BOEING JSF REQUIREMENTS |
CTOL (Conventional Takeoff and Landing) version for the US Air Force |
Length |
45 feet |
Wingspan, no wing folds |
36 feet |
Unit flyaway cost |
$28M |
Empty weight |
Mid 22,000 pounds |
Maximum takeoff weight |
50,000 pounds |
Internal fuel |
15,000 pounds |
Payload |
more than 13,000 pounds |
Combat radius |
more than 600 nautical miles |
STOVL (Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing) version for the US Marine Corps and the UK Royal Navy |
Length |
45 feet |
Wingspan |
30 feet |
Unit flyaway cost |
$35M |
Empty weight |
mid 24,000 pounds |
Maximum takeoff weight |
50,000 pounds |
Internal fuel |
15,000 pounds |
Payload |
more than 13,000 pounds payload |
Combat radius |
more than 600 nautical miles |
Carrier-based version for the US Navy |
Length |
45 feet |
Wingspan, no wing folds |
36 feet |
Unit flyaway cost |
$38M |
Empty weight |
mid 24,000 pounds |
Maximum takeoff weight |
50,000 pounds |
Internal fuel |
16,000 pounds |
Payload |
17,000 pounds |
Combat radius |
more than 600 nautical miles |
The JSF will serve as the Air Force's "low-end" complement to the F-22 Raptor. The F-22 will of course be replacing the USAF's aging F-15 fleet, which first entered service in 1975. Then-Air Force acquisition executive Arthur L. Money told Congress in 1998, "The F-22 is the force enabler; the JSF is the force."
The Marine (STOVL) version will be the most demanding to build. It will have to operate vertically, fly at supersonic speeds, and be able to carry a significant weapon payload. Never before has one aircraft performed all those functions.
The Navy version of the JSF will serve as their "high-end" weapons system, complementing the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet which is currently in production.
The JSF will have a single engine. The Navy wanted the JSF to be a twin-engine aircraft, to prevent single engine failure from causing an over-water disaster. However, years of flight data showed that today's single-engine jets have safety records which compare favorably to older twin-engine aircraft such as the F-14 Tomcat.
JSF Links
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