Although the troubled F-35 program has been reported on extensively in the past, it is not often that the mainstream press reports specific problems with the actual aircraft under development.  That is why the April 2013 issue of Popular Mechanics is noteworthy.  Joe Pappalardo has penned a short article about several development problems of the F-35B (that’s the Marine Corps version that can land vertically) and potential fixes for them.  Interestingly, and perhaps most worrisome, the maneuverability of the F-35B has been reduced from a sustained 5 g’s turn to 4.5.  There are other issues too, and I recommend that you check out this issue for them.  It seems that the decision to buy the aircraft while it is still in development has not proved to be a happy one.

Marc DeSantis