6 F-35s land on Wasp for testing

[spazsinbad]

As pointed out succinctly by 'QS' on previous page of this thread the amiable butler had this incorrect statement in the long post: [IF THE 'ON THE SHIP' phrase had been deleted by a good sub editor then things are fine - but no}

"...As of May 26, no tires required changing as a result of a failure on the ship. Officials say they would likely perform a tire change even if one is not required to demonstrate procedures in the confines of the ship’s footprint. Poor tire performance on the ship earlier plagued the program, so the OT performance was welcomed by overseers...."

Here ya go - because I are tired and I want to go to bed (freezing in my part of the world this evenin')... A long uninformative ramble is here: http://defensetech.org/2013/09/19/5th-g ... ion-tires/

ABOUT aircraft tyres in general AND NOT about F-35: http://www.goodyearaviation.com/resourc ... manual.pdf (7.5Mb)

BUT go here for succinct goodness (as per 'QS' retort over page).

F-35 Fighter’s Tires Wear Out Too Soon, Pentagon Finds
18 Sep 2013 Anthony Capaccio

"Sept. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Tires that wear out too soon are adding to the troubles facing Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35, the Pentagon’s costliest weapons system.

Landing-gear tires made by Dunlop Aircraft Tyres Ltd. for the Marine Corps version of the fighter have “been experiencing an unacceptable wear rate when operating as a conventional aircraft,” according to Joe DellaVedova, spokesman for the Defense Department’s F-35 program office.

He said the tire, which costs about $1,500 apiece, demonstrates “adequate wear” when the aircraft performs short takeoffs and vertical landings intended for amphibious warfare vessels and improvised runways...."

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/ ... agon-finds

[spazsinbad]

Interesting to me to see 'FLUBES' checklists (plastic windows integral to G-suit - the one on left side may be a notepad?) USS Wasp May 2015: http://www.sldinfo.com/wp-content/uploa ... /05/53.gif & http://www.sldinfo.com/wp-content/uploa ... 60x640.jpg

FROM: USS WASP F-35B Ship Integration (3)
PHOTO SERIES: http://www.sldinfo.com/uss-wasp-f-35b-s ... gration-3/

Looks as FLUBES goes COMMANDO with his fingerless gloves (not tolerated in my day but acknowledge that today it seems every - or most NavAvers - go fingerless). Let us hope he is not FULL COMMANDO because that just ain't right.

AND... wot about that touchie feelie PCD thingo? Who wipes off the greasy fingermarks? Wear gloves - be nice.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Commando

[sferrin]

Fingerless better for touchscreens.

[KamenRiderBlade]

Fingerless better for touchscreens.

Oh, definitely, have you tried to use a touch screen with gloves on?

[mrigdon]

Fingerless better for touchscreens.

Oh, definitely, have you tried to use a touch screen with gloves on?

There are capacitive gloves for touchscreens now. Seems like the Marines could afford them, but there might be some other reason for being fingerless.

[spazsinbad]

I have never seen nor used any kind of touch screen - as per usual I was being a bit facetious about that aspect of the touchy-feely screen.

Yes fingerless gloves seem to be the rage in USN for some time because it is said/believed - or even true - that using fingers in water for actions after parachuting via ejection is much easier. Probably true.

In my time 'hot fings in the cockpit' including fires (it was thought) necessitated having either pigskin gloves (old school) or at that time NOMEX gloves with long sleeves (so your wristwatch was not visible - then put your watch over the sleeve - then pull off your glove without removing watch in error - end of your watch). Later these same NOMEX gloves had leather finger tips all the better for fingertip grip.

BTW there are many photos of F-35 pilots touching the screens with their gloved hands/fingers.

[spazsinbad]

Marine F-35 pilots conduct 'dogfights' during sea trials
29 May 2015 James K. Sanborn

"...During testing, pilots were tasked with launching simulated attacks on each other or intercepting aircraft attacking the ship. The 'dogfights' showcased the aircraft's technology, which is far more advanced than legacy jets. The F-35 has more sophisticated stealth and electronic warfare capabilities — all in a single airframe.

"When you put together the stealth with the situational awareness, with it being connected to all the other airplanes, with the information sharing — this airplane is going to be pretty darn hard to beat," said Maj. Michael Roundtree, one of the test pilots with Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 out of Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina.

The pilots noted the aircraft's ability to provide "unparalleled situational awareness" through its advanced sensor system, including a $400,000 helmet. The helmet displays all flight data on its visor, allowing pilots to fly without glancing down at their instruments. It also feeds streaming video from an array of six infrared cameras around the aircraft, providing a seamless 360-degree view.

When paired with the aircraft's communications capabilities, F-35 pilots have unprecedented awareness of their environment, Roundtree and his fellow pilots said. Maj. Richard Rusnok, the F-35B detachment officer in charge for Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron 22, declined to offer specifics on the aircraft's classified radio system, but said pilots can communicate with the ship each other without using radios. The system, which is shrouded in secrecy, allows pilots to silently and seamlessly divvy up targets [MADL or secret sauce NIFC-CA?]...."

Source: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story/m ... /28070165/

[lookieloo]

Marine F-35 pilots conduct 'dogfights' during sea trials

Source: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story/m ... /28070165/

Ya know, since the 2B software's A2G weapon-slection is rather limited for the time being anyways, why not put the F-35Bs to use for Fleet-defense? It's a simpler mission and would take better advantage of the plane's VLO capability than CAS.

[spazsinbad]

No need to pidgeon hole the STRIKE FIGHTER Bees into any particular role I reckon - like the poor mans fleet defender - the A-4 in various guises was used by at least three navies in that role AND not just as a light attack / mud mover as most think. Even today the Brazilian Navy has upgraded their A-4KUs to a new standard for fleet air defence (off an aircraft carrier which may never put to sea again - however there is some hope for that in a few years - maybe). viewtopic.php?f=46&t=27365

[spazsinbad]

This shooter doan needno backstop.

"150526-N-BQ308-157 ATLANTIC OCEAN (May 26, 2015) Rear Adm. Cynthia Thebaud, commander of Expeditionary Strike Group Two takes the shooter stance while she launches an F-35B Lightning II off the flight deck of USS Wasp (LHD 1). Wasp, with VMFA-121 and VMFAT-501 embarked, is underway conducting the first phase of operational testing for the F-35B aircraft, which will evaluate the full spectrum of F-35B measures of suitability and effectiveness in an at-sea environment. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist William Tonacchio/Released)"

PHOTO: https://www.dvidshub.net/download/image/1957495 (0.8Mb)

Source for a bunch: https://www.dvidshub.net/image/1957495/ ... WqnDekw8kI

At same general URL the UNK shooter photo on previous page [ viewtopic.php?f=22&t=27345&p=291889&hilit=shooter#p291889 ] has this to say:

"150526-N-BQ308-154 ATLANTIC OCEAN (May 26, 2015) Vice Adm. William Hilrides, commander of Naval Sea Systems Command takes the shooter stance while he launches an F-35B Lightning II off the flight deck of USS Wasp (LHD 1)...."

Photo: https://www.dvidshub.net/download/image/1957492

At again same general URL we see the VADM perhaps shedding a tear and needing comfort from the back holder?

"150526-N-BQ308-153 ATLANTIC OCEAN (May 26, 2015) Vice Adm. William Hilrides, commander of Naval Sea Systems Command salutes an F-35B Lightning II pilot just before the pilot takes off from the flight deck of USS Wasp (LHD 1)...."

PHOTO: https://www.dvidshub.net/download/image/1957485

Nah just joshin' becuz here he goes again - full monty: https://www.dvidshub.net/download/image/1957486

[Dragon029]

Fingerless better for touchscreens.

Oh, definitely, have you tried to use a touch screen with gloves on?

There are capacitive gloves for touchscreens now. Seems like the Marines could afford them, but there might be some other reason for being fingerless.

My 2 year-old phone (Galaxy S4) can detect finger touches through gloves quite well; it has an IR sensor under the screen which allows it to detect and track the position of a finger a good 1 or 2cm off the screen. They also (I believe) use this technology for gloved phone use; I've found it to work quite well with my flame-resistant gloves, through the leather.

That said, they might also just be using old-school tech and using something like a IR grid sensor; where you have IR LEDs and photodetectors around the edge of the screen; by looking at what beams are blocked when a finger (gloved or not) touches the screen, you can detect where it is. The catch with this tech however is it doesn't allow for multiple fingers; it's also potentially sensitive to dust and dirt.

[quicksilver]

Fingerless better for touchscreens.

Oh, definitely, have you tried to use a touch screen with gloves on?

There are capacitive gloves for touchscreens now. Seems like the Marines could afford them, but there might be some other reason for being fingerless.

Tactile differentiation of cockpit switches.

[sferrin]

BTW there are many photos of F-35 pilots touching the screens with their gloved hands/fingers.

Maybe it's just personal preference. I remember seeing a Tomcat pilot with fingerless gloves as well, years ago.

[quicksilver]

Without looking (or sometimes without being able to see) find and manipulate Koch fittings, find and release leg restraints, find and activiate the correct switches on the right and left consoles, find and manipulate manual inflation of one's flotation devices, find and operate individual elements of ones survival kit...and so on. Each action benefits from tactile differentiation, and in some cases, particularly in extremis, allows one to simply function and survive.

[spazsinbad]

I'll agree with 'QS' on the reason - however - in my days the switches in our aircraft older than the A4G could bite seriously for different reasons, whilst the likelihood of electrical fires could be high, proper gloves were mandatory. So this attitude continued in the A4G, where probably it was less relevant. In any case one can discard the gloves easily enough so whenever A4G pilots were in the water that was their thing to do first, if not before, when in the chute (some did not have that luxury because they ejected at deck level).

I liked the pigskin gloves a lot and they would be the worst when wet but extremely easy to discard (glove stopped before wrist). Those early NOMEX gloves were really shitty and not much better with the leather inserts etc. However again, the risk of fires in the cockpit was high in those days, with those gloves the result, along with NOMEX flying suits; which again in the first instance were extremely scratchy to wear, then a Mk.2 version came along which had much smoother NOMEX fabric and more wearable as a result.