How effective is the F 35B in unimproved landing sites? Does it need a clean spot on the road or can it work from an unprepared site like a field.
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@TopSmith The USMC F-35B has a Lift Fan forward so it won’t ingest foreign objects into the intake like the AV-8 Harrier, but the F-35B’s hot exhaust from the pivoting downward engine nozzle will scorch any grassy field and set it on fire. It will damage a flight deck without the proper thermal coating applied to it. The engine exhaust is very powerful so it will throw rocks and debris in the air, risking damaging the sensitive DAS sensor cameras and stealth skins around the aircraft.
I would use a clean spot on a road or highway and avoid any dirt of grassy fields. Honestly, I haven’t seen any F-35B vertical landings on highways or rough fields, but it’s well documented that F-35s can take off and land from roads and highways.
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This is an A model, but interesting story nonetheless.
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