmincke pastel chalk, watercolor pencils and MSC flat UV Cut spray
- 2 pairs of new eyechips (front: Brainworm R6 Light Gray with paper and hetrochromatic leftover eyechips)
- Boggling
- Gazecorrection
- New lashes (Kemper EL17LB)
- Nose ring
- Sleep eyes with original Blythe pullrings and wooden skull charms
- Original Blythe body with Licca arms
The Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II "Joint Strike Fighter" sits in a hangar loaded with dummy external munitions, Feb. 13, 2019 at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. After completing the external pylon installation training, the weapons loading standardization crew, a team of three Airmen, became the first team at Luke to be certified on external GBU-12 bomb and AIM-9 missile loading.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather, stealth, fifth-generation, multirole combat aircraft, designed for ground-attack and air-superiority missions. It is built by Lockheed Martin and many subcontractors, including Northrop Grumman, Pratt & Whitney, and BAE Systems.
The F-35 has three main models: the conventional takeoff and landing F-35A (CTOL), the short take-off and vertical-landing F-35B (STOVL), and the catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery, carrier-based F-35C (CATOBAR). The F-35 descends from the Lockheed Martin X-35, the design that was awarded the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program over the competing Boeing X-32. The official Lightning II name has proven deeply unpopular and USAF pilots have nicknamed it Panther, instead.
The United States principally funds F-35 development, with additional funding from other NATO members and close U.S. allies, including the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, Canada, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and formerly Turkey. These funders generally receive subcontracts to manufacture components for the aircraft; for example, Turkey was the sole supplier of several F-35 parts until its removal from the program in July 2019. Several other countries have ordered, or are considering ordering, the aircraft.
As the largest and most expensive military program ever, the F-35 became the subject of much scrutiny and criticism in the U.S. and in other countries. In 2013 and 2014, critics argued that the plane was "plagued with design flaws", with many blaming the procurement process in which Lockheed was allowed "to design, test, and produce the F-35 all at the same time," instead of identifying and fixing "defects before firing up its production line". By 2014, the program was "$163 billion over budget [and] seven years behind schedule". Critics also contend that the program's high sunk costs and political momentum make it "too big to kill".
The F-35 first flew on 15 December 2006. In July 2015, the United States Marines declared its first squadron of F-35B fighters ready for deployment. However, the DOD-based durability testing indicated the service life of early-production F-35B aircraft is well under the expected 8,000 flight hours, and may be as low as 2,100 flight hours. Lot 9 and later aircraft include design changes but service life testing has yet to occur. The U.S. Air Force declared its first squadron of F-35As ready for deployment in August 2016. The U.S. Navy declared its first F-35Cs ready in February 2019. In 2018, the F-35 made its combat debut with the Israeli Air Force.
The U.S. stated plan is to buy 2,663 F-35s, which will provide the bulk of the crewed tactical airpower of the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps in coming decades. Deliveries of the F-35 for the U.S. military are scheduled until 2037 with a projected service life up to 2070.
Development
F-35 development started in 1992 with the origins of the "Joint Strike Fighter" (JSF) program and was to culminate in full production by 2018. The X-35 first flew on 24 October 2000 and the F-35A on 15 December 2006.
The F-35 was developed to replace most US fighter jets with the variants of a single design that would be common to all branches of the military. It was developed in co-operation with a number of foreign partners, and, unlike the F-22 Raptor, intended to be available for export. Three variants were designed: the F-35A (CTOL), the F-35B (STOVL), and the F-35C (CATOBAR). Despite being intended to share most of their parts to reduce costs and improve maintenance logistics, by 2017, the effective commonality was only 20%. The program received considerable criticism for cost overruns during development and for the total projected cost of the program over the lifetime of the jets.
By 2017, the program was expected to cost $406.5 billion over its lifetime (i.e. until 2070) for acquisition of the jets, and an additional $1.1 trillion for operations and maintenance. A number of design deficiencies were alleged, such as: carrying a small internal payload; performance inferior to the aircraft being replaced, particularly the F-16; lack of safety in relying on a single engine; and flaws such as the vulnerability of the fuel tank to fire and the propensity for transonic roll-off (wing drop). The possible obsolescence of stealth technology was also criticized.
Design
Overview
Although several experimental designs have been developed since the 1960s, such as the unsuccessful Rockwell XFV-12, the F-35B is to be the first operational supersonic STOVL stealth fighter. The single-engine F-35 resembles the larger twin-engined Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, drawing design elements from it. The exhaust duct design was inspired by the General Dynamics Model 200, proposed for a 1972 supersonic VTOL fighter requirement for the Sea Control Ship.
Lockheed Martin has suggested that the F-35 could replace the USAF's F-15C/D fighters in the air-superiority role and the F-15E Strike Eagle in the ground-attack role. It has also stated the F-35 is intended to have close- and long-range air-to-air capability second only to that of the F-22 Raptor, and that the F-35 has an advantage over the F-22 in basing flexibility and possesses "advanced sensors and information fusion".
Testifying before the House Appropriations Committee on 25 March 2009, acquisition deputy to the assistant secretary of the Air Force, Lt. Gen. Mark D. "Shack" Shackelford, stated that the F-35 is designed to be America's "premier surface-to-air missile killer, and is uniquely equipped for this mission with cutting-edge processing power, synthetic aperture radar integration techniques, and advanced target recognition".
Improvements
Ostensible improvements over past-generation fighter aircraft include:
Durable, low-maintenance stealth technology, using structural fiber mat instead of the high-maintenance coatings of legacy stealth platforms.
Integrated avionics and sensor fusion that combine information from off- and on-board sensors to increase the pilot's situational awareness and improve target identification and weapon delivery, and to relay information quickly to other command and control (C2) nodes.
High-speed data networking including IEEE 1394b and Fibre Channel (Fibre Channel is also used on Boeing's Super Hornet.
The Autonomic Logistics Global Sustainment, Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS), and Computerized maintenance management system to help ensure the aircraft can remain operational with minimal maintenance manpower The Pentagon has moved to open up the competitive bidding by other companies. This was after Lockheed Martin stated that instead of costing 20% less than the F-16 per flight hour, the F-35 would actually cost 12% more. Though the ALGS is intended to reduce maintenance costs, the company disagrees with including the cost of this system in the aircraft ownership calculations. The USMC has implemented a workaround for a cyber vulnerability in the system. The ALIS system currently requires a shipping-container load of servers to run, but Lockheed is working on a more portable version to support the Marines' expeditionary operations.
Electro-hydrostatic actuators run by a power-by-wire flight-control system.
A modern and updated flight simulator, which may be used for a greater fraction of pilot training to reduce the costly flight hours of the actual aircraft.
Lightweight, powerful lithium-ion batteries to provide power to run the control surfaces in an emergency.
Structural composites in the F-35 are 35% of the airframe weight (up from 25% in the F-22). The majority of these are bismaleimide and composite epoxy materials. The F-35 will be the first mass-produced aircraft to include structural nanocomposites, namely carbon nanotube-reinforced epoxy. Experience of the F-22's problems with corrosion led to the F-35 using a gap filler that causes less galvanic corrosion to the airframe's skin, designed with fewer gaps requiring filler and implementing better drainage. The relatively short 35-foot wingspan of the A and B variants is set by the F-35B's requirement to fit inside the Navy's current amphibious assault ship parking area and elevators; the F-35C's longer wing is considered to be more fuel efficient.
Costs
A U.S. Navy study found that the F-35 will cost 30 to 40% more to maintain than current jet fighters, not accounting for inflation over the F-35's operational lifetime. A Pentagon study concluded a $1 trillion maintenance cost for the entire fleet over its lifespan, not accounting for inflation. The F-35 program office found that as of January 2014, costs for the F-35 fleet over a 53-year lifecycle was $857 billion. Costs for the fighter have been dropping and accounted for the 22 percent life cycle drop since 2010. Lockheed stated that by 2019, pricing for the fifth-generation aircraft will be less than fourth-generation fighters. An F-35A in 2019 is expected to cost $85 million per unit complete with engines and full mission systems, inflation adjusted from $75 million in December 2013.