Forum: General F-35 Forum

F-35 leadership visits NAS Patuxent River test force: Air Force Maj. Gen. Bogdan continues tour of F-35 facilities

http://www.navair.navy.mil/index.cfm?fu ... mp;id=5178

"NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – The program executive officer for the F-35 Lightning II program and his deputy visited Naval Air Station Patuxent River’s integrated test force Nov. 7, part of a series of similar tours around the country to the aircraft’s development facilities.

During the visit, program head Navy Vice Adm. David Venlet introduced his successor Air Force Maj. Gen. Christopher Bogdan and noted the progress of the F-35 in test and evaluation.

“You’ve done a marvelous job,” Venlet told a crowded conference room of more than 100 F-35 test personnel. “We have a lot more work to do together yet, but you’re on a good foundation. And we’ve put a lot of minds at ease because of what you’re demonstrating.”

The aircraft program’s integrated test force, comprising approximately 900 industry, military and government civilians, evaluates the F-35B and F-35C naval variants of the Lightning II.

Bogdan, a veteran test pilot, is familiar with the work performed at Patuxent River.

“I have great confidence in the test team at Pax,” Bogdan said. “They are some of the most talented and dedicated people I've ever seen on an acquisition program and I'm proud to have them on our team.”

In the past year, the force successfully completed the first airborne weapons separation for any version of the F-35. In addition, the Patuxent River team completed critical testing for the F-35C carrier variant’s arresting hook system redesign and initial sea trials for the F-35B short take off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant.

Through test and evaluation, the Patuxent River team retired enough technical risk for the STOVL variant, enabling Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta to announce that he was lifting early the two-year probation placed on the F-35B during a visit to the base Jan. 20.

In the next year, the Patuxent River F-35 test force is planning the second sea trials for the F-35B, will continue expanding the weapons separation envelope and continue testing on the F-35C’s arresting hook redesign effort."

That is it.

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Should not be a surprise. Give qualified people the resources they need and watch them get the job done. In what way will the sea trials be different for the F-35B next year? Think the molten deck issue has been put to rest.

marksengineer wrote:

In what way will the sea trials be different for the F-35B next year?

Flights with external weapons, especially the gun-pod, would be interesting to watch.

'marksengineer' asked: "...In what way will the sea trials be different for the F-35B next year?..." Reports at the time suggested that only the 'how to VL qualify' profile was tested. Now I would guess the outer limits of weight, WOD and other operating parameters will be tested.

Wait a minute. This can't be a true story. After all, where is all the criticism by Chris Bogdan...shouldn't he be there to cancel the program...oh, wait a moment, that only happened in the minds of some of the well known critics didn't it... Rolling Eyes

marksengineer wrote:

Should not be a surprise. Give qualified people the resources they need and watch them get the job done. In what way will the sea trials be different for the F-35B next year? Think the molten deck issue has been put to rest.

STO with full ordinance load out/ full fuel load.

VL with the "ever popular" full bring back load.

Night Operations, light and heavy; both STO and VL.

JPALS, etc. Smile

'neptune': AND I forgot the 'automatic vertical landing' which I guess will require a cleared JPALS (which won't be onboard / tested / qualified next year - ready to go). When JPALS certified, then installed/certified on USS Wasp things will really get interesting for VL ops (in all kinds of weather - real or simulated).

Forum: General F-35 Forum

F-35 leadership visits NAS Patuxent River - Bogdan