(Franco Iacch)
02/13/16

http://www.difesaonline.it/mondo-militare/f-35-risolti-i-problemi-con-il-seggiolino-ma-quel-casco-da-51-libbre-preoccupa-il-0

The Pentagon announced that it has solved the problems, potentially fatal for pilots, related to the ejection of pilot's seat on F-35.

The changes, however, will not be implemented before the end of 2018. This means that until then, the flight restrictions in place since last August, will stand.

The Defense Department is working with Martin Baker and Lockheed Martin on three main corrections: designing a lighter helmet to reduce pressure on the pilot's neck, installing a system that will delay the deployment of the main parachute and the installation of a support for his head in his parachute straps.

In the seat built by the British company Martin-Baker, it was found a "potentially fatal mistake for the life of the pilot." This error, already has a number of potential victims: one-third of the pilots who will fly the F-35. During the ejection, so we are in an emergency situation, the system would cause a whiplash so violent because of an incorrect position of the chair propelled outside the aircraft. The risk, recognized by the Department of Defense, is real for drivers between 60 and 65 pounds.
Tests have shown that the pilots, whose weight approaches slightly at fault or excess at 135-140 pounds, have a probability of death of 98% during the expulsions to 160 knots. For those who do not know it is the average speed of a take-off or landing. The American pilots enabled with the F-35 that fall into this weight category amounted to 7%. Their license was suspended. But the problem may have been underestimated because the percentage of risk remains high even for pilots with an average weight. The Pentagon has solved the problem with a sort of "switch". The device will be adjusted according to the rider's weight. When the commands will sit a lighter rider, the eject device, it will delay the release of the parachute of a fraction of a second, thought to be capable of reducing the impact on the pilot's neck. E 'it was also added a support device between the straps of the parachute to prevent the head of the pilots in the phase of ejection to perform unnatural and potentially fatal movements. The two changes, according to the Pentagon, will be in production by the end of 2016. Estimated latter, considered too optimistic by Congress that provides for at least a year of testing and optimization prior to production on a large scale.
The problem with the helmet, instead, require even more time. A rider who weighs 60 pounds, can not wear the current helmet $ 400,000. A driver with a weight of 60 pounds (of excess tolerance and defect of two pounds), has one chance in 50,000 of suffering a neck injury in the event of expulsion. Drivers who weigh between 63 and 74 pounds, have less risk with a probability of 200 thousand of suffering a potentially fatal neck injury. Engineers are trying to reduce the weight of the helmet to prevent injuries to the neck, potentially lethal, for the drivers during ejection from the aircraft. The helmet currently weighs 5.1 pounds. The minimum safety threshold to reduce the risks threatening is 4.6 / 4.8 pounds.

According to the report of the Department of Defense, the corrections on the helmet weight are delayed by at least nine months compared to the other two solutions identified. It would be correct to note that the restrictions will remain in force until three changes will not work. The implemetazioni require at least a year of testing. It was expected that the three corrections were implemented by the summer of 2017. The Air Force, in an email last January 8, it acknowledged that the corrections will be implemented by December 2018.
Under the Marine Corps Aviation Plan, the F-35 will replace the entire fleet EA-6B Prowler by 2019 and will displace the AV-8B Harrier from 2026. The F-35 finally detects the F / A -18 Hornet in 2030. the Air Force will reach Initial Operational Capacity of the F-35A as soon as it formed the first squadron consists of 12 to 24 aircraft with pilots and crews trained and capable of performing close air support missions , interdiction and limited suppression and destruction of enemy air defenses. The F-35A will reach Initial Operational Capacity between August and December 2016. The US Navy finally equipped with the F-35C, will reach Initial Operational Capacity as soon as the first squadron will be formed consisting of 10 aircraft, with personnel and pilots of the Navy trained and able to carry out their assigned missions. The 'F-35C will reach Initial Operational Capacity between August 2018 and February 2019. The 55-year life of the F-35 will cost the US 1.5 trillion dollars. Besides the United States, the fighter was ordered by Britain, Australia, Italy, Turkey, Norway, the Netherlands, Japan, South Korea and Israel.
(Photo: Lockheed Martin)

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F35 pilot's helmet is to heavy. So it breaks Pilots neck.

Why they do not want to buy it from Russia or China? There all serious military jets already have control & targeting helmet head helmets that are much lighter?

IZAKVIC