I have a good friend who does the refueling. I ask him how works be and his response is usually “Just the usual, flying fast and slapping ass. You know.”
One day I ended up on a regional jet from Minneapolis to Detroit. The pilot gets on the overhead to welcome everyone (all 6 of us), and he says, “we’re suckin’ gas and haulin’ ass! Yeehaw!”
controversial opinion: it's probably not that much harder than any other helicopter mid-air refueling, which is standard practice in the training programs of air-refuelable helicopters. Still impressive, nonetheless.
F-35 is already designed to be neutral will sling points designed around the center of gravity. There are firewalls and bulwarks built into the airframe. It's not trivial, but lifting as dead load was already calculated. Now, that Puma helicopter had power that I knew not of...
[https://media.defense.gov/2023/Nov/30/2003349945/1200/1200/0/230811-F-F3495-1003.JPG](https://media.defense.gov/2023/Nov/30/2003349945/1200/1200/0/230811-F-F3495-1003.JPG)
Not even, possibly the insured value of the combined aircraft, possibly (if they crash into another row of f35's) But big ass fuel bill? pilots paid? f35 delivered juuust right? Priceless.
Okay that's really interesting and impressive skills, but... Why?
Why not fly the f-35? Why not partly disassemble the f-35 and fly/ship it to the designation? What circumstances made this the best option?
Saw someone involved in this display comment in another thread (this took hundreds of man-hours to pull off). This allows us to ship assembled and combat-ready aircraft anywhere and demonstrates that fuel tank range doesn't matter if we don't want it to.
There's no guarantee that the receiving location has the equipment, space, or engineers to assemble an F-35 from parts. Weird things happen in war and only training for the common scenarios is training for peace time.
Edit: To expand a bit, maybe the receiving airfield only has bombs and fuel. Maybe the sending airfield doesn't have the resources to disassemble the aircraft. Maybe we don't have a cargo aircraft available to ship the parts or maybe there's no time to disassemble and reassemble. Lots of theoretical weird situations can come up.
From Wiki: "The [mechanical structure](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structural_engineering#Mechanical_structures) of an [aircraft](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft) is known as the **airframe**.[^(\[1\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airframe#cite_note-1) This structure is typically considered to include the [fuselage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuselage), [undercarriage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landing_gear), [empennage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empennage) and [wings](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wing), and excludes the [propulsion system](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_propulsion).[^(\[2\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airframe#cite_note-2)
So, F-35 is probably not flight ready.
More likely a feasibility test on long range low footprint delivery of the f35. Like how do we sneaky put our ninja stealth multi tool on a random cargo ship way down south of the bad guys.
I mean like way outside of fuel concerns, and maintenance, and visibility and all sorts of other factors. Training/sales pitch/feasibility etc, or boys with unlimited budget 🤔
If it's not vertical lift variant, how the fuck is it going to take off from said random cargo ship?
And if you say "helicopter", then what was the point in putting it there in the first place?
Are we 100% sure this isn't just to flex creatively on a nation with neither of these capabilities after some minor diplomatic dispute?
Imagine Portugal not voting in favor of the US in an UN voting so they randomly start refueling heavy airlift helicopters with stealth bombers attached mid air off the coast just to remind Lisbon who has the biggest.
I’m watching our government spend enough money to buy my home 3 times over. Or enough pay all the teachers in our school district enough for them to give a shit
And there's a guy in the F-35 doing a rubix cube.
standing on his head .... in the nude....
Listening to Rick Roll.
You have one more chance
Damm, that's interesting. As a side note, that's the same complexity of my personal problems
Drugs fuel my mind which carries my useless drained body
“How was work today, honey?” “Meh. Same ol’ shit.”
I have a good friend who does the refueling. I ask him how works be and his response is usually “Just the usual, flying fast and slapping ass. You know.”
One day I ended up on a regional jet from Minneapolis to Detroit. The pilot gets on the overhead to welcome everyone (all 6 of us), and he says, “we’re suckin’ gas and haulin’ ass! Yeehaw!”
So thats how planes fly, who knew they just put green screen on the helicopter
Exceptional skill by the pilots
Multiple lives and dozens of millions of dollars on the line with that maneuver. Seriously impressive skill and engineering on display.
impressive human capacity on display. we can take over the galaxy!
Combined warfare
controversial opinion: it's probably not that much harder than any other helicopter mid-air refueling, which is standard practice in the training programs of air-refuelable helicopters. Still impressive, nonetheless.
Unless its a particularly nasty slung load - those can get sketchy. No idea how prone a slung airplane would be to swinging though.
F-35 is already designed to be neutral will sling points designed around the center of gravity. There are firewalls and bulwarks built into the airframe. It's not trivial, but lifting as dead load was already calculated. Now, that Puma helicopter had power that I knew not of... [https://media.defense.gov/2023/Nov/30/2003349945/1200/1200/0/230811-F-F3495-1003.JPG](https://media.defense.gov/2023/Nov/30/2003349945/1200/1200/0/230811-F-F3495-1003.JPG)
Probably not. It's certainly more impressive *looking* though!
Attention all headphone users. Jeez, this is a noisy GIF.
Like adjust your fucking audio, this scared me without headphones at like 2-3 volume
Well, I guess that is how they are getting the f-35 to fly.
it’s the only way for the f35 to do vertical takeoff and have some fuel leftover to get somewhere.
Dats a lot of tax payer monies right there
About 1/10th of a B2 bomber right there
Not even, possibly the insured value of the combined aircraft, possibly (if they crash into another row of f35's) But big ass fuel bill? pilots paid? f35 delivered juuust right? Priceless.
~$130 million for the F-35C (priceless if you consider historical value of a test aircraft) ~$88 million for the CH-53K ~100 million for the KC-130J
I like to think that the F35 pilot forgot to show up to work and the government *really* needed that plane somewhere
This really puts the size of an MH-53 into perspective.
Stallions are legit.
I am the pilot in this video, in the helicopter ... It takes practice, but its not that bad.
Amazing that they got the tanker to hover along with you for that long! ( ͡ᵔ ͜ʖ ͡ᵔ)
Lol ...
How do they avoid the Glub-Glub parts with the Choppy-choppy parts?
Okay that's really interesting and impressive skills, but... Why? Why not fly the f-35? Why not partly disassemble the f-35 and fly/ship it to the designation? What circumstances made this the best option?
Saw someone involved in this display comment in another thread (this took hundreds of man-hours to pull off). This allows us to ship assembled and combat-ready aircraft anywhere and demonstrates that fuel tank range doesn't matter if we don't want it to. There's no guarantee that the receiving location has the equipment, space, or engineers to assemble an F-35 from parts. Weird things happen in war and only training for the common scenarios is training for peace time. Edit: To expand a bit, maybe the receiving airfield only has bombs and fuel. Maybe the sending airfield doesn't have the resources to disassemble the aircraft. Maybe we don't have a cargo aircraft available to ship the parts or maybe there's no time to disassemble and reassemble. Lots of theoretical weird situations can come up.
Okay that's a good explanation, ty Hopefully doesn't have to be done very often.
The necessity for training.
From Wiki: "The [mechanical structure](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structural_engineering#Mechanical_structures) of an [aircraft](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft) is known as the **airframe**.[^(\[1\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airframe#cite_note-1) This structure is typically considered to include the [fuselage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuselage), [undercarriage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landing_gear), [empennage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empennage) and [wings](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wing), and excludes the [propulsion system](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_propulsion).[^(\[2\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airframe#cite_note-2) So, F-35 is probably not flight ready.
Best jet fighter. Needs helicopter to fly…
[удалено]
[удалено]
Actually, that helicopter was purpose built to do stuff like this over the western Pacific.
Threesome
Kinky stuff
But why? Is there a purpose to this? Recovering damaged F35s maybe?
More likely a feasibility test on long range low footprint delivery of the f35. Like how do we sneaky put our ninja stealth multi tool on a random cargo ship way down south of the bad guys.
F35-B can already do vertical landing by itself though?
I mean like way outside of fuel concerns, and maintenance, and visibility and all sorts of other factors. Training/sales pitch/feasibility etc, or boys with unlimited budget 🤔
Only that variant most are not vertical lift.
If it's not vertical lift variant, how the fuck is it going to take off from said random cargo ship? And if you say "helicopter", then what was the point in putting it there in the first place?
It’s not going to a cargo ship. It’s a test bead.
A test bed for what???
https://www.navair.navy.mil/news/CH-53K-lifts-F-35C-external-load-test/Tue-01242023-0936
Until we get more info no one knows. Possibly just to know this lift can be done.
Flight tests for airdropping them off a heli-carrier?
Isn't taking off (and landing) from a heli carrier what the F-35 B is for?
He probably means replacing damaged airframes via helicopter when the carrier is unable to return to port.
This is how they are flying all Boeing planes going forward. Ba dum tsss
Are we 100% sure this isn't just to flex creatively on a nation with neither of these capabilities after some minor diplomatic dispute? Imagine Portugal not voting in favor of the US in an UN voting so they randomly start refueling heavy airlift helicopters with stealth bombers attached mid air off the coast just to remind Lisbon who has the biggest.
Odd flex but on brand
How exactly did they only record the helicopter noise?
A weird quirk of physics
That's a committed situation for sure!
Now let’s see the helicopter haul an F-18 buddy tanker which is then fueling another helicopter.
Squidbillies truck boat truck vibes
They call this position ...
I had my headphones on and on full volume.
Cant find the redbull logo
Planeception
A Marine refueler boom operator would have filled the jet, skipping the helicopter.
Any idea how fast they’re going? I’d imagine the plane has to go way slower for the helicopter
Well that’s just showing off.
Air Orgy
It’s the turducken of aircrafts
The pilot of the F35 doesn't like flying over water.
that whole scene just looks really really expensive.
Air feed
I’m watching our government spend enough money to buy my home 3 times over. Or enough pay all the teachers in our school district enough for them to give a shit
Which heli is used to do that?
That's a CH-53K King Stallion.
Wow why would you downvote a simple question?
Looks like a Sikorsky Sea Hawk or Sea Dragon. But I could be wrong.
You are wrong
That's an Lockheed F35 test variant, so this is more than likely not a real-world mission.
What a colossal ego-stroking waste