F-35C Lands at Lakehurst For Testing

[sferrin]

In HD here:

[spazsinbad]

Well OK then if you think this video is worth repeating endlessly then here we go....

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F-35C Arrest SloMo Orig NOW 1-8slow Again HiDef

[spazsinbad]

Long Version 2012 one eighth speed slow motion F-35C Fly In Arrests

[spazsinbad]

I would like to see more info about the AHS testing plus videos but youse canna have everything eh....

GAO JSF/F-35 Report to Congress March 2014 page 15

"...Arresting Hook System - allows the F-35 carrier-suitable variant to engage landing wires on aircraft carriers, was redesigned after the original hook system was found to be deficient. The program determined that the original hook assembly was not strong enough to reliably catch the wire and stop the airplane. As a result, the program modified the hook system’s hydraulic components, and made structural modifications to the plane. In March 2013, the program completed a critical design review of the hook system to verify that the new design is sound. Land testing of the redesigned system has been successful, and the program anticipates that it will be ready for carrier testing in October 2014...."

SOURCE: http://www.gao.gov/assets/670/661842.pdf (1.6Mb)

[lookieloo]

I would like to see more info about the AHS testing plus videos but youse canna have everything eh....

*Pfft* As if the GAO is going to detail anything going well in the program. Software is the big risk (or at least it was when the information for this report was compiled), so that's obviously what they're gonna focus on. One wonders how much money was spent soes they could repeat what everyone knew two years ago.

[spazsinbad]

Assessments of Selected Weapon Programs
GAO-14-340SP: Published: Mar 31, 2014. Publicly Released: Mar 31, 2014.

"....Design Maturity
...The carrier variant's new arresting hook system successfully completed a critical design review and is expected to be ready for carrier use by October 2014...."

SOURCE: http://www.gao.gov/assets/670/662184.pdf (11Mb)

Single Reprinted (PRN) Page attached of the relevant 2 pages of SAR PDF - suitable for wide screen viewing.

[spazsinbad]

I'll attempt to make an excerpt on the segment about F-35C arrest tests (with more testing at Pax River to come as already indicated in earlier posts). NO mention of this testing in the video blurb - I give up. I guess it is more convenient to post the 'arrest' segment on Youtube? If not a low quality clip can be attached here.

NAVAIR Airwaves: 3 April 2014
On this edition of Airwaves at http://www.navair.navy.mil/Airwaves, hear about the Navy's newest maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft getting approved for full rate production. Plus, watch Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division scientists and engineers incorporate fun into learning for young students interested in science, technology, engineering and math. And, if you think you're seeing double, you are; watch two F-35B aircraft fly in formation over Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md."

[spazsinbad]

One F-35C fly in test seen then some roll ins at Lakehurst with note that further testing of FLY IN arrests will be undertaken at Pax River.

[spazsinbad]

Shortened 1/8th SLO MO version (edited again) of the firstly flyin then only two examples of ROLLies.... I'm guessing the caption is just wrong because these 'rollies' were at Lakehurst with LATER flyin testin at Pax. HoKay?

http://youtu.be/Ko5QtXocbm0

[spazsinbad]

A TWOfer....

Navy to Test F-35C on Carrier This Fall 07 Apr 2014 Brendan McGarry

"The U.S. Navy for the first time will begin testing its version of the F-35 fighter jet from an aircraft carrier this fall, according to the No. 2 official in charge of the program.

Rear Adm. Randy Mahr, deputy director of the Defense Department’s Joint Strike Fighter program, didn’t specify a date or ship for the upcoming evaluations. But he spoke confidently of the planned milestone for the F-35C, the Navy variant designed for taking off from and landing on carriers.

“It’s going to be the year of the F-35C,” he said during a briefing at the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space conference on Monday in National Harbor, Md....

...The program office has also made improvements to the Autonomic Logistics Information System, or ALIS (pronounced “Alice”), which determines whether the plane is safe to fly. A recent software upgrade to the system has drastically shortened the time it takes maintainers to load a webpage, to about 30 seconds from about five minutes, Mahr said."

SOURCE: http://defensetech.org/2014/04/07/navy- ... this-fall/

[spazsinbad]

[quote][b]U.S. Deputy Program Manager Outlines F-35 Fixes[/b] 08 Apr 2014 AINonline Bill Carey

"...The initially deficient tail hook of the F-35C carrier variant has been redesigned and proven at the Navy’s carrier suitability test site in Lakehurst, N.J., without requiring structural changes to the airframe, Mahr said. The redesigned tail hook catches an arresting wire “comparable to that of legacy airplanes, including the F-18,” he said. “Nobody catches the wire every time, but we’re in the high 90-percent [range]. The hook works.” The Navy plans to fly an F-35C for the first time to an aircraft carrier, the [b]USS Nimitz[/b], this fall...."

[b]SOURCE:[/b] http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/ ... f-35-fixes [/quote]

[sprstdlyscottsmn]

with how fun the Wasp videos were I can't wait to see the Nimitz videos.

[neptune]

with how fun the Wasp videos were I can't wait to see the Nimitz videos.

Agreed!, I'm anxiously awaiting them.

I think there will be two groups, those on the deck crew will be cheering the "trap" as well as the brass (program managers, bosses, etc. ....

and the groans will be from those believing that "trap" spells the beginning of the end for the SBUG and are sadly mistaken.

[spazsinbad]

One last chance for the 'slogan of long ago yore' eh (and a H/T I do not need - send 'em to the MARINES!)

http://elpdefensenews.blogspot.com.au/2 ... -then.html

Soonish I gather we will start to hear more about the further testing at NAS Patuxent River? Now that the 'roll ins' and several flyins were OK at Lakehurst. I know ELP likes the A-4 but has serious misconceptions about it IMHO.

Current SAR says F-35C aircraft is within Vpa/weight limits. Who knew? Limits imposed by current arrestor gear. Perhaps AAG will allow higher limits but then the limits of airframe of the F-35C are relevant (of which I do not know).

Carrier Pilots are NOT sloppy landers like the USAFers! They are used to flying at Optimum Angle of Attack very accurately at the maximum allowed landing weight. The F-35C as we know from many articles will enable this accuracy for all - sprogs/FNGs and the rest. FLY NAVY!

Performance F-35 December 2013 SAR UNCLASSIFIED

THRESHOLD:
F-35C: "Vpa at required carrier landing weight (RCLW) of less than 145 knots."

Current Estimate:
F-35C: "Vpa. Maximum approach speed (Vpa) at required carrier landing weight (RCLW) of less than 144 knots."

SOURCE: http://www.scribd.com/document_download ... ension=pdf (60Kb)

[spazsinbad]

Just in case you were wondering about an historical fantasy resurrected by the above ELP post - then worry no more....
[peskyadatilly quotes missing again]

Selected Acquisition Report (SAR) Dec 2013
F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft (F-35) As of FY 2015 President's Budget
Executive Summary...
"...The F-35 program continues to make slow but steady progress and is moving forward in a disciplined manner.
There were many successes as well as challenges in 2013. Successes include: signing the restructured SDD
contract modification; completing the Block 3 Critical Design Review; announcing the decision to terminate
development of an alternate Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS); completing the 2nd F-35B Ship-Trial period
(DT-II) operations on U.S. Ship WASP, accomplishing 95 Vertical Landings and 94 Short Takeoffs, with 19 night
takeoffs; rolling-out the 100th aircraft from the production facility at Fort Worth, Texas; and resolving lingering
technical design shortfalls to include the F-35C Arresting Hook, Lightning Protection and Fuel Dump...."

SOURCE: http://www.scribd.com/document_download ... ension=pdf (0.7Mb) [2 page Summary attached]