A Day at Marham F-35s

[wallyinoz]

Summer appeared for a day here in the UK so we went for a 2.5 hour drive down to Marham in Norfolk. I took a number of F-35 photos from quite a few different angles to create a portfolio detailed enough to reinforce my opinion its the ugliest goddam jet I have ever seen. I remember a SAAB rep describing the F-35 as the fat kid with a magic cloak,  it is true.... that rear fuselage looks like a dunny roll tube and the shape of the fuselage in the dust bin lid area is just awful. Something else to note, my god it is REALLY REALLY LOUD! Anyhoos I'll put a few pics in as a taster, go to the photostream to see the whole schmozzle. Amazingly the missus thinks it is the best plane she has ever seen (she likes things tidy without missiles, pods and fuel tanks hanging off them)

[SAT69]

Personally, I like the looks of the F-35. Now the F-22, on the other hand ...

Almost forgot and shame on me for that, your photos are excellent!

[Slater]

Compared to the all-around visibility of the F-15 and F-16 canopies, the rearward view of the F-35's cockpit appears a bit more restricted.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

The head on shot 3rd from the bottom is my personal favorite, thank you for posting. 

[Nachtwulf]

It's amazing how stable the F-35 is in a hover. Very nice pictures! Thank you.

 

[Evalman]

Nice selection, thanks for sharing.

I actually like the look of the machine.

[theaa2000]

Great photos Wally! I agree with you though - the B model is especially ugly & bulbous but none of the F-35 variants are elegant (although the C is probably my favourite). How far away were you when taking these? & What kit did you use? They're really sharp photos!

[Lord Riot]

Great photos, some of the best I've seen of the F-35. 

 

How much flying are they doing there, many times I've spent about two or three hours at Marham and seen one aircraft. Admittedly that was in the Tornado days. It was best when the Victors were there.

 

This weird contraption is growing on me, I feel we should be grateful it's an RAF jet and not a godawful drone. Admittedly it's no Buccaneer or Jaguar in the looks or excitement stakes though.  I just wish they'd paint some colourful squadron bars either side of the roundel. And reactivate 23, 56 and 74 to fly some more!

[Agent K]

Popped out to Las Vegas earlier this year to catch Red Flag 1 2020. With 30? 40? I lost count, of these take off and depart down range to the exercise and also the based jets and the RAF's first appearance was quite something to see, and as you say, hear!!

[Red Dot]

Lovely clear photos. I too would be interested in where you stood to get the pictures please

 

The F-35 is not bad looking apart from the odd-looking undersized tails, reminiscent of a Swift. They look one an afterthought

 

Andy

 

[wallyinoz]

 

3 hours ago, Lord Riot said:

Great photos, some of the best I've seen of the F-35. 

 

How much flying are they doing there, many times I've spent about two or three hours at Marham and seen one aircraft. Admittedly that was in the Tornado days. It was best when the Victors were there.

 

This weird contraption is growing on me, I feel we should be grateful it's an RAF jet and not a godawful drone. Admittedly it's no Buccaneer or Jaguar in the looks or excitement stakes though.  I just wish they'd paint some colourful squadron bars either side of the roundel. And reactivate 23, 56 and 74 to fly some more!

 

2 hours ago, Red Dot said:

Lovely clear photos. I too would be interested in where you stood to get the pictures please

 

The F-35 is not bad looking apart from the odd-looking undersized tails, reminiscent of a Swift. They look one an afterthought

 

Andy

 

 

3 hours ago, theaa2000 said:

Great photos Wally! I agree with you though - the B model is especially ugly & bulbous but none of the F-35 variants are elegant (although the C is probably my favourite). How far away were you when taking these? & What kit did you use? They're really sharp photos!

Hi comrades, thankyou very much for your comments.

With regards to photo vantage points and airfield information I recommend this site: https://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/spotting/index.php

some of it is out of date paticularly the "mound" at Coningsby having been flattened this year and the scanner frequencies are all wrong (caveat the last time I looked).

With grateful acknowledgement to thunderandlightnings, this is their airfield guide map for Marham:

The day before I checked the forecast and saw they were likely to be using Runway 24, parked at "A" walked to C and B, you can get some approach shots anywhere in between and also across the road from the car parking area. The Runway threshold is still quite distant from the Airfield boundary so you need every bit of 400mm lens. there is a fairly large clearing the hedge at point C closest to the centre line and 2 smaller clearings toward point B, panning from final approach to the runway threshold is interrupted by the hedge and you risk tripping on your butt, shooting from the final side then going to the fence for the landing shot.

 

With regards to my "Kit" I have the gear but no idea!

If you go to my photostream by clicking on the picture or going here :

if you then scroll down you will see the camera meta data showing the picture setting and gear description

 

To summarize however I have a Canon 5D MkIV Canon EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens coupled with a Canon 1.4x III converter (desirable for this location I reckon you need 500mm).

I was very happy with the sharpness of these pics, grey jets are hard to focus and I think I was lucky with the light on that day, anyway hope you enjoy them and that you get out there yourselves one day.. movements are sporadic you just take a picnic and take your chances, if you want scanner frequencies type marham approach, marham tower, marham ground frequencies in google search and you will come up with the current frequencies

cheers

wally

[Rabbit Leader]

Great pics as always Wally, lovely stuff. Can I ask a general markings question, “Are those Light grey flashes on the tail a generic F-35 Lighting flash, or is this something specific to No. 617 Squadron?”

 

Cheers and thanks.. Dave 

[Red Dot]

thanks for the Marham information. I know of Thunder and Lightnings website and would have used it, but it was good to know which points you used and focal lengths

 

cheers

Andy

[Mike]

She's growing on me, and the more worn-in they look, the better they look.  With a non-stealth warload, I think they'll look proper mean-looking.  I'm still not sure about the lift-engine being separate and/or efficient, but it seems to work, so I'm not overly cranky about it Very nice pics too

[wallyinoz]

2 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said:

Great pics as always Wally, lovely stuff. Can I ask a general markings question, “Are those Light grey flashes on the tail a generic F-35 Lighting flash, or is this something specific to No. 617 Squadron?”

 

Cheers and thanks.. Dave 

Dunno Dave, maybe one of the locals here can answer

[canberraman]

1 hour ago, wallyinoz said:

Dunno Dave, maybe one of the locals here can answer

The lightning fin flashes, represent the aircraft Lightning II aircraft, so are generic for the fleet, not specifically 617 Sqn.

 

Great pix by the way and some nice light.

 

Mark

[wallyinoz]

Last year I took this pic at Waddington..no roundel no lightning flash aren't these ( at least the roundels) done at the factory?

[John Laidlaw]

Lovely photos, Wally - thanks for sharing! The F-35 is growing on me, but it definitely has a "good" side and a "dear God, what is that" side.