Are You Watching "Warship"?

[Bert45]

I hadn't watched it until tonight. I saw several F-35s taking off. I couldn't help noticing that there was a cover of some sort behind the pilot that was raised during and after take-off. That cover or whatever it is must create a lot of air resistance. What is it and why is it raised during and after take-off?

[Paul22118]

Apparently this is raised on take off, which is at a relatively low speed, in case at the critical point of take off it needs to be aborted. Exit is then unhindered in an emergency. As soon as the aircraft is clearly successful in take off it is hydraulically shut.

[Bert45]

Thanks, Paul. I appreciate your answer, but that cover is not over the pilot, it is behind the pilot. I don't know much about ejection seats in planes, but I thought that the pilot's canopy is blown off a microsecond before the ejection seat ejects. I can appreciate that the take-off is at a relatively slow speed, but the plane needs to achieve take-off speed as quickly as possible and that cover being raised will slow the plane down.

[THECORBYLOON]

This gives an answer, https://www.quora.com/What-is-that-flap-like-thing-right-behind-the-cockpit-in-the-f35-lightning

[Hopkirk]

In F-35 fighter, what is the hatch just behind the cockpit that is opened during takeoff and landing?
You are referring specifically to the F-35B. The “hatch” that you are describing is the primary induction air inlet for the engine in hovering flight.

There are also two other doors along the spine of the aircraft, located behind the noted hatch & they are also induction inlet doors — for use when the aircraft is taking off vertically from the ground. The normal engine inlets on the aircraft’s flanks are blocked in a VTO, so that ground-debris, stirred up by the ver

[Hopkirk]

the vertical exhaust plume, does not enter the engine.

[Hopkirk]

This was copied from Quora.

It talks about vertical take offs, but I think it is also true for short take offs, like off the aircraft carrier.

[Bert45]

Thank, Hopkirk and Corbyloon. That certainly answers my question. The hinge on that flap must be incredibly strong to take the force of the air at take-off speed (70 m/sec - 156 mph).