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dwightlooi
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 Posted: May 18, 2007 - 04:59 PM
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<i><b>Power Failure Cuts F-35 Test Flight Short</b>
May 17, 2007
David A. Fulghum/Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
FORT WORTH, Texas - A loss of primary electrical power in the first, preproduction F-35A Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) forced its pilot to cut short its 19th test flight.
On May 3 test pilot Jeff Knowles was flying aircraft AA-1 at 38,000 feet and Mach 0.78. He executed a planned, full-stick, 360-degree roll and experienced a power loss in the electrical system about halfway through the maneuver.
The system automatically reconfigured and restored power to the flight control system, says Jon Beesley, chief test pilot for the F-35 program. The electrical system detected the problem and reconfigured its architecture to provide alternative pathways. Knowles completed the maneuver and returned to the Joint Reserve Base at Fort Worth.
It was not a serious problem and the pilot "never lost control of the airplane," Beesley says. However, the aircraft did land after only 45 minutes of flight. Other Lockheed Martin officials identified a component in the 270-volt power supply as the culprit in the incident. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics has a team of engineers analyzing the anomaly in an effort to determine what happened. Most members of the engineering team are veterans of the F-22 program.
The JSF's new technologies include the 270 VDC-based electrical system, whose failure terminated the test flight, as well as "electric muscle" that features compact, multifunction electro-hydrostatic actuators for the flight control system.
So far, company officials say they don't expect any delays to the flight-test program as a result of this incident. The program was nearly at the end of the current test phase, so the test team decided to move into the next, nonflying part of the program - for engineering review and upgrades to the flight software - that's scheduled to last into the first or second week of June, company officials say.
Changes will include improvements to on-board prognostic health management and adjustments to flight parameters based on the initial test flights.
Plans call for the fighter to return to flight status in June to begin air-to-air refueling tests, followed by a move to Edwards Air Force Base late this summer. There testing will be focused on air start tests of the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine. Edwards offers test pilots a vast desert area to land if the engine fails to restart in the air. </i>
<a href="http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=aerospacedaily&id=news/F35051707.xml&headline=Power%20Failure%20Cuts%20F-35%20Test%20Flight%20Short" target="_blank">Link to original article (Aviation Week)</a>
Well, at least we now know a few more things:-
(1) Jeff Knowles was at the controls.
(2) The incident happened at 38,000 feet.
(3) The incident happened at Mach 0.78
(4) The incident happened during a roll.
(5) Power loss was automatically detected an restored by the redundancy system.
(6) A 270V power supply unit was at fault |
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Sponsor
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 Posted: Nov 18, 2008 - 6:51 PM
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F-16.net Sponsor
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checksixx
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Posted: May 18, 2007 - 03:40 PM
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| And that it was not a serious problem. |
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dwightlooi
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Posted: May 18, 2007 - 06:59 PM
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checksixx wrote:
And that it was not a serious problem.
Well, "serious" is subjective. It is apparently serious enough to warrant an immediate return to base and investigation. It was more than a broken wing tip strobe light bulb. I was not serious enough that the aircraft was at any point in danger. It may be a serious problem if this is an indication of a system quality or design problem with the electrics, it is not if it is an isolated incident which will no doubt be addressed.
I think it is safe to say that the F-35 AA-1 is not as mature, as sorted out and as reliable as a Toyota Camry at this point. But, I don't think it is reasonable to expect it to be. |
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parrothead
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Posted: May 18, 2007 - 09:28 PM
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dwightlooi wrote:
checksixx wrote:
And that it was not a serious problem.
Well, "serious" is subjective. It is apparently serious enough to warrant an immediate return to base and investigation. It was more than a broken wing tip strobe light bulb. I was not serious enough that the aircraft was at any point in danger. It may be a serious problem if this is an indication of a system quality or design problem with the electrics, it is not if it is an isolated incident which will no doubt be addressed.
I think it is safe to say that the F-35 AA-1 is not as mature, as sorted out and as reliable as a Toyota Camry at this point. But, I don't think it is reasonable to expect it to be.
Great way to say it and thanks for the update  ! |
_________________
No plane on Sunday, maybe be one come Monday...
www.parrotheadjeff.com
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checksixx
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Posted: May 18, 2007 - 09:31 PM
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Joined: Jul 20, 2005
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dwightlooi wrote:
Well, "serious" is subjective. It is apparently serious enough to warrant an immediate return to base and investigation. It was more than a broken wing tip strobe light bulb. I was not serious enough that the aircraft was at any point in danger. It may be a serious problem if this is an indication of a system quality or design problem with the electrics, it is not if it is an isolated incident which will no doubt be addressed.
I think it is safe to say that the F-35 AA-1 is not as mature, as sorted out and as reliable as a Toyota Camry at this point. But, I don't think it is reasonable to expect it to be.
I Agree |
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elp
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Posted: Jul 23, 2007 - 07:40 PM
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F-16.net Editor
Joined: Sep 23, 2003
Posts: 2862
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