Hightech-Intimidation in the F-35 Lightning II

If the development of military fighter planes were only to follow the objective of creating the fastest and most efficient machines, while under the pressure of tight cost-benefit, one must subsequently wonder about any aesthetic power inherent to the finished objects. One can speculate about whether a visual impact is deliberately induced or merely a spandrel, the result of military and engineering necessities. In both cases, the visual design of modern warplanes emphasizes the fascination, that many people feel for them - and what does it do to us, that the guns, bombs and rockets are hidden away beneath hightech surfaces?

Published in INTERFACE CRITIQUE 2021 (DEPTH OF FIELD):
https://doi.org/10.11588/ic.2021.3.81331