UK MOD in a muddle over F-35C

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 07 Oct 2018, 02:49

There is GenPop Access: http://213.122.161.212/fotoweb/Grid.fwx ... =1&search=

PUBvideo: http://213.122.161.212/fotoweb/Grid.fwx ... =1&search=

Breaking News with QE & F-35B photies: http://213.122.161.212/fotoweb/Grid.fwx ... =1&search=

zerion · by **zerion** » 07 Oct 2018, 18:32

Yeah I just can’t download for some reason.

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 07 Oct 2018, 21:07

Photo with URL: http://213.122.161.212/fotoweb/me/backg ... 039113.jpg (3.2Mb)

http://213.122.161.212/fotoweb/Grid.fwx ... #Preview57 "The view from the 'Flyco' as Commander Nathan Gray RN, makes the first ever F-35B Lightning II jet vertical landing onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth.... Image taken by and credit to PO(CIS) Matt Bonner" 25 Sep 2018

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 08 Oct 2018, 22:49

HMS Queen Elizabeth, F-35B ops, night and day https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QzYso1l5eE

HMS Queen Elizabeth, F-35B dusker launch in slo-mo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-80JZjAcZ8

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 09 Oct 2018, 20:45

F-35 Jets Conduct First Night-time Landings on HMS Queen Elizabeth
03 Oct 2018 LM PR

"Britain’s biggest warship is currently conducting flight testing off the east coast of the United States and part of that is practicing landing in darkness. These tests were carried out with and without the aid of night-vision technology, with the pilots and aircraft handlers successfully guiding the fast fighter jets onto the flight deck. Pilots initially flew in using only ambient light and the lights on the carrier’s deck before later conducting landings using the night-vision capability in their helmets.

Commander James Blackmore is the Commander Air in HMS Queen Elizabeth, who is referred to as simply ‘Wings’ by the ship’s company. He said: “The concept of night flying isn’t difficult for us. What we are looking at is what the new lights on board HMS Queen Elizabeth look like at night from the perspective of the F-35s.

“We’ve already done that with the rotary wing aircraft earlier this year, but now it’s crucial that we understand how suitable they are for the F-35s to operate at night from the carrier. First indications are that they are in good order for both the aided and unaided perspectives.”...

...Using the night-vision technology doesn’t always make landings easy as even the smallest light becomes ultra-bright when it is viewed through the specialist equipment. The lights on a carrier’s deck can look fine to the naked eye but suddenly become very bright when night-vision is switched on. However, HMS Queen Elizabeth has been installed with specially-designed LED lightning on her flight deck, which solves the issue.

Even still, it is important for pilots to test their ability to land with and without night-vision assistance.

Andrew Maack, the Chief Test Engineer for the Integrated Test Force – the organisation responsible for analysing the flight trials – added: “In daytime there are cues that tell the pilot’s brain what the relative motion is between the airplane and the ship.

“At night, especially very dark night, all those cues go away and you become dependent on exactly what the lights are and what the sight of those lights looks like. It’s something you can’t translate in your mind ahead of time – you don’t know it until you see it.”..."

Source: https://www.f35.com/news/detail/f-35-je ... -elizabeth

steve2267 · by **steve2267** » 10 Oct 2018, 03:19

Any idea when the first SRVL will be?

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 10 Oct 2018, 04:03

WHEN the HURRY CANE hits them? Expect the news to be delayed as the above LM PR was... published elsewhere twice on 04 Oct but just 'today' at LM. WTF? It is a weird SHITuation. So doan hold yur breth about any SRVL info soones unless brill.

noth · by **noth** » 10 Oct 2018, 06:25

In the meantime, an MH-53 paid a visit to the carrier and the HMQNLZ twitter account is hinting that a MV-22 is landing tomorrow...

Corsair1963 · by **Corsair1963** » 10 Oct 2018, 06:38

noth wrote:In the meantime, an MH-53 paid a visit to the carrier and the HMQNLZ twitter account is hinting that a MV-22 is landing tomorrow...

The Queen Elizabeth Class need the Osprey badly. If, they're going to fully exploit the capabilities of the F-35B's. Yet, who in the UK Government has the balls to push for additional funding???

weasel1962 · by **weasel1962** » 10 Oct 2018, 07:18

spazsinbad wrote:WHEN the HURRY CANE hits them? Expect the news to be delayed as the above LM PR was... published elsewhere twice on 04 Oct but just 'today' at LM. WTF? It is a weird SHITuation. So doan hold yur breth about any SRVL info soones unless brill.

Hurricane should pass by Friday. They sent the CV over to facilitate SRVL testing, it'd be done. On the bright side, they get to test in ALL weather conditions.

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 10 Oct 2018, 07:52

I was not suggesting that SRVL testing would not be done but I'll suggest it won't be done 'in all weather conditions'. That 'all weather' testing is part of the two part test otherwise. Without the BEDFORD ARRAY installed I'll suggest that the workaround for the benign weather SRVL testing will be 'test pilots only' for now. Perhaps emergency SRVL later maybe.

noth · by **noth** » 10 Oct 2018, 17:41

Corsair1963 wrote:
noth wrote:In the meantime, an MH-53 paid a visit to the carrier and the HMQNLZ twitter account is hinting that a MV-22 is landing tomorrow...

The Queen Elizabeth Class need the Osprey badly. If, they're going to fully exploit the capabilities of the F-35B's. Yet, who in the UK Government has the balls to push for additional funding???

Well Theresa May did say it was time to end austerity in the UK, so who knows if the budget'll get a boost for some Ospreys? SAS want them as well. But this gov (and the opposition) are mostly unable to work out the right thing to do, I have very little hope of Ospreys happening before 2028!

steve2267 · by **steve2267** » 10 Oct 2018, 17:48

I did not know, nor could I recall, if the Brits were going to test SRVL this fall, or next year during the second round of testing?

I vaguely recall Spaz going on and on about the Bedford array -- was that specifically developed just for SRVL, and, from comments, I take it that it is not presently installed on the LIzzy?

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 10 Oct 2018, 19:08

Stevie Stevie Stevie.... This thread has all the info PLUS there is a specific SRVL thread but it only documents the SRVL and sometimes the associated gear such as the BEDFORD ARRAY. Test Pilots including the great WHIZZER WILSON HISSELF have stated a few times that SRVL will be tested during this QE two part test period and it will be WITHOUT the BEDFORD ARRAY installed aboard QE. The array will be installed PoW and later QE. My speculation has bin 'how QE SRVL without'?

Yes SPAZ does go on and on and on about the BEDFORD ARRAY. But WHY? Probably because it is essential to the SRVL approach BUT APPARENTLY NOT for test pilots. One of them has stated in this thread that using the ARRAY and the SRVV Ship Relative Velocity Vector for the SRVL approach is not easy (I guess requiring practice) which at moment is only in SIM.

The FIRST TEST PERIOD is in two parts (with some time alongside in USofA inbetween). Then in 2019 is 2nd TEST PERIOD.

Main SRVL thread: F-35B UK SRVL info - Updated when new/old info available
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=20304&p=230592&hilit=SRVL#p230592

Secondary thread: F-35 the QE and SRVL BOLTERS
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=29798&p=320457&hilit=SRVL#p320457

Searching F-35 sub (not submarine) forum(s) using SRVL will probably find a bunch o'stuff which I have not done today.

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 10 Oct 2018, 19:29

U.S. Marine Pilot Becomes A Part Of Aviation History
09 Oct 2018 JPO PR

"...For 11 weeks, Marine Corps Maj. Michael Lippert, an F-35B test pilot, and three British pilots will test the performance of the F-35B Lightning II on the deck of the HMS Queen Elizabeth, the United Kingdom’s newest and largest aircraft carrier. Lippert was selected to be a part of this mission based off his position as the Marine Corps’ F-35B ship suitability project officer and his previous shipboard operational experience as a Harrier pilot.

Collectively, the pilots are expected to conduct 500 takeoffs and landings onto the ship’s 280-meter deck.... [not sure if this meme is correct - it may mean 500 test points but that is only my guess - we'll find out soon enough]

...The trials will also evaluate jet performance on more than 200 test points during various weather and sea conditions...." [this could indicate that my guess is wrong but it could just refer to 200 of the 500 test points (my guess)]

Source: http://www.jsf.mil/news/docs/20181010_U ... istory.pdf (0.5Mb)