Milestone PLANK Owner First F-35C Arrest NIMITZ 03 Nov 2014

[spazsinbad]

OK. By PopRequest of One and then ME here is a new thread about the first DL of the F-35C CF-03 apparently at 1058 (maybe that time will confirmed one day) 03 Nov 2014 but go here for the Preliminaries: viewtopic.php?f=57&t=15767

[spazsinbad]

I'll repost video links until people catch up here if that is OK? Thanks to 'bring_it_on' for this video link:

[spazsinbad]

Yes the trull lull lull lull lahs want to spit at no engine changes onboard so far, [not forgetting the great sage SullageMon who wants some LO something or other] however there was mention of maintenance actions on CVN this DT with of course some metal bending with the F-35Bs aboard WASP DT I & II however sometimes they did go ashore to PAX for some ReLax. Atives. But anyway there were planning moves with an ersatz OUIJA board thingamajig earlier as noted on the "Lakehurst" thread methinks but I'll repeat it here and find it there if that is OK?

DA Link (not at Lakehurst but engyne - where else): viewtopic.php?f=56&t=25484&p=270958&hilit=Holcomb#p270958

"...During the December conference, three exercises were performed to depict the sequential removal, replacement and module change of an F-35B engine aboard two different classes of L-Class ships. According to Bill Mehl, Aviation/Ship Integration engineer at Lakehurst, “the exercise went extremely well and we were very happy with the data gathered. Working in this controlled environment certainly saves a lot of time, effort and money before actual shipboard operations ever take place.”..."

“(Left) CDR Mark Dover (JSF JPO) & (Right) MGySgtMichael Holcomb (AIR 6.7.1.5) review L-Class ship footprint modeling at the Lakehurst Carrier Analysis Lab.”

http://www.navair.navy.mil/img/uploads/ ... hoto_1.jpg

[spazsinbad]

BIG PIC: http://www.navy.mil/management/photodb/ ... 66-050.JPG (1.2Mb)
"141103-N-AZ866-050 PACIFIC OCEAN (Nov. 3, 2014) An F-35C Lightening [unbelievable!] II carrier variant Joint Strike Fighter conducts it's first arrested landing aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Nimitz is underway conducting routine training exercises. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kelly M. Agee/Released)"

Source: http://www.navy.mil/management/photodb/ ... 66-050.JPG

Look up what 'lightening' means - in every other sense but what it is not here - the name of the aircraft.

And anotherie: http://www.navy.mil/management/photodb/ ... 66-052.JPG
CF-05 No.3 wire:
BIG PIC: http://www.navy.mil/management/photodb/ ... 66-052.JPG

[SpudmanWP]

In case anyone missed it, both F-35s (CF-03 and CF-05) made landings today. Look carefully at the 2nd video and you will see both Grey-tail and Red-tail F-35s.

--DAMN-----
You posted the pic just as I was typing this

[spazsinbad]

Yep a busy day eh. BEST Video View so far: We can see the pilot 'nibbling' to the right several times to stay on centreline - which is always moving from left to right during the approach - even though he will be on the angle deck centreline most of the time. This 'nibbling' is most noticeable during the first approach - others have different circumstances I guess - whilst there are HOOK UP touch and goes with a last WAVE OFF (for whatever reason - test or foul deck etc.). PLUS... we can see the deck moving - probably the usual amount for conditions I guess.

[mk82]

This awesome news! Looks like the tailhook redesign is working as advertised (aboard a carrier that is )

I wonder if the F35C's new hook has been hooking ELPie's and Sweetie pie's brains as well.....wait a minute....those guys have no brains!

[spazsinbad]

F-35C To Navy: Note My Lovely USS Nimitz Landings
04 Nov 2014 Colin Clark

"...The F-35C’s wings didn’t wobble at all on final approach as test pilot Cdr. Tony “Brick” Wilson guided her in. And on its first try the plane’s tail hook grabbed the third arresting wire — the catch most favored by Navy pilots — at 12:19 pm. When an F-18 Hornet landed minutes later, the plane’s wings twitched slightly up and down on its approach and the pilot snagged the fourth wire, second to the bottom in the Navy hierarchy of carrier landing awards.

Then the second F-35C test plane came in just as steady and firm as the first. It also snagged the third wire...

...The Air Boss, who might be more receptive to the Joint Strike Fighter than some of his bosses, told reporters that today’s landings will be a “springboard to our future.”

There was one glitch to today’s testing. The F-35C’s first catapult launches were postponed because of glitches with some of the test sensors, which were not relaying data to testers. The Nimitz tests are scheduled to continue for two weeks. It will include night landings around the last three days of testing, Buss told me on the flight deck. Until the night landings, the Nimitz crew and the F-35C pilots will “gradually expand the flight envelope,” putting the plane through its paces by forcing it to land into the wind, against the wind and to take off using all of the ship’s four catapults, he said. A Navy officer familiar with the program told reporters it will probably take four months to go through the enormous data that flows from these tests.

This batch of testing is called DT-1. It will be followed by DT-2 at the end of next summer and DT-3 in the spring of 2016."

Source: http://breakingdefense.com/2014/11/f-35 ... -landings/

[Corsair1963]

This awesome news! Looks like the tailhook redesign is working as advertised (aboard a carrier that is )

I wonder if the F35C's new hook has been hooking ELPie's and Sweetie pie's brains as well.....wait a minute....those guys have no brains!

Yeah, the F-35 Critics are going to be eating a lot crow over the next couple of years.

[mk82]

This awesome news! Looks like the tailhook redesign is working as advertised (aboard a carrier that is )

I wonder if the F35C's new hook has been hooking ELPie's and Sweetie pie's brains as well.....wait a minute....those guys have no brains!

Yeah, the F-35 Critics are going to be eating a lot crow over the next couple of years.

You got that right!

[cantaz]

There was one glitch to today’s testing. The F-35C’s first catapult launches were postponed because of glitches with some of the test sensors, which were not relaying data to testers.

"The test sensors were damaged by unexpected warping of soft airframe from stress of landing, can't get off carrier again, death spiral, waaaagh."

It look like they did do at least one touch and go with no. 75, as the hook wasn't down. Also at least one fly pass of the carrier with hook down, maybe a test point, maybe just because?

[XanderCrews]

This awesome news! Looks like the tailhook redesign is working as advertised (aboard a carrier that is )

I wonder if the F35C's new hook has been hooking ELPie's and Sweetie pie's brains as well.....wait a minute....those guys have no brains!

Yeah, the F-35 Critics are going to be eating a lot crow over the next couple of years.

You got that right!

Doug Allen Saturday, November 01, 2014 11:10:00 AM
Part of me wants these trials to fail spectacularly enough for there to be a public outcry. Another class-A mishap perhaps? No loss of life, of course, but enough to get the mainstream media's attention.

They are handling it just swell.

[hookswing]

Watch this angle!! I allready saw the helicopter "hanging", this is great!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYFIdpeoFaY

[mor10]

Here is Aviation Week's take on the event:

http://aviationweek.com/defense/f-35cs-make-first-carrier-landings

Both aircraft made highly stable approaches, and trapped firmly on the third of the Nimitz's four arrestor wires. The touchdown spot between the second and third wires is considered the optimum for carrier landings. The landing was also key test for the F-35C's arresting hook system, which had to be redesigned with additional stiffness, a modified hold-down damper and revised shaping after poor performance in tests three years ago at Naval Air Warfare Center Lakehurst, New Jersey. Having delayed the start of carrier trials, the performance of the redesigned hook was a significant watch item. "It's a little bit different of a design, and obviously it works," says U.S. Pacific Fleet Naval Air Forces Commander Vice Adm. David Buss.

"I was watching the angle-of-attack indicators," Senior Chief Petty Officer Alistair McIntyre says. ''As they came in [to land] from the break it was perfect green all the way in. It was stable all the way in for both approaches. I was amazed for that being their first time landing on the carrier as it looked like both pilots were old pros at landing F-35s. They came in on the glideslope and landed with no problems. It felt like we'd been doing this for a long time."

[Lightndattic]

This awesome news! Looks like the tailhook redesign is working as advertised (aboard a carrier that is )

I wonder if the F35C's new hook has been hooking ELPie's and Sweetie pie's brains as well.....wait a minute....those guys have no brains!

Yeah, the F-35 Critics are going to be eating a lot crow over the next couple of years.

I'll bet they will cry about it being perfect weather, no swells and slower than usual speed of the boat, because, you know with testing they immediately go to the most challenging conditions right off the bat.