In article ,
Fred J. McCall wrote:

Chad Irby wrote:

:In article ,
: Fred J. McCall wrote:
:
: Trapping at max take off weight is not the usual thing. I would think
: that the ability to do so would indicate that either the max take off
: weight was held unrealistically low or it's going to be difficult to
: trap.
:
:Max takeoff weight for the F-35 is about five tons lower than the
:F-18E/F *normal* attack mission takeoff weight. They get huge weight
:savings from not having to haul around an extra two or three tons of
:fuel (plus tanks).

And you obviously miss the point of my original remark.

No, I got it.

You might be right - I've seen "recovery weights" for the F-35 ranging
from 33,000 pounds all the way up to 50,000 pounds, looking around the
Web tonight.

But there's a big difference between "most likely" and "possible." The
big limiter is certainly the landing gear, and the airframe needs more
reinforcement, but it's not an extreme engineering challenge, and it
adds a *lot* to aircraft survivability and life.

--
cirby at cfl.rr.com

Remember: Objects in rearview mirror may be hallucinations.
Slam on brakes accordingly.