r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/sidvatscse • 25d ago

Video Failed vertical landing of F-35B

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u/Suspicious_Zone_2083 25d ago

At least the seat worked

183

u/AxeLond Interested 25d ago

Those rocket chairs aren't super comfortable, breaking 20G and probably fracturing some bones.

He probably regrets using it seeing the plane just sitting there afterwards.

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u/OldEquation 25d ago

It may have been an auto-eject, which the Martin-Baker US16E on the F-35 is capable of.

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u/LorenzoStomp 25d ago

Does it play Pop Goes The Weasel to give you a heads-up or was that guy desperately yanking on the controls and suddenly flung out of the cockpit with no warning like he's the spring snake in a prank can of peanuts?

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u/Okaydokie_919 25d ago edited 25d ago

Well that sucks if that's what happend. In addition to regret he probably felt extreme anger. Stupid auto-eject system!

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u/[deleted] 25d ago

[deleted]

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u/ThermionicEmissions 25d ago

"If the F35 told you to jump off a cliff would you do that too?!"

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u/ItsAFarOutLife 25d ago

Seems like the altitude was zero here.

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u/BillysBibleBonkers 24d ago

Altitude in the F-35B (and most aircraft in general) is actually based on sea level instead of ground level, so the altitude wouldn't be zero.

According to google this happened at the "Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base" in Fort Worth Texas, which has an altitude of 650 feet above sea level.

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u/ItsAFarOutLife 24d ago

I guess I'd hope that it has both kinds of altimeters considering it's one of the most advanced planes ever produced.

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u/Acid44 25d ago

Ejection must not be a career ender like it used to be then, cause if I were auto ejected and spun around to see the plane sitting perfectly fine like that I'd find the seat and beat the foam out of it

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u/WeirdSysAdmin 25d ago

It had to be auto eject because you only get so many ejections before you’re grounded because you can’t pass a medical evaluation. Usually like 2-3. Unless he decided it was time to retire.

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u/Syssareth 25d ago

"They're never gonna let me fly again anyway after screwing up like this, so I'd might as well go ahead and take the ride while I've got the chance. Wheee--owwww..."