¿Como es el tema de la pintura stealth? ¿Cada tanto tiempo los usuarios extranjeros tienen que mandar de vuelta las unidades a EEUU para el "recauchutado"?
Hola, la nueva pintura RAM del F-35 es distinta a la del F-22, muchisimo más duradera, con unos ciclos de curado más cortos y más fácil de mantener. Es una nueva composición y de hecho estaban intentando usarla para recubrir al F-22 no sé si totalmente o parcialmente, ya que la Ram del F-22 es mucho más frágil.
http://web.archive.org/web/20100719134313/http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,215074,00.html
As the debate rages about Joint Strike Fighter life-cycle cost, Lockheed Martin officials are raising a previously unheard point to bolster their low-price claims -- a new low-observability (LO) substance called fiber mat.
Lockheed officials avoided the need to use stealthy appliqués and coatings by curing the substance into the composite skin of the aircraft, according to Tom Burbage, executive vice president of F-35 program integration for the company. It "makes this airplane extremely rugged. You literally have to damage the airplane to reduce the signature," he said in an interview with AVIATION WEEK. This top-fiber mat surface takes the place of metallic paint that was used on earlier stealthy aircraft designs.
The composite skin of the F-35 actually contains this layer of fiber mat, and it can help carry structural loads in the aircraft, Burbage adds. The F-35 is about 42% composite by weight, Burbage says, compared to the F-22 at 22% and the F-16 at 2%.
Lockheed Martin declined to provide further details on fiber mat because they are classified. But the disclosure of this new substance comes at a time when Lockheed Martin officials are arguing that maintenance costs for the F-35 will be lower than anticipated by operators.
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Aquí te dejo un pdf explicando el proceso de pintado que es una pasada, necesita recubrir el avión no uniformemente sino en cada zona de unas determinadas micras de este material, se usan robots que por medio de láseres y GPS controlan la cantidad exacta y profundidad de la pintura RAM según la superficie del avión.
Lo que hace a un avión más o menos furtivo no es solo la forma, sino todos estos detalles. Conseguir un RCS bajo de 0,1 m2 no es muy dificil, pero bajarlo de ahí, ya no es tan sencillo, se requiere un grado de manufactura, herramientas especiales para el que no todas las industrias están capacitadas.
https://www.ri.cmu.edu/pub_files/2010/3/Seegmiller_SAE-2010_Precision_Robotic_Coating.pdf
El mantenimiento es bastante menor que en el F-22, y existen centros fuera de EEUU, por ejemplo en Noruega existe uno, en Italia tienes otro, en Uk y en Turquía.
https://www.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/603803/f-35-european-maintenance-sites-announced/
The F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter program office announced today the European locations for heavy engine and heavy air frame maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade facilities.
“In the European region, F-35 initial air frame MROU capability will be provided by Italy by 2018," Air Force Lt. Gen. Christopher C. Bogdan told reporters.
Bogdan is the Program Executive Officer for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office in Arlington, Virginia.
Italy has invested $1 billion into a purpose-built final assembly and check-out facility for the F-35, he said.
"As Italy builds up their production capability at the FACO, there's an opportunity later on to add more production capacity to that FACO if other partners and the U.S. want to build their planes there," the general said. If the facility does shift toward production, Bogdan explained, the United Kingdom would be assigned to provide additional air frame depot capability.
Engine heavy maintenance will initially be provided by Turkey by 2018, he said, "with Norway and the Netherlands providing additional capability two to three years after Turkey’s initial capability." (...)
Lo que no se da cuenta mucha gente que una parte importante de mantener operativa la flota es reducir los ciclos de mantemiento, eso se ha intentado realizar con el F-35 y además que éstos sean lo más rápidos posibles, así un F-35 europeo no necesita ir a EEUU para su mantemiento.
Todo esto también forma parte del coste de todo el programa del F-35.
Saludos
