6 F-35s land on Wasp for testing

[quicksilver]

Fair enough - today - so why was SHORTER mentioning it in the excerpt - to define it as quoted:

footNOTE 58: The 100% boarding rate is based on landings made once the aircraft has transitioned over the ship’s deck."

I'll guess like I have been told in the SHAR world that there are approaches - especially from RAFcrabs & beginners - when they overshoot the ship whilst getting alongside in the high hover, and not able to transition, to do what I believe is called 'an anchor inspection' from which apparently recovery is most difficult, except to 'go around again'. Perhaps if an experienced STOVL pilot made such a beginner error he may be able to hover backwards a bit so to speak - but not a beginner. What does the USMC call these oopsies?

BTW tell the F-35B pilots NOT TO MENTION THE BOARDING RATE EVER AGAIN! ForFsake.

sld has some good articles, but Mr. Laird needs to hire an editor. I betcha the quote that is attributed in the article to Captain Andrew Smith in fact came from somebody else (like one of my aforementioned Hornet guys flying aboard a Gator for the first time). Capt Andrew Smith is actually CAPT Andrew Smith USN (see picture at the link you provided) and is either from the WASP or ESG-2. He sure as sunrise didnt fly off the WASP in an F-35 and couldn't have made the comments suggesting same, to include the one about boarding rate. Betcha...

Shorter was making the point about boarding rate to illustrate the degree of difference between 'landing and stopping' and 'stopping to land.' Some USMC Harrier guys will tell you they haven't seen wave off from the hover, ever (except in CQ, for the obligatory training X). How's that for a boarding rate? If one overshoots the hover point abeam the assigned landing spot before the cross, the correct procedure is to "...stop the jet and let the ship catch up." It hovers abeam spots 3 or 4 just as well as it does spots 7 or 9. If somebody overshoots that badly, the CO needs to fire the LSO.

[spazsinbad]

Agree about SLDinfo they can be sloppy and amateurish sadly spoiling some otherwise good presentations. I do not see how they think what is put online is OK - they must not read it there and someone must - at least for proofreading.

Probably the 'anchor inspection' pertains to UK Harriers of various types and RAFcrabs/Hairiers. All the points taken re boarding rate. As SHORTER points out the RNFAA Harriers did things differently compared to USMC on LHAs etc.

The F-35Bs will be different again especially probably on CVFs when they get going.

[quicksilver]

Agree about SLDinfo they can be sloppy and amateurish sadly spoiling some otherwise good presentations. I do not see how they think what is put online is OK - they must not read it there and someone must - at least for proofreading.

Probably the 'anchor inspection' pertains to UK Harriers of various types and RAFcrabs/Hairiers. All the points taken re boarding rate. As SHORTER points out the RNFAA Harriers did things differently compared to USMC on LHAs etc.

The F-35Bs will be different again especially probably on CVFs when they get going.

Having seen both, I think they're more alike than dissimilar. "Anchor inspection" is just an understated, humorous alternative to "wtf was that??"

[Dragon029]

I loved the lighting at this part of the video, so I made it into a gif / gifv (gifv = a version of a gif that's ~20x smaller in file size but with identical quality):

[spazsinbad]

'QS' said above "...Having seen both...". Both AV-8s? Anyway here is a comment about RAF Hairier crabbiness aboard the INVINCIBLE class with their various types (with a comparison to RN SHAR goodness) methods. I have not remembered all the variations in UK Harriers but there were some notable differences in hardware for hovering flight and how to etc. Anyway here is a quote from a well-experienced ex-A4G gone on to better things in the SHAR world pilot. CRABS = RAF

PHOTO: http://i842.photobucket.com/albums/zz34 ... erball.jpg

Lowball Stovie
11 Aug 2010 'Youngnavy'

“...The crab thought process is that the 2.5 degree setting on the “glide path” (for want of a better name) is too steep! 4 degrees is considered really steep, 1 degree is nearly crab acceptable, level deceleration is what crabs prefer.

Crabs err to the flat/low side every time and it always leads to sadness.

Think of the geometry, the ship is steaming away in excess of 20 knots, the wind speed is usually 15-20 knots, so a 2.5 degree glidepath is into 35-40 knots of headwind, and the landing position is always moving away from you, so the effective angle is somewhat less than 1 degree.

What a good 2.5 degree glideslope gives you is perspective of the ship, a good feel for rate of closure, and a nice level of separation from the water.

On the other hand, flat approaches give no perspective, making it very hard to judge rate of climb or descent, also you get nearly no feel for the rate of closure, & you only have 80-90 feet separation from the water when still half a mile out from the boat. Until they have learned, crab pilots (and now young navy pilots in GR9s) have anxiety ridden early approaches where they nearly hit the water, & overshoot the landing spot, [anchor inspection] all because they can't fly the meatball. Argghhh!!!”

Source: http://ontheroger.proboards.com/thread/ ... all-stovie

[spazsinbad]

'Dragon029' I saved the F-35B Lift Wasp animation above and it is 30Mbs as a .GIF on my Win8.1 computer. What is the file size that you uploaded?

[Dragon029]

Sorry, I didn't really explain it well; .gifv files, at their core, are essentially .mp4 or .webm videos; they're just a new thing because HTML5 only came out late last year; HTML5 is a language for websites (what you use to create a website) and one of it's new addition is an international standard for displaying and embedding videos, without having to use plug-ins and add-on programs like Adobe Flash Player. Specifically, it provides the ability to play .mp4, .webm and .ogg video files.

When you download a copy, Imgur assumes you want a .gif version (most .gifv videos have large .gif source files, so I'm not sure why they do this) and serves you that massive file; the actual .gifv / video is around 550kb (which is why it loads so fast).

Downloading .gifv files as a webm or mp4 is a pain in the a$$ due to how it's hosted (they'll continually redirect you
to the .gifv file itself, which is nothing but a bit of code linking to the actual video elsewhere), but I've done it and attached a copy to this post.

[mk82]

I loved the lighting at this part of the video, so I made it into a gif / gifv (gifv = a version of a gif that's ~20x smaller in file size but with identical quality):

A perfect scene for Topgun II

[spazsinbad]

OK - thanks for the explanation.

[Dragon029]

OK - thanks for the explanation.

If you'd like to use a .gif for a PowerPoint, etc, just let me know and I can do one up at a more sensible file size; I'd just need to be given an upper limit to the size and what you value more; frame rate, animation length or image quality.

[spazsinbad]

No thanks - just curious about file size but you have explained and I can go from there if need be. Used to embed stuff in my PDFs but then took it all out because ended up not compatible with future versions - so much for Adobe promises eh.

[spazsinbad]

Another Power Module F135/V-22/Wasp 22 May 2015 Pic: http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews ... .image.jpg

Previous B ROLL F-35Bs on WASP at low quality (no longer available) now higher quality here:

[spazsinbad]

WhY? Becuz I like 'em: and it is one VL ONLY - short loud and sweet.

F-35B Landing Aboard USS WASP
One week ago? - figure it out - SLDinfo.com

https://vimeo.com/128969078 14Mb best qual .MP4 : https://vimeo.com/128969078/download?t= ... ec53f1757d

[spazsinbad]

Marine Corps proves F-35B’s capability at sea, looks over horizon to IOC
05 Jun 2015 Maj. Paul Greenberg Headquarters Marine Corps

"ATLANTIC OCEAN - The Marine Corps F-35B operational test (OT-1) successfully concluded aboard a U.S. Navy amphibious ship, USS Wasp (LHD-1), on May 29, 2015.

Setting off from Norfolk, Virginia on May 18, USS Wasp cut an arc between 50 and 100 miles off the coast of Virginia and North Carolina, as Marine Corps pilots safely conducted 100 short takeoff and vertical landing sorties from the ship.

About 120 Marines from the following squadrons came together with U.S. Navy personnel, civilian contractors and partners from industry to make OT-1 a success: Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron 22, based in New River, North Carolina; Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121, based in Yuma, Arizona; Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501, based in Beaufort, South Carolina; and Marine Aviation Logistics Squadrons 13 and 31.

Four F-35B aircraft from VMFA-121 and two from VMFAT-501 participated in this test, with 10 operational Marine Corps pilots racking up more than 76 flight hours in the F-35B.

Over the course of two weeks, the Marine Corps and their Navy partners met the following OT-1 objectives: safely conducted 100 F-35B takeoffs and landings during day and night extended range operations; confirmed reliability of Block 2B software configuration; confirmed aircraft-to-ship network communications interoperability; trained and certified a new F-35B landing signal officer; proved the efficacy of the F-35B landing signals officer's launch and recovery software; documented the crew's ability to conduct scheduled and unscheduled day and night maintenance activities; confirmed the suitability of F-35B maintenance support equipment for shipboard operations; proved the feasibility of the logistics footprint of a six-plane F-35B detachment aboard a U.S. Navy amphibious ship; safely conducted day and night weapons loading.

OT-1 was punctuated by another major milestone: the transport of an F135 power module, the largest and heaviest part of the F-35’s engine, from shore to ship on an MV-22 Osprey. The module and specifically-designed carrier weighed out at almost 9,000 pounds. Marines and industry partners overcame several engineering and logistical challenges to prove that critical F-35B engine repairs can be accomplished through the use of emerging technology and existing capabilities.

"With the U.S. Navy replacing their Carrier On-Board Delivery aircraft with the V-22, this new capability could enable them to resupply all aircraft carriers and big deck amphibs with both the F-35B and F-35C engine modules," said Jeff Ward, who is in charge of F-35B deployment integration for Headquarters Marine Corps. "This is an important milestone for the program."

The next milestone in the Marine Corps’ F-35B program, initial operating capability, or IOC, is scheduled to take place this summer.

The U.S. Marine Corps Deputy Commandant for Aviation, Lieutenant General Jon Davis, has directed that a team of Marine Corps F-35 experts carry out a final operational readiness inspection (ORI) in July before declaring the first squadron of 10 F-35B fighter jets at VMFA-121 ready for initial combat use at IOC.

The Marine Corps-led ORI team will report the findings of the inspection to Lt. Gen. Davis. The Commandant of the Marine Corps will then make a decision as to whether the F-35B is ready for IOC based on those findings.

“This will be an outcome-based measurement of readiness, assessing whether VMFA-121 as a whole is ready to perform the mission it is assigned,” said Davis. “If the ORI is completed in July, and we are confident that the aircraft are ready for world-wide deployment, then we’ll declare IOC in July. If that doesn’t happen until August, then it will be August. Bottom line is that we won’t rush this; we are doing this the right way.”

Following the Marine Corps’ F-35B IOC declaration, the aircraft will be ready for future deployments aboard U.S. Navy’s fleet of amphibious carriers. The first deployment is scheduled to take place in 2017, when VMFA-121 will deploy to Iwakuni, Japan.

“As the Marine Corps supports the President's strategy to rebalance in the Pacific, we’re bringing the most advanced technologies and capabilities of our force to the region with the F-35. This capability enables our Corps to support regional partners during crises by enabling our forces to perform a wide range of missions across multiple domains. As we modernize Marine fixed-wing aviation assets for the future, the continued development and fielding of the short takeoff and vertical landing Lightning II remains the centerpiece of this effort.”..."

Source: https://www.dvidshub.net/news/165591/ma ... orizon-ioc

Same story at SLDinfo: http://www.sldinfo.com/a-marine-corps-u ... ps-in-ioc/ with this picture: http://www.sldinfo.com/wp-content/uploa ... 8A0252.jpg

Caption: The Osprey flew a key module from the F-35B engine to the WASP. The modification was designed and paid for by industry and will the focus of an upcoming interview. Credit: Second Line of Defense"

[spazsinbad]

A lot of this so called 'analysis' is about the recent F-35B WASP OT-1 time so I'll plonk the HOWLERS here. OMG do aviation writers really know their stuff? I have to just excerpt this paragraph first because - well - you'll see....

"...A thermal coating on the deck also “performed well”, Davis adds. The F135 engine produces nearly twice the thrust of the R-R Pegasus engine on the Boeing AV-8B Harrier, and the heat exhaust emitted by the F-35 during a vertical landing can melt an untreated carrier deck. So the protective coating makes sure the aircraft can operate safely aboard ship....
&
[Earlier because this is real important]..."The short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B has still not attended an international air show, but it will soon be available for combat....."

ANALYSIS: F-35B poised for prime time at last
13 Jun 2015 Stephen Trimble

"...Not much is likely to change for VMFA-121 in the months following the IOC declaration. The unit will be available for operations if called on, but it is not scheduled for its first deployment – to Iwakuni, Japan – until 2017. By that time, the US Air Force should have declared the first squadron of the conventional take-off and landing F-35A to have achieved IOC, with the US Navy following suit in 2018 with a first squadron of carrier-variant F-35Cs....

...Proving the F-35B can operate reliably on an amphibious carrier was the last remaining hurdle before the Marines could declare IOC....

...It was discovered, for example, that the system the USMC currently relies on to automatically monitor and diagnose faults, order repairs and keep track of spare inventories – Lockheed’s autonomic logistics information system (ALIS) – could not physically fit aboard the Wasp. So, all maintenance actions were co-ordinated remotely from Lockheed’s global F-35 sustainment hub in Fort Worth, Texas. As a result, the programme funded a deployable version of ALIS, which accompanied the F-35B squadron on the latest round of embarked tests. [WOT?! ALIS was onboard ALSO for the first time - INSTALLED - am I right?!]...

...Most importantly, the deployable version of ALIS also “worked very well” aboard the ship, Davis says. That “allows us to achieve our turnaround times,” he adds. “We have good interoperability with ALIS on board the Wasp, and there’s an organic system now on that ship.”...

...Maintaining the F-35B’s very low observable signature to radar was another objective of the last deployment. Previous stealth aircraft required extensive post-flight maintenance to re-apply radar-absorbent materials and adhesives that cover gaps on panels.

“We proved we could do that at sea as well,” Davis says. “All in all, a successful deployment. We got what we wanted out of the shipboard period, and now we are tracking the additional items we have to do to accomplish our IOC objectives.”...

...One of the reasons for calling the F-35 a “fifth-generation fighter” is the aircraft’s ability to fuse data from multiple sensors, both on board and from other aircraft. The pilot can use that information to track and positively identify targets that could not be identified using a single sensor. But the Block 2B software’s fusion algorithms are still not working properly.

In formations of more than two aircraft, the F-35’s sensor fusion computer often gets confused: each sensor detects a target with varying degrees of resolution, and so the pilot is told by the computer that there are several targets where there is only one.

It is a problem that the navy encountered when developing a similar sensor fusion engine for the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, programme manager Capt Frank Morley told Flightglobal in a recent interview. For the Super Hornet, the air-to-ground capability that is causing problems for the F-35B’s Block 2B software was still challenging, but turned out to be the easy part. Making the sensor fusion algorithms work in an air-to-air environment in three-dimensional space was much more difficult, Morley says.

“We spent about nine months beyond what we expected just to work out the kinks on that,” he says.

The F-35 programme is scheduled to start testing a fix for the sensor fusion problem in a few weeks, Bogdan says. But the Marines could declare the first F-35B unit operational before the fix is ready.

“The fixes we are getting ready to flight test for some of the deficiencies we found in our fusion algorithms and some of our pilot vehicle displays are actually being tested on our Block 3I software,” Bogdan says. “Once we complete that, we will go back and retrofit all the 2B airplanes with those fixes. We intend on taking that 3I software with the fixes to flight test around the last week of June. We’ll spend about 30 days flight testing those fixes, and if they appear to be good, then we will just leave those in 3I for the future airplanes and port them back into 2B.”..."

Source: http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... st-413469/