First Deck Landing F-35B / USS Wasp

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 03 Oct 2011, 21:58

F-35B Finally Lands on the Wasp! by Amy Butler at Oct/3/2011

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/de ... d=blogDest

"The F-35B short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing Joint Strike Fighter has taken a step forward in its testing program today with the first landing onboard the USS Wasp...

...A second F-35B is expected onboard within days; two aircraft were outfitted with monitoring equipment for this test period. A test phase will follow including roughly ['roughly'? funny girl :twisted:

] 67 vertical landings...."

maus92 · by **maus92** » 03 Oct 2011, 22:17

It would be interesting to know where the USS Wasp is operating, and if the ferry flight originated from Pax or elsewhere.

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 03 Oct 2011, 22:52

F-35B makes first vertical landing at sea By Dave Majumdar | Monday Oct 3, 2011

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/20 ... a-100311w/

"...The aircraft, called BF-2, made the landing at 3:20 p.m. Eastern time over the Atlantic onboard the USS Wasp...."

AJAX · by **AJAX** » 03 Oct 2011, 23:34

maus92 wrote:It would be interesting to know where the USS Wasp is operating, and if the ferry flight originated from Pax or elsewhere.

According to Stratfor, the Wasp returned home to Norfolk ~Sept 21st. So I imagine its AO for this stuff is pretty danged close. My guess would be Pax.

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 03 Oct 2011, 23:40

And here is the VIDEO:

F 35B 1st Landing on USS WASP

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7cAmCCm ... ture=feedu

"Uploaded by usnavy on Oct 3, 2011
F-35B test aircraft completes its first landing aboard USS Wasp."

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 04 Oct 2011, 01:30

Some pics/screenshots of above (fanks to e-mail sender)

SpudmanWP · by **SpudmanWP** » 04 Oct 2011, 01:48

Congrats.. Three down and two to go

maus92 · by **maus92** » 04 Oct 2011, 02:39

Here's a couple of observations: There seems to be an edit at ~ :20 seconds into the clip. Perhaps an extended hover over the deck? The deck looks a bit dirty, but there also seems to be a different, darker deck coating starting just forward of the elevator, extending aft to almost the rear of the flight deck. Perhaps this is a new coating to deal with heat, or to set a baseline for the tests?

SpudmanWP · by **SpudmanWP** » 04 Oct 2011, 02:50

F-35s have been known to hover for very extended times before landing (as part of the test).

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 04 Oct 2011, 02:55

[OOPS I see Spuddie responded whilst I was typing my jokes :roll:

)

maus92, I could be cynical but to me your concerns are not reasonable. Even if the video was edited for whatever reason why do you have to know? I bet there are internet conspiracy theories already that the aircraft crashed and 'industrial/light&magic' had to do a 'moonlanding' effect to get the pretend F-35B onboard. You know I'm making a joke OK? - that is just me. Now one can see why often I don't comment on all the b/s seen sometimes on this forum but I digress...

If you have been reading about the WASP pretesting months you will know that the deck has been prepared and used previously by AV-8Bs. To my knowledge these aircraft leave a dirty stain and probably don't put the toilet seat down either!

Thermion is probably the deck coating, the dark dust is probably 'moondust' from the previous fake moonlanding scenario mentioned aforesaidly re 'ind/lite/magic' etc. Anyway whatever can be imagined is probably real at this point until someone writes about all the details OR releases an annotated frame by frame video etc.

As for 'extended hover over the deck' - remember this is testing. All kinds of odd things are going to happen for 'test' purposes. One knowledgeable acquaintance has already commented to me via the internet that the F-35B did an RN style vertical landing - sheesh! The temerity - this is the USMC!

Anyway it was good to see the engine go immediately to idle via the 'engine / undercarriage' cut out switch.

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 04 Oct 2011, 02:58

More from the Butler:

F-35B Lands On USMC Amphibious Ship Oct 3, 2011 By Amy Butler abutler@aviationweek.com
WASHINGTON

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/ ... ous%20Ship

"... The Marine Corps Aviation Plan, signed last year, calls for 10 F-35Bs equipped with Block IIB software, with six capable of austere and/or ship-based operations, and a flight envelope of 7g and 50-deg. angle of attack before initial operational capability can be declared....

... of Oct. 1, the F-35 test fleet is outpacing its schedule for 2011, according to Lockheed Martin, having conducted 701 flights against a plan of 645. The stovl variant has flown 244 flights, the F-35A conventional-takeoff-and-landing variant 347 flights, and the F-35C carrier variant 110 flights. The F-35B has performed 183 vertical landings this year, the company says."

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 04 Oct 2011, 03:13

maus92, this 'official' information may help with your concerns but you will have to be patient (see last sentence).

F-35B Completes Initial Shipboard Vertical Landing Aboard USS Wasp
Story Number: NNS111003-13 Release Date: 10/3/2011
From Joint Strike Fighter Program Office Public Affairs

http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=63065

"USS WASP, At Sea (NNS) -- The Navy and Marine Corps Team made naval aviation history Oct. 3 as the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) test aircraft BF-2 landed safely on USS Wasp's (LHD 1) flight deck, the first at-sea vertical landing for the Marine Corps' F-35 JSF version.

Marine Corps test pilot Lt. Col. Fred Schenk landed BF-2 at 3:12 pm.

"It was exactly like we predicted," said Schenk. "But that's because of all the hard work and extensive preparation done by the Wasp and JSF team."

This test period, the first of three scheduled at-sea test periods over the course of the development program, will also collect environmental data on the deck through added instrumentation to measure the F-35B's impact to flight deck operations....

...Wasp spent time in a shipyard earlier this year, preparing for the F-35 test period; adding specialized instrumentation to measure deck environmental effects.

"It is no small feat to put together sea trials," said Vice Adm. David Venlet, F-35 Program Executive Officer. "This test was planned to happen on 3 October back in early spring of this year and the team delivered on schedule. Signs of dependable performance are emerging across broad aspects of the development program...."

..."Every time an aircraft is first tested at sea we learn a great deal and the data collected from this event will inform us about the further development work necessary to successfully integrate the F-35B on large-deck amphibious ships. By all accounts, we're off to a great start today," Venlet said....

...In addition to being the first ship to successfully land the F-35B, USS Wasp was also the first ship to host the V-22 Osprey during shipboard trials in October 2007.

Summary information regarding the performance of the F-35B ship trials will be made available after the completion of the test period."

alloycowboy · by **alloycowboy** » 04 Oct 2011, 03:34

So when do we get to watch the first F-35 cat shot? Tommorow?

SpudmanWP · by **SpudmanWP** » 04 Oct 2011, 03:59

Now

Take note that it did so without AB power.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkNZfu3EdvA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkYPFn1pV84

Take a look at this vid as it shows the cat shot from above. Also, the pilot was the youngest F-35 test pilot in the program.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ake76DI5iNw

maus92 · by **maus92** » 04 Oct 2011, 04:20

spazsinbad wrote:
maus92, I could be cynical but to me your concerns are not reasonable. .

I'm not sure if you are cynical, or just a bit sensitive