Overview of F-35 test flights

neptune · by **neptune** » 17 Oct 2012, 14:26

LRIP; LM No.; Branch No.; Pilot; First Flight;
4; AF-22; 10-5010; Hattendorf, Paul; 14-Oct-12
3; BF-18; 168314; Norman, Al; 8-Aug-12
4; BF-19; 168717; Flynn, Billie; 15-Oct-12
4; BF-20; 168718; Gigliotti, William J. (Bill); 14-Oct-12

LRIP4 first 3 jets from LRIP4 with Mission System ver. 2.A

fang · by **fang** » 19 Oct 2012, 22:27

LRIP; LM No.; Branch No.; Pilot; Delivery date; Destination
------------------------------------------------------------------
3; BF-16; 168312; USMC Maj. Adam Levine; oct-19-12; Eglin AFB
3; BK-2; ZM136; RAF Sqn. Ldr. Jim Schofield; oct-19-12; Eglin AFB

neptune · by **neptune** » 03 Nov 2012, 21:15

F-35 Flight Test Update 9

By Sydney Carroll
Posted 30 October 2012

http://www.codeonemagazine.com/f35_arti ... tem_id=111

typical;

22 August 2012: 20,000th Test Point Complete
The SDD team accomplished 20,000 test points since the beginning of the test program with two F-35A test flights at Edwards AFB, California, and three F-35B test flights at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. The overall F-35 SDD flight test program plan calls for 59,585 test points to be verified through developmental test flights by 31 December 2016.

Thanks Code One

Asif · by **Asif** » 06 Nov 2012, 14:37

Lockheed Martin wrote:
Eglin Completes 500TH F-35 Sortie

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla., Nov. 5, 2012 – The Integrated Training Center (ITC) here completed its 500th combined sortie for both the F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) and F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft Friday. Flight operations for the F-35 began on the Emerald Coast March 6. There are currently 22 F-35s at Eglin as the fleet continues to grow supporting the team as it trains instructor pilots and maintainers. The team accomplished the 500 sorties in 238 days cutting the time between each milestone sortie:

100th sortie – July 12 - accomplished in 123 days
200th sortie – Aug. 24 - accomplished in 44 days
300th sortie – Sept. 21 - accomplished in 28 days
400th sortie – Oct. 16 - accomplished in 25 days
500th sortie – Nov. 2 - accomplished in 16 days

Also can be found under this thread F-35 program updates

Asif · by **Asif** » 07 Nov 2012, 16:46

F-35B BF-18 stops by at Lockheed's Marietta facility on its ferry flight from Fort Worth to NAS Patuxent River on November 5th, 2012. Chief Test Pilot Alan Norman talks to the local Marietta media as F-35 Operations Director Steve Blake looks on. [Lockheed Martin photo by John Rossino]

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 07 Nov 2012, 17:52

Photo above here earlier with story: http://www.f-16.net/f-16_forum_viewtopic-t-20560.html Stroll down.

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 13 Nov 2012, 10:32

Fast Facts by LM for F-35 now out with some bits below:

http://f-35.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/ ... 1-2012.pdf (140Kb)

"AF-4 completed the first F-35 Spin Recovery Chute taxi deployment on October 20, the first F-35 flight with the SRC on October 24, and the first High AoA mission at 26 and 30 degrees AoA on October 29."

PDF will be attached to the DOC thread here: http://www.f-16.net/index.php?name=PNph ... 135#235135

Conan · by **Conan** » 13 Nov 2012, 15:27

spazsinbad wrote:Fast Facts by LM for F-35 now out with some bits below:

http://f-35.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/ ... 1-2012.pdf (140Kb)

"AF-4 completed the first F-35 Spin Recovery Chute taxi deployment on October 20, the first F-35 flight with the SRC on October 24, and the first High AoA mission at 26 and 30 degrees AoA on October 29."

PDF will be attached to the DOC thread here: http://www.f-16.net/index.php?name=PNph ... 135#235135

Hopefully our old mate JeffB will be crying into his beer now that his precious "can't go beyond 20 degree AoA" mantra is out the window...

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 13 Nov 2012, 20:30

Just on that point about 'limited AoA' here is an insight into whys and wherefores:

Extreme Angle of Attack: What is It Good for? Not as much as you might think. 12 Nov 2012

http://elementsofpower.blogspot.com.au/ ... -good.html

"In looking at AoA papers related to the series I just concluded, I ran across a paper that was able to express what good Aeros everywhere already know. Higher maximum AoA does not translate into more "vector" change if it sucks down your "smash"....

...4) The quantification of these metrics showed that the angle of attack load factor limiter in the F-16A provided that aircraft with a definite advantage over the F-18A, F-5A, and X-29A. The limiter, although reducing the maximum turn rate, prevented the aircraft from reaching high energy bleed rate conditions. This limiting essentially relieves the pilot of the responsibility of having to set up an optimum maneuver. However, the metrics quantified here do not provide an ability to assess the benefits of performing high angle of attack maneuvering - a capability which could potentially offset the associated energy losses."

Best to read entire post at SOURCE.

hobo · by **hobo** » 13 Nov 2012, 21:59

Conan wrote:
spazsinbad wrote:Fast Facts by LM for F-35 now out with some bits below:

http://f-35.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/ ... 1-2012.pdf (140Kb)

"AF-4 completed the first F-35 Spin Recovery Chute taxi deployment on October 20, the first F-35 flight with the SRC on October 24, and the first High AoA mission at 26 and 30 degrees AoA on October 29."

PDF will be attached to the DOC thread here: http://www.f-16.net/index.php?name=PNph ... 135#235135

Hopefully our old mate JeffB will be crying into his beer now that his precious "can't go beyond 20 degree AoA" mantra is out the window...

Did he get banned or did he just realize the time for his sort of act had about run out?

SpudmanWP · by **SpudmanWP** » 13 Nov 2012, 22:37

Banned
http://www.f-16.net/f-16_forum_profile- ... 29567.html

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 04 Dec 2012, 01:08

Possibly 'old' news but in any event these people think it is newsworthy....

Lockheed Martin Corporation : F-35 Lightning II Program Surpasses 5,000 Flight Hours Dec/03/2012

http://www.4-traders.com/LOCKHEED-MARTI ... -15572449/

"FORT WORTH, Texas, Dec. 3, 2012 - The Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35 Lightning II program surpassed 5,000 flight hours last month. This milestone was reached by the combined F-35 System Development and Demonstration (SDD) aircraft flying at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., and the training aircraft flying at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. All three variants, the F-35A Conventional Takeoff and Landing (CTOL), the Short Takeoff/Vertical Landing (STOVL) and Carrier Variant (CV), participated in achievement of this goal. Since the program's first flight in December 2006, F-35s have flown 3,464 times. This total includes 91 flights from the original test aircraft, AA-1; 2,510 SDD test flights; and 863 production-model flights...."

arrow-nautics · by **arrow-nautics** » 07 Dec 2012, 00:02

I have a question I'd like to throw out for discussion. I don't wish to start a new thread so I figure this would be the best place to pose the question. Actually there's 2 questions. First, when can we estimate the F-35 will do external fuel tank testing & jettison tests on tanks? Number 2, when can we estimate the F-35 (all variants) will be declared fully operational?

SpudmanWP · by **SpudmanWP** » 07 Dec 2012, 00:20

1. The earliest that tanks will be integrated in Blk4 or maybe Blk5

2. FOC is 2020 at the earliest

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 12 Dec 2012, 18:54

UhOh, another 'millstone' flight!

Good on 'em I say...

Photo: F-35B achieves milestone flight 12 Dec 2012

http://www.navair.navy.mil/index.cfm?fu ... ry&id=5216

"NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – Marine Corps test pilot Maj. C. R. Clift flies BF-1 on a short take off and vertical landing mode mission, Dec. 7. The flight marked the 1000th developmental test flight for the F-35B Lightning II in the program’s system development and demonstration phase...."

That is it: BIG PIC: http://www.navair.navy.mil/img/uploads/ ... lights.jpg