DT-III aboard USS America

Discuss the F-35 Lightning II
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by zerion » 31 Oct 2016, 19:48

F-35 Lightning II Testing Begins on USS America

Story Number: NNS161031-16Release Date: 10/31/2016 12:09:00 PM
From USS America (LHA 6) Public Affairs

PACIFIC OCEAN (NNS) -- Five Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II aircraft landed on the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) on Friday, October 28.

America will embark seven F-35Bs -- two are scheduled to begin the third shipboard phase of developmental test (DT-III) and five are scheduled to conduct operational testing.

America, the first ship of its class, is an aviation-centric platform that incorporates key design elements to accommodate the fifth-generation fighter.

The ship's design features several aviation capabilities enhanced beyond previous amphibious assault ships which include an enlarged hangar deck, realignment and expansion of the aviation maintenance facilities, a significant increase in available stowage of parts and equipment, as well as increased aviation fuel capacity.

America is capable of accommodating F-35Bs, MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, and a complement of Navy and Marine Corps helicopters.

The third test phase will evaluate F-35B Short Take-off Vertical Landing (STOVL) operations in a high-sea state, shipboard landings, and night operations. The cadre of flight test pilots, engineers, maintainers, and support personnel from the F-35 Patuxent River Integrated Test Force (ITF) are assigned to Air Test & Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.

"It's exciting to start the execution phase of our detachment with VMX-1 (Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron 1) on USS America," said Lt. Col. Tom "Sally" Fields, F-35 Patuxent River ITF Government Flight Test director assigned to VX-23. "During the next three weeks, we will be completing critical flight test for both Developmental Test (DT) and Operational Test (OT). The F-35 Pax River ITF and VX-23 will be conducting DT work that will establish the boundaries of safe operation for the F-35B in the 3F configuration. VMX-1 will be conducting OT operations focused on preparing maintenance crews and pilots for the first deployment of the F-35B aboard USS Wasp (LHD 1), scheduled to start in just over a year."

The operational testing will also include simulating extensive maintenance aboard a ship, said Col. George Rowell, commanding officer of VMX-1, based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona.

Rowell stated one of the VMX jets on board will be placed in the hangar bay, taken apart, and put together again, just to make sure everything goes well.

The maintenance work will include the replacement of a lift fan, the specialized equipment made by Rolls Royce and Pratt and Whitney that gives the F-35B variant its short take-off, "jump jet" capability, Rowell said.

The Marine Corps variant of the F-35 Lightning II reached the fleet first, with the service declaring initial operational capability July 2015.

"The F-35 Lightning II is the most versatile, agile, and technologically-advanced aircraft in the skies today, enabling our Corps to be the nation's force in readiness -- regardless of the threat, and regardless of the location of the battle," said Lt. Gen. Jon Davis, deputy commandant for aviation, Marine Corps. "As we modernize our fixed-wing aviation assets for the future, the continued development and fielding of the short take-off and vertical landing, the F-35B remains the centerpiece of this effort."

"The America class of amphibious assault ship design enables it to carry a larger and more diverse complement of aircraft, including the tiltrotor MV-22 Osprey, the new F-35 Lightning II, and a mix of cargo and assault helicopters," added Davis. "America is able to support a wide spectrum of military operations and missions, including putting Marines ashore for combat operations, launching air strikes, keeping sea lanes free and open for the movement of global commerce, and delivering humanitarian aid following a natural disaster."

http://www.cpf.navy.mil/news.aspx/110153
Last edited by zerion on 31 Oct 2016, 23:52, edited 1 time in total.


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by spazsinbad » 31 Oct 2016, 22:53

Very Boring Short Early Video.... & URL for story above: http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=97428



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by neptune » 01 Nov 2016, 05:58

zerion wrote:[..PACIFIC OCEAN (NNS) -- Five Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II aircraft landed on the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) on Friday, October 28...]


...finally it begins!
:)


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by gergf-14 » 01 Nov 2016, 09:57



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by SpudmanWP » 01 Nov 2016, 20:41



In this video, shot from the back of an MV-22B Osprey on the flight deck, an F-35 approaches the ship in seconds, then hovers in mid-air, churning up clouds of sea spray with its powerful lift fans before descending for a precise vertical landing on the ship.

You can see the deck swaying with the elevated swells as the aircraft makes its approach.

The F-35 will be completing testing aboard the America for the next three weeks. In addition to operating in swells of up to eight feet, the aircraft will test its full weapons load-out, aircraft software, and a full range of vertical takeoff and landing capabilities.


http://www.dodbuzz.com/2016/11/01/watch ... ding-ship/
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by spazsinbad » 01 Nov 2016, 21:25

:applause: Magic - BZ - Well Done that cameraperson. Good idea to be so close in back of the V-22. I CAN'T HEAR YOU......! :mrgreen: & thanks 'SWP' for putting the vid on Ubend.


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by spazsinbad » 02 Nov 2016, 04:34

:devil: Looks like an Xwind from LEFT is causing some cringeing on deck :roll: : https://a855196877272cb14560-2a4fa819a6 ... __main.jpg
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FiveF-35BsViewUSSamericaNov2016.jpg


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by yeswepromise » 02 Nov 2016, 04:34

looks like we got vx-23, vfma-211, and vmx-1 jets onboard.
BF-01 and -05 have the DT3 logo on the inside of the LH vertical. Looks cool withe the flag background.


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by zerion » 02 Nov 2016, 21:11



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by spazsinbad » 02 Nov 2016, 21:50

Attachments
USSamericaLOGOdt-IIIF-35Bnov2016zoom.jpg
USSamericaLOGOdt-IIIF-35Bnov2016pdf.jpg


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by Jon » 03 Nov 2016, 03:11

Spotted aircraft on this deployment:

BF-01 of VX-23
BF-05 of VX-23
169024 CF-06 of VMFA-211
169028 CF-11 of VMFA-211
168312 MV-52 of VMX-1
168XXX MV-55 of VMX-1 (need full serial)
168718 MV-56 of VMX-1


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by zerion » 03 Nov 2016, 18:19

F-35s Practice Vertical Landings on a Marine Corps Assault Ship

The U.S. Marine Corps has been landing F-35B Joint Strike Fighters on the amphibious assault ship USS America. The jets are undertaking a series of tests to prove their ability to operate in real-world deployment conditions, just months before their first real deployment abroad.

According to the Navy, seven F-35Bs from the VMX-1, the Marine Corps' testing and evaluation squadron, have been sent to the America. Five will be used to evaluate the plane's performance in "high-sea state, shipboard landings, and night operations." The Marines also plan to take one of the planes into the ship's hangar, take it apart, and then put it back together again.



http://www.popularmechanics.com/militar ... rd%20Brief


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by SpudmanWP » 03 Nov 2016, 18:30

Look at the canopy shake in the wind... yikes.

Is it just me or do the hold-down chains seem a bit.... tiny?
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by sferrin » 03 Nov 2016, 18:37

SpudmanWP wrote:Look at the canopy shake in the wind... yikes.

Is it just me or do the hold-down chains seem a bit.... tiny?



Saw the canopy thing the other day. Hadn't ever noticed it on an aircraft before, but then again it could have been windy.
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by spazsinbad » 03 Nov 2016, 19:56

Yes it was windy - see clothes ripple (with the wind perhaps across the canopy sideways) when canopy was shaking. The tie down chains are as required for the job. Remember the deck crew have to carry/drag them around. Much noise they make when chains dragged on dark nights. Probably many more chains can be affixed to more tie down points (often one tiedown point may have more than one chain on it - and on the aircraft also - but those F-35 details not known to me).


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