F-35C DT-II TESTING CVN

[spazsinbad]

The F-35B bits will be replicated on the SRVL thread elsewhere also. 5 page PDF attached.

ALL AT SEA F-35B/F-35C test update
SHOWCASE 2016 SYLVIA PIERSON AEROSPACE TESTING INTERNATIONAL

"2015 has proved to be a busy and record-breaking year for the team responsible for testing naval variants of the F-35 Lightning II...

“SINCE 2010 THE PAX ITF HAS FLOWN MORE THAN 1,800 TEST FLIGHTS, LOGGED 2,544 TEST HOURS AND COMPLETED 12,800 F-35B TEST POINTS, DIRECTLY RESULTING IN THE USMC IOC FLIGHT CLEARANCE”

...The PAX ITF is now 100% complete with its second phase of F-35C testing, conducted aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) from October 2-10, 2015 – the team conducted 66 catapults and 66 arrestments across 17 flights, logging 26.5 flight hours and achieving a total of 280 flight test points and 17 logistics test and evaluation (LT&E) test points....

...WET RUNWAY, BRAKING VALIDATION AND HIGH CROSSWIND TESTING
ITF testers proved the aircraft can stop safely in extreme weather conditions and validated the aircraft envelope out to a 25-knot crosswind with high asymmetric air-to-ground loadings. Even in a maximum asymmetry configuration (up to 26,000 lb·ft) with weapons stores on one wing, the aircraft performed well – in fact, the high asymmetry and crosswind
required little additional attention from the pilot....

...F-35 STOVL MODE TESTING
The PAX ITF continued to expand the STOVL envelope last year in the clean wing configuration and with symmetric and asymmetric external stores. Flying qualities testing featured semi-jet, short take-off and jetborne modes to clear the aircraft for take-off and landings and airspeeds as low as 70kts with 24,000 lb of asymmetry and jet borne with 10,000 lb of asymmetry. The team performed rolling vertical landings (RVL), creeping vertical landings (CVL), vertical landings (VL), high altitude CVLs and VLs, slow landings (SL), and short take-off (STO) tests with nominal winds and crosswinds of up to 25kts. Test pilots reported that flying qualities during asymmetric testing were nearly identical to those in symmetric testing...."

Source: SHOWCASE 2016 AEROSPACE TESTING INTERNATIONAL

[spazsinbad]

Cannot get enough of that Optimum Angle of Attack - Front & Side Views.

https://www.dvidshub.net/image/2212421/ ... eisenhower “ATLANTIC OCEAN (Oct. 2, 2015) The F-35 Lightning II Pax River Integrated Test Force (ITF) is conducting the second phase of F-35C carrier suitability and integration developmental testing (DT-II) aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). Based at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, the highly diverse cadre of PAX ITF technicians, maintainers, engineers, logisticians, support staff and test pilots have flown nearly 500 flights, logged more than 700 flight hours, and achieved almost 3,400 test points since January 2015. (U.S. Navy Photo Courtesy Lockheed Martin Photo by Andrew McMurtrie/Released)” https://www.dvidshub.net/download/image/2212421

151004-N-UY653-012 https://www.dvidshub.net/image/2212060/ ... operations “ATLANTIC OCEAN (Oct. 4, 2015) - An F-35C Lightning II carrier variant joint strike fighter assigned to the Salty Dogs of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23 prepares to make an arrested landing aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). The F-35C Lightning II Pax River Integrated Test Force is currently conducting follow-on sea trials aboard the Eisenhower. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ryan U. Kledzik/Released)” https://www.dvidshub.net/download/image/2212060

[spazsinbad]

Semper Lightning: F-35 Flight Control System
09 Dec 2015 Dan “Dog” Canin

"...Generally, the F-35 tries to keep sideslip near zero, but in some cases it intentionally creates adverse or proverse yaw as necessary to control roll and yaw rates. We’ll talk about the use of pedals at high AOA in a later article, but, for general flying around, the best coordination we’ll get is with our feet on the floor....

...the CV airplane has three different approach modes, easily selected using buttons on the stick and throttle. Two of these modes – APC and DFP[3] – are auto-throttle modes, indicated by a three-letter label on the left side of the HUD. The third mode – manual throttle – is indicated by the absence of a label…arguably not the most compelling indication that you’re responsible for the throttle. This interface will probably evolve; in the meantime, we need to be disciplined and to make doubly sure we’ve got APC engaged before we turn throttle control over to George.

Another area is STOVL landing. The difference between what the power lever (a.k.a. throttle) does on the ground and what it does in the air is profound. On the ground, it acts like a normal throttle: pulling it full aft commands idle thrust. In air, it commands accel/decel rate: pulling it full aft commands a maximum decel. There’s plenty of redundancy in the weight-on-wheels sensors, but if the airplane ever thought it was still airborne after a vertical landing, and you pulled the throttle full aft, the airplane would go charging backward. This would be “untidy” (as our British friends say), especially on the ship. So we take every STOVL landing to a firm touchdown, and let the airplane itself set the throttle to idle when it determines it’s on the ground....

...APC is “approach power compensation” mode, in which the throttle is automatically controlled to maintain the desired AOA during approach. In the C-model, engagement of APC also increases the gain on IDLC (integrated direct lift control), which schedules the flaps in response to stick movements to give very high-gain glideslope response. Another approach mode, DFP (delta flight path), currently in the C-model only, changes the pitch axis CLAW from a pitch-rate system to a glideslope-command system. DFP improves glideslope tracking performance and significantly reduces workload during carrier approaches...."

Source: http://www.codeonemagazine.com/article.html?item_id=187

[spazsinbad]

The Mighty Ike Hosts The Joint Strike Fighter!
http://fightersweep.com/3484/f-35cs-abo ... ighty-ike/
http://43yxx62a4d7x3iyru1r648gr.wpengin ... 30x418.jpg

[spazsinbad]

LM has a B Roll Vimeo 11Mb .MP4 Video of IKE testing: https://vimeo.com/lmaeronautics/review/ ... 2452e848dd

I'll put it on youtube....

[sferrin]

Love the big wings there starting at 0:07.

[KamenRiderBlade]

F-35C, still my favorite variant.

Also during the night launch, what is up with the purple batons that the deck crew were using?

What does the purple color mean?

[spazsinbad]

I think you see the colour change due to the film used for night time. I see momentary brief purple wash at the start of the first cat launch and the left wing light as it goes down the catapult. The wands look to be white with the purple wash on top. Otherwise I do not think they are purple wands. Over the page there is an LM Official Video which shows the white wands and then colour change with other lights (from film):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=p ... ziAE#t=106

[SpudmanWP]

I'd love to see the min speed takeoff tests and how far it sank below the deck.

[spazsinbad]

Airwaves: 2015 Year in Review [F-35B/C flat deck testing, EMALS and other good stuff highlighted]

"2015 marked another milestone year for Naval Air Systems Command. In this year-in-review edition of Airwaves, see the fleet's newest aircraft launch and recovery system; plus, learn about the new tool helping Sailors and Marines get broken aircraft off the flight line faster; and see the F-35C Lightning II make history landing on a carrier at sea."

Source: http://www.navair.navy.mil/index.cfm?fu ... 58D392AAF1

[spazsinbad]

[spazsinbad]

oops - wrong thread

[spazsinbad]

F-35C Developmental Test Phase 2
29 Jan 2016 Andy Wolfe

"...The team completed sixty-six catapults and traps to expand the gross weight and crosswind operating limits established on USS Nimitz (CVN-68) during DT-I. These tests included catapult launches up to the maximum aircraft gross weight with full internal stores as well as the expanding crosswind limits for launch and recovery. This testing supported the official US Navy aircraft launch and recovery bulletin that is required for fleet F-35C pilots to conduct carrier qualifications in 2016.

Additional testing completed on board the Ike included a variety of Logistics Test and Evaluation, or LT&E, tasks required to prove the F-35C can be maintained and supported above and below deck in the shipboard environment of a Nimitz class carrier. This testing included an engine run and Integrated Power Pack, or IPP, run in the hangar deck, deck spotting, chaining, weapons loading, as well as F135 engine compatibility testing in the ship’s engine shop...."

Caption: "Lt. Karapostoles guides CF-3 as it crosses the fantail of Ike for one of the last arrestment test points completed during DT-II. Photo by Andrew McMurtrie http://www.codeonemagazine.com/images/m ... 7_9029.jpg
&
"
After completing all 280 flight test points, Dyckman and Sewell launched and then joined up for a formation flyby of Ike before returning home to NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. Photo by Andy Wolfe" http://www.codeonemagazine.com/images/m ... 7_4133.jpg

Source: http://www.codeonemagazine.com/article.html?item_id=188

[spazsinbad]

Mystery solved about the missing three wire as seen in the many videos [causing bolters but I guess depends on subsequent target wire - if no.4 wire targeted then NOTHING BEYOND except BOLTER BOLTER BOLTER ....

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) 2015
Jan 2016 DOT&E

"...F-35C
• The second phase of ship suitability testing —DT-2— was conducted from October 2–10, 2015. Ship availability delayed the start of DT-2 from the planned date in August 2015. The principal goal of DT-2 was to perform launch and recovery of the F-35C with internal stores loaded.

- The F-35C sea trials are a series of developmental tests conducted by the program with the principal goal of supporting development of the aircraft launch and recovery bulletins, and the general goal of characterizing ship suitability for operating and maintaining F-35C on a CVN-class ship. During DT-2, only developmental test aircraft CF-3 and CF-5, transient aircraft needed for logistical support, and search and rescue helicopters deployed to the carrier. No air wing was present. The major contractor was responsible for maintenance. ALIS was not installed on the carrier; it was accessed via satellite link to a location ashore.

- Testers accomplished 100 percent of threshold and objective test points (280 total test points) over the course of 17 flights totaling 26.5 flight hours. The results of the test are still in analysis. In addition to the principal goal, the test points addressed:

▪ Minimum end airspeed for limited afterburner and military power catapult launches. For catapult launches that use afterburner, engine power is initially limited to less than full afterburner power while the aircraft is static in the catapult, but then automatically goes to full afterburner power once released. This power limitation was in place to reduce thermal loads on the Jet Blast Deflectors (JBDs) behind the aircraft. [Variable A/B is by DESIGN similar to that of the Super Hornet and experience of same - see here:

▪ Crosswinds catapults

▪ Recovery in high headwinds

▪ Initial Joint Precision Approach and Landing System testing

▪ Qualities of the Gen III HMDS at night

▪ Running the Integrated Power Package (IPP) and engine in the hangar bay

▪ Engine and power module logistics in the hangar bay

- There were 7 bolters (failure to catch an arresting wire) in 66 arrestments during DT-2. During DT-1 (Developmental Test – One), there were no unplanned bolters in 122 arrestments. The higher rate was expected since the carrier arresting gear was not fully operational during DT-2. The third arresting wire (i.e., the wire typically targeted in carrier landings), was removed from service during the test because of a malfunction.

- Testers ran the aircraft’s IPP, a miniature gas turbine engine that can provide ground power, in the hangar bay. They then performed a low-thrust engine run as well. This process simulated maintenance checkout procedures that frequently occur in the hangar bay with legacy aircraft. During these evolutions, crew position the aircraft with its tail pointing out of one of the set of hangar bay doors to the aircraft elevators to direct heat and exhaust away from the inside of the ship. For the F-35C, the unique concern is that the IPP exhaust vents up towards the hangar bay ceiling. The test team monitored the IPP exhaust gas temperature to ensure it would not damage the ceiling of the hangar bay. During both the IPP run and the engine-turn, this temperature remained within safe limits. Testers also collected noise data; analysis is ongoing. The team did not collect data on the potential build-up of IPP exhaust gases within the hangar bay atmosphere, but plans to collect these data during DT-3.

• DT-3, the third and final set of sea trials, will expand the carrier operating envelope further, including external stores, and is scheduled to occur in August 2016.

• The Navy is working on the following air-ship integration issues, primarily for carriers. Some of the following issues also apply to F-35B operations on L-class ships:

- Flight deck JBDs may require additional side panel cooling in order to withstand regular, cyclic limited afterburner launches from an F-35C. JBDs are retractable panels that re-direct hot engine exhaust up and away from the rest of the flight deck when an aircraft is at high thrust for take-off. Even with this additional cooling, however, JBDs may be restricted in how many consecutive F-35C limited afterburner launches they can withstand before they will require a cool down period, which could affect the launch of large “alpha strikes” that involve every aircraft in the air wing, a combat tactic the Navy has used frequently in past conflicts. F-35C limited-afterburner launches are required when the F-35C is loaded with external weaponry and in a heavy, high-drag configuration. The Navy estimates that an F-35C will have 3,000 catapult launches over a 35 year expected lifespan, but that no more than 10 percent of these launches will be limited-afterburner. [General idea of V A/B: viewtopic.php?f=22&t=27772&p=299447&hilit=variable+afterburner#p299447 ] [More on the V A/B for both aircraft: viewtopic.php?f=57&t=26634&p=281244&hilit=variable+afterburner#p281244 ] & [ a goodly explanation here: viewtopic.php?f=22&t=15953&p=201921&hilit=variable+afterburner#p201921 ]

JBD Testing A Key Step For Joint Strike Fighter
18 Jul 2011 Amy Butler, Aviation Week & Space Technology | Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.

"...Even with<script id="gpt-impl-0.4477642670327495" src="http://partner.googleadservices.com/gpt/pubads_impl_79.js"></script>out the more extensive data provided by today’s sensor array, Super Hornet engineers gained valuable experience during JBD trials that led to a change in how the aircraft is launched. During testing, hot air was inadvertently recirculated into the air intake of the Super Hornet, prompting a “pop stall,” or hiccup in the airflow for the propulsion system. The result was a dangerous fireball coughing from the back of the Super Hornet, says Briggs.

The design fix was the creation of a limited afterburner setting for launch. Engineers crafted software such that the engine is at 122% of military power when a pilot sets it to afterburner. By the time the jet reaches the edge of the deck, the system automatically opens the throttle to full afterburner at 150% of power without intervention by the pilot, says Briggs...

...Because of this lesson, the limited afterburner setting was designed into the F-35 in its infancy...."

Source: http://www.navair.navy.mil/lakehurst/nl ... esting.pdf (125Kb)

- The Navy continues to investigate the replacement of a mobile Material Handling Equipment crane for several purposes onboard carriers, including, and perhaps most importantly, facilitating F-35 engine module maintenance. In order to transfer spare F-35 engine modules from their containers onto a transportation trailer, so they can later be installed in an aircraft, or to take broken modules from a trailer and put them into a shipping container to send back to an ashore repair site, a heavy lift capable crane is required. Onboard L-class ships, the Navy will use an overhead bridge crane built into the hangar bay ceiling, but CVNs do not have any similar ship’s facility and the Navy intends to use a mobile crane. However, efforts to acquire a suitable crane have gone more slowly than originally expected. Given procurement timelines, the Navy must proceed without any further delays in order to have an appropriate crane onboard ship in time for the projected first deployment of an F-35C.
[Portable Crane Info Elsewhere on this forum: Aviogei Delivers F-35 Lightning II Equipment [CRANE] viewtopic.php?f=60&t=28804&p=313404&hilit=crane#p313404 ]

- Work continues on developing triple hearing protection for flight deck crews, but with little update since the FY14 DOT&E Annual Report. Both the F-35C and F/A-18E/F produce around 149 decibels of noise where personnel are normally located when at maximum thrust [both on lower power variable afterburner one would guess] during launch evolutions. The Navy has determined that 53 decibels of attenuation will be required from a triple hearing protection system to allow these personnel to be on deck for 38 minutes, or the equivalent of 60 launch and recovery cycles. Current designs only achieve in the mid-40s decibel range of attenuation, which allows less than 10 minutes of exposure before certain flight deck personnel reach their maximum daily limit of noise.

- Two methods of shipboard aircraft firefighting for the F-35 with ordnance in the weapons bay are being developed, one for doors open and one for doors closed. Each will consist of an adapter that can fit to the nozzle of a standard hose. The open door adapter will also attach to a 24-foot aircraft tow bar so firefighters can slide it underneath the aircraft and spray cooling water up into the bay.

▪ The Navy has produced four articles of the open bay firefighting device. This adapter performed well in preliminary tests conducted in 2014. Three of the production articles have been sent to Naval Air Station China Lake for further evaluation, and the fourth has been sent to a training command at Naval Air Station Norfolk to begin training flight deck personnel in its use and ship’s company personnel how to maintain it.

▪ Developmental work continues on the closed bay adapter. The Navy is currently pursuing two different designs that would cut through the aircraft skin to flood the weapons bay with water as well as lock into place to allow firefighting crews to back away from the fire after the hose is securely attached to the aircraft. One design will require two sailors to use, and the other design is more aggressive, but would potentially only require a single sailor...."

Source: http://aviationweek.com/site-files/avia ... Report.pdf (361Kb)

[spazsinbad]

This account of a carrier circuit in the FMS by a novice F-35C (civilian now; but otherwise well experienced in USN aircraft such as the Phantom/Tomcat) pilot so please keep that in mind. Useful nevertheless even though back in 2010 before IDLC/Delta Flight Path (aka Magic Carpet for the F-35C) and upgrades to everything, including the hook.

Flying the F-35 [carrier circuit in FMS]
28 Dec 2010 'wabpilot' [former USN Phantom & TomCat pilot]

"Christmas day was very good to me. My son and his girlfriend were the only family in town, so instead of making a big meal, we decided to dine at the O-club aboard JRB Ft. Worth. (It's not a naval air station, but in the BRAC era that's what we've got.) After dinner, I ran into an old student of mine who is also retired, and now working for Lockheed-Martin. Specifically he is working on their F-35 flight simulator. We got to talking shop and he found out that I am still very involved in simulator training with my airline. He invited me to come to L-M on Sunday to fly the F-35 sim. No way I could turn that invitation down.

The sim at Lock-Mart is not the full motion variety I'm accustomed to, it's really a cockpit procedures trainer, a very sophisticated one with 360 degree horizontal and 270 degree vertical views that carefully mimics the F-35. With the change of software, the sim can mimic the F-35A, B or C. As I was a naval aviator, he set it up as the C. (Longer wings, longer range 7.5g limits much better high altitude performance.) We set up with me on the catapult, helmet on and engine running. It's not difficult to start the engine, one button hold it on until 10 percent N1 and then throttle from idle cut-off to ground idle. It's only got one "throttle" on the left side and a side-stick on the right. Both bristle with buttons and mice, but they don't get used much to start the engine. Engine starts are almost automatic thanks to the full authority digital engine control system. Once running, I throttle up to gate five after burn, but the FADEC limits power on the cat to METO power. The cat officer signals he is ready (I guess the Avatar on the screen is a he.) I salute and zip we launch. At the end of the track, the FADEC commands afterburner just when I need it. By pressing my hand on the throttle I override the FADEC's bias toward climbing at full power. But, too soon, I'm climbing too fast. This is supposed to be a quick trip around the pattern, so I bring power back to flight idle and level off. If the sim is true to life, and my host says it is, there is no sink off the boat. Just like the Phantom and Tomcat, the F-35 climbs smartly away from the boat. I turn to enter the pattern at Vref of 145 knots indicated. Given our weight, the Vref is fairly high. The F-35 can bring back 10,000 pounds of weapons and fuel. That means we won't have to dump a lot of fuel or some of Uncle Sam's expensive weapons to get back aboard. Maximum landing weight is programmed into the sim for this flight. Plenty of fuel for a missed approach, my host says.

Abeam the island, I select gear down, one of only two real switches used in flight. The gear handle looks like it was borrowed from a Beech King Air. (Hawker-Beechcraft is the sub-contractor for landing gear controls.) Pilots demanded a real gear handle otherwise Lock-Mart would have either automated that function or put it on a menu somewhere. The pre-landing check list is agreeably simple: 1. Gear Down; 2. Hook Down; and 3. Weapons Safe. In the navy we fly approaches by AOA, not speed, so I just watch the AOA indexer on the helmet mounted sight. It's amazing, even though the boat is under my left wing, I can turn my head and "see" through the wing to the boat and the AOA indexer continues to compute my landing aim point. With the same clarity as if I was using my Mark One eyeballs.

Turning final, the lineup looks good. But, I'm slewing around too much. My host politely reminds me to "KEEP YOUR FEET ON THE DECK, ... SIR." Apparently, it's not much of a rudder airplane. Feet on the deck and the plane settles down. Flying AOA keeps the speed acceptably around 143 knots. Then I drift low. Correct up, too much. Finally after a couple of pilot induced oscillations I get the ball. It's moving nicely down. Right on the bar now. Over the fantail. Power up - Whang, I grab a wire. The four wire, the sim is forgiving today. Do I ever wish I was 22 again and starting my naval flight training!"

Source: http://warships1discussionboards.yuku.c ... tXhoXlun3w