VFA-147 at Sea

krorvik · by **krorvik** » 31 Aug 2018, 18:01

Couple of cool shots on Twitter a short while ago:

https://twitter.com/USNavy/status/1035558346135363585

35_aoa · by **35_aoa** » 31 Aug 2018, 18:54

sprstdlyscottsmn wrote:Did you happen to hear what (nick)name they were calling it around the boat?

"Lightning"

sprstdlyscottsmn · by **sprstdlyscottsmn** » 31 Aug 2018, 19:22

35_aoa wrote:
sprstdlyscottsmn wrote:Did you happen to hear what (nick)name they were calling it around the boat?

"Lightning"

Hahaha, how anti-climactic.

jetblast16 · by **jetblast16** » 01 Sep 2018, 00:10

Like the burner pass at 1:48+ :roll:

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 01 Sep 2018, 01:23

Nice one. Link URL to video above for peeps like me who cannot see videos using IE11 in Win10 (EDGE & FireFox OK).

F-35C Lightning II Conducts Operational Test-1 Aboard USS Abraham Lincoln 30 Aug 2018 USN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmP2NxeF2ss

doge · by **doge** » 04 Sep 2018, 17:43

I was very worried, but the pilot was safe and I was relieved. :salute:

At the same time, I was amazed at the robustness of the F-35C that landed even if the engine was damaged...!! :shock:

(Extremely surprised...!!)
https://news.usni.org/2018/09/04/f-35c-damaged-36249

F-35C, Super Hornet Damaged During At-Sea Aerial Refueling
By: Ben Werner September 4, 2018 11:49 AM
An F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter flying from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) was damaged during an aerial refueling exercise, in the first major flight mishap for the carrier version of the JSF.

The engine of an F-35C from Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 125 was damaged while receiving fuel from an F/A-18F Super Hornet from VFA-103 on Aug. 22, Navy officials confirmed to USNI News. Debris from an aerial refueling basket was ingested into the F-35C’s engine intake, resulting in the damage, Naval Air Forces Atlantic spokesman Cmdr. Dave Hecht said on Tuesday.

Both fighters were able to land safely – the Super Hornet flew to Naval Air Station Oceana, Va., while the F-35C returned to Lincoln. No injuries were reported and the incident is currently under investigation, Hecht said.

Damage to the F-35C was reported as a Class A mishap – the most serious type for a military aircraft. An incident is classified as Class A when an aircraft suffers more than $2 million in damage, is totally destroyed or involves a serious or fatal injury to the aircrew. The damage to the F-35 was above the $2 million threshold, Hecht said. A new F135 engine for the JSF costs about $14 million, according to the most recent contract award to engine builder Pratt & Whitney.

The Super Hornet was also damaged but was reported as a Class C mishap because there were no injuries and the total estimated cost of damage to the aircraft is between $50,000 and $500,000, Hecht said.

The F-35 was flying in an integrated air wing test event aboard Lincoln that Navy officials described as a validation of how the aircraft operates and is maintained and sustained at sea. This first-ever at-sea operational test for the F-35C, launching and recovering alongside Super Hornets, E-2D Advanced Hawkeyes and C-2A Greyhounds, is a first glimpse of what the future air wing will look like once the F-35C reaches initial operational capability and is more widely fielded.

The test offered the Navy a way to gauge how well the F-35 “integrates with the ship, how it interoperates with communications, data links, other aircraft, and then how we conduct the mission and tie into the other aircraft that are conducting that mission and how effective they are when they do it,” Rear Adm. Dale Horan, director of Joint Strike Fighter Fleet Integration for the Navy, explained to reporters during a media event last week aboard Lincoln.

The F-35Cs operating on Lincoln were from VFA-125, a fleet replacement squadron, and VFA-147, an operational squadron. Both are based out of Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif.

Navy expects to achieve initial operational capability (IOC) for the F-35C in February 2019. Before achieving IOC, though, the F-35C has to conduct a formal initial operational test and evaluation event at sea, which is expected to occur in the fall. The Navy will also have to show it can man, train, equip and operate 10 F-35Cs at sea, along with establishing an appropriate support network to supply parts and personnel, ahead of declaring IOC.

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 04 Sep 2018, 18:21

Seems to me that the F135 is a very robust engine when debris from the basket does not kill it. Must be reassuring at least for those wavering about single engine carrier aviation ops. Would be good to know more details about whys & wherefors.

outlaw162 · by **outlaw162** » 04 Sep 2018, 19:32

Debris from an aerial refueling basket was ingested into the F-35C’s engine intake, resulting in the damage

How do you get 'debris' from a basket? Those baskets are pretty robust also.

I've seen the whole basket broken off and come to rest at the base of the probe on an F-100 that occured due to excessive closure before contact, but it's hard to imagine where in the basket you get debris from....or how. :shock:

35aoa are you there? Is this the reason for the helmet display adjustment for the canopy bow obstruction mentioned in another thread I believe?

sprstdlyscottsmn · by **sprstdlyscottsmn** » 04 Sep 2018, 20:03

Robust single engine ability to fly back to the boat after a class A mishap involving the engine.

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 04 Sep 2018, 20:22

outlaw162 wrote:
Debris from an aerial refueling basket was ingested into the F-35C’s engine intake, resulting in the damage

How do you get 'debris' from a basket? Those baskets are pretty robust also.

I've seen the whole basket broken off and come to rest at the base of the probe on an F-100 that occured due to excessive closure before contact, but it's hard to imagine where in the basket you get debris from....or how.

35aoa are you there? Is this the reason for the helmet display adjustment for the canopy bow obstruction mentioned in another thread I believe?

Not sure what you imagine a basket to look like. I'll post a PDF from here: http://api.ning.com/files/HmsNCuI4-iDeF ... wcopy2.pdf which is no longer available so I'll have to find it on my computer. Meanwhile there should be some info in this forum about the hose/drogue combo. The 2nd fixed camera in front of the pilot in combination with the HMDS camera (when images stitched together) takes away the canopy bow, especially problematic when night air refueling. The drogue/basket is really close to the canopy when hooked into the probe.

Perhaps this photo sufficiently represents the pilot view (but how would I or anyone here on this forum know?): https://a855196877272cb14560-2a4fa819a6 ... __main.jpg

The PDF is mentioned with pics in this thread (scroll up down): Constant fixes life of engineering
viewtopic.php?f=60&t=27109&p=287524&hilit=KneeboardWinter2013reviewcopy2#p287524

Aforementioned 2 page PDF now ATTACHED below....

outlaw162 · by **outlaw162** » 04 Sep 2018, 20:33

Not sure what you imagine a basket to look like.

Pretty much the same as what I saw about 3 feet away doing P&D refueling for 2000 hrs in the Hun.

Two more questions....

What's the USN philosophy about diverting to shore with an engine problem if possible as opposed to putting it on the boat? If the Hornet went to Oceana and the F135 engine appeared robust, why didn't the F-35C go to Oceana just in case?

Secondly, will this be in the movie?

sferrin · by **sferrin** » 04 Sep 2018, 20:34

outlaw162 wrote:
Debris from an aerial refueling basket was ingested into the F-35C’s engine intake, resulting in the damage

How do you get 'debris' from a basket? Those baskets are pretty robust also.

I've seen the whole basket broken off and come to rest at the base of the probe on an F-100 that occured due to excessive closure before contact, but it's hard to imagine where in the basket you get debris from....or how.

35aoa are you there? Is this the reason for the helmet display adjustment for the canopy bow obstruction mentioned in another thread I believe?

This drogue doesn't look particularly intact. Just sayin'.

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 04 Sep 2018, 20:36

WOW - 2k hours of ARF - that HUN Shirley sucked gas?! :devil:

You and I can imagine a lot of things - ritely or rongly. However I like to inform people with facts/pictures not just speculation - of which there is plenty on t'internet.
:shock:

Yes I wondered why the F-35C arrested back on LINCOLN - but then again idle speculation is for the idle - no? :doh:

Notwithstanding my idleness I'll speculate the engine appeared to work well at the time with damage discovered later?

outlaw162 · by **outlaw162** » 04 Sep 2018, 20:47

This drogue doesn't look particularly intact. Just sayin'.

Neither does the canopy.

Navy needs a new drogue supplier.....or a probe behind the engine inlets.

spazsinbad · by **spazsinbad** » 04 Sep 2018, 20:58

Perhaps the outlaw is thinking of the IRON MAIDEN? Now THAT is a robust BASKET bygeebygollee. Of course the PDF is also no longer at this address (it is shy & retiring like me). http://www.public.navy.mil/navsafecen/D ... 012%20.pdf