FLYING CHASE WITH THE BOEING X-32 AND LOCKHEED X-35 - Story of the JSF Fly-Off Competition.

[@mjf1036]

As capable as the X35 was it was also very photogenic. The Boeing entry not so much. Nice episode, Mike. Thank you for releasing this week. Merry Christmas all.

[@shaheentonse8352]

I was thinking the same thing. The Boeing looks 6 months pregnant. I wonder how much that subconsciously influenced the evaluators.

[@jimcabezola3051]

Mele Kalikimaka, Mike Machat, from your subscribers in Hawai'i!

[@68orangecrate26]

Regarding the F-35… Beauty is, definitely, in the eye of the beholder 😵‍💫😆

[@jamescatrett2608]

Merry Christmas, Mike. Nice early Christmas morning here in Texas: cup of joe, a slice of sweet potato pie, and watching the Christmas episodes from you Mike and Max's Models! I helped provide physiology (ejection seat) training to a few pilots who were heading to the X-32 program. They called the X-32 an A-7 Corsair II on steroids! Great Episode, Mike.

[@nathanferris55]

Great story, Mike. Thanks, and Happy Holidays!

[@maxsmodels]

Great video Mike and Merry Christmas.

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Thanks Max , and all the best to you and Monica in 2024!

[@lancerevell5979]

A Very Merry Christmas to you and yours, Mike! 👍😎☃️🎁🎄🧑‍🎄

[@williamscoggin1509]

Merry Christmas Mike, I am 66 and I really do enjoy your Channel. 🇺🇸

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Appreciate the comment, thanks!

[@finlayfraser9952]

Yes, Merry Christmas Mike! Looking very Tom Cruise there in the photo! As regards the X32, its mother must have loved it.

[@yetiatlarge555]

Merry Christmas Mike. I received your signed book for Christmas today. I am very excited to read it. Yeti at large

[@thefrecklepuny]

Merry Christmas all! Some say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, hence the X-35 looking more pleasing than the X-32 to some. However, I think it's also because the X-35 was closer to the finished article. Similar to the YF-16 vs the YF-17 in the 70s.

[@Wyliedawg]

Thanks Mike, great content as always Sir. As we approach the last day of December I just want to add my best wishes to you, your family and the entire team working with you on this series of amazing, detailed and insightful productions. Hoping you all enjoy the most wonderful, happy and healthy times throughout 2024. Cheers to all! - Bob (Toronto, Canada)

[@Sarah-JaneR32]

Happy festive holidays Mike to you and your family and thanks for the lovely videos you do

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Thanks Sarah-Jane and 'appreciate all your wonderful comments over the years!

[@garfieldsmith332]

Thank you for a very interesting story. The Boeing entry reminds me of a pelican with that funny front end. Enjoy the rest of the holiday season and best wishes.

[@jonthrelkeld2910]

Geat and very informative, and well crafted video. As usual. Although I'm a Boeing Boy (grew up near Seattle and worked as a tech writer for Boeing in the '90s), their X-32 entry was just too damn ugly -- who cares how well it flew. It could have been aviation's Edsel. (Could you imagine the Top Gun movie with this thing?) This all got something to do with a permutation of the "form follows function" meme, or trope, or whatever...Oh, until your videos came along I had no idea how much effort and artistic skill went into all those cool model box covers.

[@chilliwilli4971]

Same here. Boeing Boy forever. One of my friends was a mechanic that got an early look at Boeing's JSF offering prior to Fly-Off. The guide asked him what he thought of it. He correctly predicted the poor esthetic look of aircraft would torpedo it with the brass; regardless of having a very competitive performance package.

[@Airsally]

I totally agree....not the best looking . A sailor inhaler. But I saw many approch to carrier land practice and for a delta it was very stable.

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Thanks for the comment. The primary difficulty with Boeing's entry was being totally different from what the production aircraft would have looked like, compared to Lockheed's 'triple-threat' design that emerged into today's F-35.

[@jonthrelkeld2910]

Then, apparently, Boeing accidentally sabotaged itself by not paying enough attention to aesthetics?@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

[@dhroman4564]

Great xmas present, thank you.

[@michaelcosta3098]

Merry Christmas Mike, Thank You for all you do for us.

[@craiglordable]

Thanks and Merry Christmas to you also.

[@65gtotrips]

Wow, just some magnificent photos !

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Many thanks!

[@robstanton9215]

Thanks for the amazing views as always Mike! From one glider pilot to another, have a safe winter season and may you always have good thermals😂😂

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Thanks and Happy Holidays!

[@neilhaas]

All the best in the new year Mike, very interesting about those jets X-35 & X-32 nice jets.

[@mikelynn4754]

Yet another fascinating video. Thanks and look forward to next one. Happy New Year.

[@bertg.6056]

Merry Christmas to you, Mike ! Thanks for the great presentation. I was able to view up close the differences between the -B and -C versions of the F-35 at the Miramar air show this year. The most striking difference is the beefed-up landing gear of the -C. A derisive nickname for the F-32 was 'Monica'. Since this is a family channel, no explanation will be forthcoming from me!

[@lancerevell5979]

I find both aircraft ugly as homemade sin, but the X-32 especially so. Though the X-35 won the competition, I have no love for the F-35 Boondoggle.

[@bertg.6056]

@@lancerevell5979 A massive government spending program that is a boondoggle? That's a real shock, Lance.

[@alanpareis734]

Thank You. Best wishes for the New Year.

[@jouhannaudjeanfrancois891]

To me, the X32 was beautifully weird and futuristic.

[@anthonymaddison9588]

Merry Christmas Mate, usual excellent work.

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Happy holidays!

[@GustavoMonasterio]

Merry Christmas Mike! Nice to have a new video today! I will take it as a Xmae gift! Greetings from Brazil!

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Happy holidays Gustavo, and thanks for all your great comments this year!

[@Airsally]

Great stuff, i saw many of these flights from south base which is much closer to the runway. In vertical flight the X-35 was very loud. Saw the vert takeoff, super sonic and back to vertical landing.....took about 20 mins.

[@johnplaninac9980]

I know he is longer with us. But I wonder what Mr. William Boeing would say about the X-32 as far as look of that plane. Not very pleasing to look at all. Great work and the photos are beautiful along with the artwork.The best to your team.

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Thanks John and Merry Christmas!

[@RandallSoong-pp7ih]

Happy Holidays!!

[@marbleman52]

MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and your family. May I request a topic? I have always wondered about why the refueling intakes are in different locations on different planes, and the advantages/disadvantages of each location. I can understand how having a fuel probe sticking out in plain sight would be really helpful for the pilot, but I'm thinking that with the faster speeds of today's aircraft, that it might pose a problem and also affect any stealth capability ???? P.S....hope you got lots of presents....!!!

[@robertnorth7609]

Howdy! Happy Yule y'all!

[@deathsheadknight2137]

Fly off!

[@jamescatrett2608]

Mike, what camera(s) do you find work best for you within the confines of the cockpit & flight gear you are wearing?

[@SkyhawkSteve]

Good question! I was wondering about the details of air-to-air photography too. While in the Marines, I had a few flights in the back of a TA-4 Skyhawk, and took photos with a basic film camera. Trying to get a camera up to your eye while wearing a helmet and mask was not the same... nor was twisting around to get a shot of the wingman at your 4 o'clock position. It'd be great to hear Mike's insights!

[@jamescatrett2608]

@@SkyhawkSteve I did my backseat time in a TA-7C Corsair II. Using a 35mm print film camera, I had the same issues.

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Thanks for the question, and my airborne camera gear was the Canon A1 SLR with motor drive, shooting 64 ASA Kodachrome 35mm slides. Lenses, depending on mission and subject aircraft size, ranged from 28mm wide angle to 35mm and 50mm fixed lenses (no zoom). After several hundred hours in back-seat jet time, dealing with all the flight gear, G-loads, overall timing, and composition of subject aircraft becomes more intuitive. Thanks for watching!

[@YYZ-SRQ]

always thought the F35 was one ugly fat plane, that was until you showed the X32. The F16 and F18 looks so sleek and fast even on the ground

[@johnosbourn4312]

Hey Mike, if you want to know all about the F-35, I recommend picking a copy of Lou Drendel's F-35 Lightning-II Illustrated book, that he wrote, and did the artwork for, as well.

[@MrESJ]

Vertical landing cause more fuel consumption

[@johnosbourn4312]

Actually Mike, the Hornet that you flew in was a former Navy airframe, so it still had the folding wings, tail hook, and catapult launch bar on the nose wheel strut. After the aircraft was phased out from naval service, it was passed to NASA for use as a chase plane.

[@RobExNihilo]

Why is it always the people who clearly don't have any idea what they're talking about who insist upon being the, "well actually..." ones? The F/A-18Bs are the same as the A models (arrestor hooks, folding wings, etc.) except they have two seats. They're technically combat deployable assets, however we use them as primarily as land-based trainers - just as Mike said. Everything he said is factually correct.

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Appreciate the commentary, thanks Rob!

[@rbrtjbarber]

I have to say that the Boeing X-32 is in contention for the absolute ugliest airplane ever built.

[@lancerevell5979]

The Polish Wilga has it beat, but it certainly is fugly! 😂

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

The PZL Wilga was a stunningly successful STOL utility and multiple glider towing aircraft.

[@bradfordeaton6558]

That F-32 is one ugly airplane

[@richieismyhero]

Merry Christmas Mike, thank you for so many great and interesting videos.

[@celebratingaviationwithmik9782]

Happy holidays!