Marine test pilot makes first F-35B night landing at sea

[spazsinbad]

F-35B finds its sea legs 30 Aug 2013 Dominic Perry

"The much-maligned short take-off and landing variant of the Lockheed Martin Joint Strike Fighter was all at sea earlier this week, literally, as two examples of the stealthy type were embarked on the USS Wasp for sea trials. It’s the second round of embarked testing for the jet. And although it may be late and over budget, it sure makes a pretty picture. Millions of dollars well-spent, then."

http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/aircr ... -sea-legs/

http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/aircr ... 5tests.jpg

[spazsinbad]

Zoomed from original: http://breakingdefense.com/wp-content/u ... aspbow.jpg

Looks like a port crosswind blows deck water (in tiedown fittings) spray to starboard onto bowmen.

[spazsinbad]

As mentioned on previous page of this thread 'make the nets droppable to avoid damage': http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7371/9632 ... 0832_o.jpg

[count_to_10]

That's not a lot of clearance.

[spazsinbad]

That aspect of adequate clearance was OKed in the first trials (we should call them DT-I now). The ZOOM lens makes the situation look worse than actuality. Anyway it is adequate and has been for every launch AFAIK. Probably the issue with the safety netting could have been foreseen but it seems lowering them is an easy fix along with more robust light fittings as required.

The F-35B is airborne - not rotating to become airborne - at the end of the deck. Remember it is partly engine borne as well as wing lift borne in STOVL mode - at speed. Whilst apparently as I recall there are three modes/methods for takeoff in STOVL mode I'll have to look them up.

Marine Corps demonstrates F-35B at sea 18 Oct 2011 Dave Majumdar

"...For getting off the ship, Cordell said that there are three short take-off modes that the team tested: manual, semi-automatic and fully automatic...."

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/20 ... ea-101811/
______________________

Navy Sees Few Anomalies in F-35B Ship Trials 31 Oct 2011 Amy Butler | Onboard USS Wasp

"...the STO operations do vary for the F-35 owing to the different lift qualities of the F-35s’ stealthy, supersonic-capable design. For testing on the Wasp, the nozzles and control surfaces actuate with 225 ft. of runway remaining on deck, creating an angle of attack and allowing for the wings to produce enough lift for takeoff from the deck, Cordell says.

The Harrier’s rotation line is at the bow, owing to its wing design creating the required lift without the corresponding angle-of-attack change. Cordell says that the testing equipment at the ship’s bow has also not detected any problems with the F-35’s nozzle clearance as it takes off....

...There are three methods for takeoff: manual (pilot pulling back on the stick); using a button that actuates the nozzle at the rotation line; or auto STO, which places the aircraft at a known distance from the rotation line. In this auto setting the aircraft will actuate automatically when the pilot reaches that rotation line...."

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/ ... avy&next=0
_________________

Pic from DT-I:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6100/631 ... 51d7_b.jpg

VIDEO STO from DT-I

[spazsinbad]

THE JSF STOVL [X-35B] PERFORMANCE PROCESS FROM SMALL-SCALE DATABASE TO FLIGHT TEST DEMONSTRATION Kevin M. McCarthy, JSF Program Office/Naval Air Systems Command Nov 2002

“...The STO deck run starts at brake release, which typically occurs at the maximum thrust that the brakes can hold. This is an input. The engine spool-up characteristics from this throttle setting to maximum power are considered during the acceleration portion of the deck run. Weight on main and nose gear is calculated, and must be monitored to maintain adequate deck handling characteristics....

...STO demonstrations were a critical aspect of the flight test program as well. The X-35B performed two different technique STOs; 1) fixed nozzle and 2) auto-STOs. The fixed nozzle STOs are self-explanatory, and were used for the initial flight test STO maneuvers. For these maneuvers, the demonstrated performance was very consistent with predicted levels. The flight test auto-STOs featured a deck run nozzle angle (34/28 fan/main) and flyaway nozzle angle between 40/40 and 60/60, depending on aircraft weight. The auto-rotation was pilot actuated at the desired rotation speed....”

http://pdf.aiaa.org/downloads/2002/CDRe ... 274d1857TR (1.7Mb PDF)

[spazsinbad]

Diagram shows where the F-35B starts to rotate on LHA-1

[sprstdlyscottsmn]

great stuff! Thanks Spaz!

[haavarla]

How does Heavy sea affect such take-off from the B Version?
Assuming the super carriers ever face Heavy sea. Their huge size in mind..

[spazsinbad]

There would be a limit to the pitching deck movement for both landing and taking off on any flat deck at sea. What these limits are for an LHA I'm not aware but could look around. Earlier I think I have posted what is a known limit for CVNs on this forum - I would have to find it again.

Having been catapulted from a small carrier down a 100 foot track I am well aware of the pitching deck phenomena. If stormy weather too bad then we did not fly but could be surprised by long Pacific Ocean swell that could move the carrier HMAS Melbourne quite a way sometimes. Movements can be regular or not. The skill of the FDO (in my case the officer responsible or his deputy) for catapulting would wait for the deck movement to be optimum (bow high) when the A4G reached the end of the catapult. Some days he might misjudge it slightly or the erratic movement over a long swell might make a dramatic change just for that instant OR the FDO or Asst. FDO might be still in their learning cycle. Nothing the pilot can do about it except fly the aircraft at optimum.

CVNs are seen in some dramatic photos with waves breaking over the bow with aircraft tied down securely parked there.

For carrier landings the LSO can be a great help to even out the 'apparent' movement depending on circumstances the pilot always follows the meatball perhaps with some assistance from the LSO. These issues have been canvassed a few times on this forum but mostly in conventional carrier landing context.

We read that the latest trials have tested heavy STOs to judge what kind of sink can be expected under differing wind / WOD conditions so that parameters can be acquired for such STOs in heavy weather with the bow moving. Once again the launch officer can judge best when to launch the F-35B because his experience will be greater than the pilot to judge such a launch himself. The ski jump is useful under these heavy weather conditions also.

[spazsinbad]

A search for more robust night deck lighting has been underway for some time according to this old report:

Navy Seeks Foreign Sources For JSF-Proof Lighting On Ship Decks InsideDefense.com: July 5, 2010

"The Navy is reaching out to potential sources in other countries to provide ship deck lighting that would be able to handle the hot exhaust heat from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter's engine, according to a recent notice on Federal Business Opportunities.

The June 23 sources sought notice from the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division in Lakehurst, NJ, calls for information on "commercially available, non-developmental" heat-resistant flight deck material, specifically light fixtures.

"The FCT (Foreign Cooperative Test) program is an [Office of the Secretary of Defense]-funded effort to evaluate foreign vendors' equipment, hardware, etc. for a quick solution to the warfighter's needs in the field," according to June 30 responses to questions from Inside the Navy provided by Lakehurst spokesman Tom Worsdale. "This particular solicitation is a request to foreign vendors to see what 'in deck' lighting exists that will survive the JSF exhaust heat for shipboard flight ops."

Last month, InsideDefense.com reported that the Navy estimates it will cost at least $70 million to modify each large-deck amphibious ship to accommodate the Marine Corps F-35B short-take-off, vertical-landing variant of the JSF. Later this year, crews will modify the amphibious ship Wasp (LHD-1) with hundreds of sensors to measure the effects of the fierce downwash from the STOVL variant...."

http://insidedefense.com/Inside-the-Nav ... hip-decks/

[spazsinbad]

Just so happened to have a request for a 100Mb PDF about catapulting (specifically for the A4G aboard HMAS Melbourne) which includes info of a general nature about past and future catapulting. The photo attached is from: http://www.eugeneleeslover.com/AMMUNITI ... 960-29.jpg

Otherwise.... 100Mb PDFs about catapulting and related maters will be in the 'Documents & Videos Various' folder on SkyDrive:
https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=CBCD63D6 ... 07E6%21119
OR
http://tinyurl.com/l7n6jyb

&
In the 'A4G_Skyhawk_RAN_FAA_PDFs' folder on GoogleDrive:
https://drive.google.com/?authuser=0#fo ... WNERFJLQ2s
OR
http://tinyurl.com/myzjmv7

File name is: "CHLOE&deCatapult+.pdf" (100Mbs)

[lookieloo]

With their relatively low speeds and high freeboard, how often does water come over the bow of an LHD/LHA? I always thought roll was the main issue with such decks.

[spazsinbad]

Do you have any photos? Links to photos of these events would be good. As for your question I guess GOOGLing would be the answer. I may get to that soon.

[lookieloo]

Do you have any photos? Links to photos of these events would be good. As for your question I guess GOOGLing would be the answer. I may get to that soon.

Photos and videos wouldn't actually answer either of my questions.