Flight Schedules F-35 2008/ 10

Production milestones, roll-outs, test flights, service introduction and other milestones.
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by neptune » 15 Sep 2009, 00:34

Thanks to Graham Warwick; Aviation Week, Ares

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defense

AA-1 - is now at Edwards AFB for arrestor-hook testing before heading to China Lake to end its career in live-fire testing. Its 2.8h flight to Edwards on Sep. 10 was the first F-35's 90th flight - making up the majority of JSF flying to date.

BF-1 - the first STOVL F-35B test aircraft has flown once since returning to flight on Sep. 4 following modification. Flying is on hold because of "monsoon" weather at Fort Worth, but BF-1 is due to complete in-flight STOVL doors-open flights, one in-flight lift-system engagement and a 3-hour endurance flight before ferrying to Pax River in "early October" to begin STOVL build-down test flights. First vertical landing is now expected in "late October, early November".

BF-2 - is on the hover pit and, after final finishes, is due to follow BF-1 to Pax two or three weeks later in Octover. BF-2 is being used to verify procedures for applying final finishes to production F-35s.

BF-3 - is due to fly in October at Fort Worth

BF-4 - the first mission-system test aircraft is on the flight line and scheduled to fly in December. The initial "flight candidate release" of mission-system software, Block 0.5, has been loaded.

AF-1 - the first production-representative CTOL F-35A is expected to fly in early October and initial testing in the Fort Worth area will inform a decision on the flight envelope that will be cleared for pilot training beginning at Elgin AFB in summer 2010. AF-1 is set to deploy to Edwards in the second quarter of 2010.

AF-2 and AF-3 - are scheduled to fly in December

CF-1 - the first F-35C carrier version is not expected to fly in January 2010, a previously acknowledge slip from late December. CF-1 will be used as the test aircraft for the F135 initial service release (ISR) engine that will power production aircraft. The impact of the recent test-stand incident with the ISR engine is still being assessed.

AF-4, BF-5, CF-2 and CF-3 - are scheduled to fly between March and May 2010 to complete the 12-aircraft development flight-test fleet.

AF-6 and AF-7 - the first two low-rate initital production F-35As are in the mate tools on the final-assembly line along with AF-8, the first of the 12-aircraft LRIP 2 batch. AF-6 and -7 are scheduled for delivery to Eglin by July 2010 to allow pilot training to begin.


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by FlightDreamz » 15 Sep 2009, 03:08

AA-1 - is now at Edwards AFB for arrestor-hook testing before heading to China Lake to END ITS CAREER IN LIVE-FIRE TESTING.
(emphasis mine). SERIOUSLY!?:shock:
I'm sure a lot of detractors of the F-35 would love to be there to witness the destruction (and maybe even a few fans), but that seems like such a waste to me. I'd rather see the aircraft donated to a museum or something.
A fighter without a gun . . . is like an airplane without a wing.— Brigadier General Robin Olds, USAF.


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by SpudmanWP » 15 Sep 2009, 03:22

It is not to be the target of the testing, just the launch platform.
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by Lightndattic » 15 Sep 2009, 03:48

Most live fire airframes are shot AT, not from. They have to know how the airframe is going to react to hostile fire. It's just another part of the testing series. All combat aircraft do it.


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by SpudmanWP » 15 Sep 2009, 04:07

Really, when was the F-22 ever shot at during development? F-15? F-16? B-2? F-117? B-52? B-1B?
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by Raptor_claw » 15 Sep 2009, 04:59

Yes, it will be on the receiving end.
And yes, there was some live-fire testing done on the F-22. I can't remember which article - may have been a ground test-only vehicle, but there was live fire damage testing done.


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by SpudmanWP » 15 Sep 2009, 05:04

Ground test vehicles I can believe, but not the 1st flying F-35....
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by Lightndattic » 15 Sep 2009, 13:56

SpudmanWP wrote:Really, when was the F-22 ever shot at during development? F-15? F-16? B-2? F-117? B-52? B-1B?


It's quite common to use test articles that have outlived their test usefulness as targets. Basic flying qualities to clear the followon test airframes was the main use of AA-1. That's complete and production representative test aircraft are coming online, so it's now more useful to see how the airframe reacts to weapons impact.

The USAF's fact sheet on the F-22 has this:

" EMD included extensive subsystem and system testing as well as flight testing with nine aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The first EMD flight was in 1997 and at the completion of its flight test life this aircraft was used for live-fire testing. "


http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=4971&page=54

Page 54 begins to detail actual and planned live fire tests on the F-22 and components.

"Many live fire tests are planned or have been performed on various components, subsystems, and sub-assemblies of the F-22. Test articles range from component prototypes to EMD hardware.

B-1B testing:

"Live Fire Test & Evaluation (LFT&E) of Block D consisted of a series of LFT ballistic tests conducted on large assemblies cut from production aircraft #1. All ballistic testing was completed to support Block D MS III. An LFT&E report was submitted to Congress in January 1999. LFT&E will be evaluated by analysis for Block E and Block F. "


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by energo » 15 Sep 2009, 16:07

FlightDreamz wrote:
AA-1 - is now at Edwards AFB for arrestor-hook testing before heading to China Lake to END ITS CAREER IN LIVE-FIRE TESTING.
(emphasis mine). SERIOUSLY!?:shock:
I'm sure a lot of detractors of the F-35 would love to be there to witness the destruction (and maybe even a few fans), but that seems like such a waste to me. I'd rather see the aircraft donated to a museum or something.


It is not inconceivable that AA-1 will be patched up and put in a museum.

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by FlightDreamz » 16 Sep 2009, 02:50

Thanks for all the info guys. :D And kudo's to Lightndattic for posting that live fire test of the F-22 Raptor link (okay so it's not like the F-35 is the first stealth aircraft to go under the gun)! I knew that some prototype's were tested to destruction, but until now I was under the impression that was mostly under hydraulic presses to try and gauge the life expectancy of the aircraft something like http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/11/18/319033/video-boeing-shows-destruction-test-of-787-wing-box.html - learn something new on this site everyday.
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by neptune » 16 Sep 2009, 05:53

Thanks to Graham Warwick and Bill Sweetman; Aviation Week, Ares

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defense

AA-1 - is now at Edwards AFB for arrestor-hook testing before heading to China Lake to end its career in live-fire testing. Its 2.8h flight to Edwards on Sep. 10 was the first F-35's 90th flight - making up the majority of JSF flying to date.

BF-1 - the first STOVL F-35B test aircraft has flown once since returning to flight on Sep. 4 following modification. Flying is on hold because of "monsoon" weather at Fort Worth, but BF-1 is due to complete in-flight STOVL doors-open flights, one in-flight lift-system engagement and a 3-hour endurance flight before ferrying to Pax River in "early October" to begin STOVL build-down test flights. First vertical landing is now expected in "late October, early November".

BF-2 - is on the hover pit and, after final finishes, is due to follow BF-1 to Pax two or three weeks later in Octover. BF-2 is being used to verify procedures for applying final finishes to production F-35s.

BF-3 - is due to fly in October at Fort Worth

BF-4 - the first mission-system test aircraft is on the flight line and scheduled to fly in December. The initial "flight candidate release" of mission-system software, Block 0.5, has been loaded.

The F-35Bs will be delivered to Pax River, shortly after they fly in Fort
Worth.

AF-1 - the first production-representative CTOL F-35A is expected to fly in early October and initial testing in the Fort Worth area will inform a decision on the flight envelope that will be cleared for pilot training beginning at Elgin AFB in summer 2010. AF-1 is set to deploy to Edwards in the second quarter of 2010.

AF-2 and AF-3 - are scheduled to fly in December 2009.

The three A-models will stay in Fort Worth until May-June 2010, to clear the envelope for training.

CF-1 - the first F-35C carrier version is not expected to fly in January 2010, a previously acknowledge slip from late December. CF-1 will be used as the test aircraft for the F135 initial service release (ISR) engine that will power production aircraft. The impact of the recent test-stand incident with the ISR engine is still being assessed.

AF-4, BF-5, CF-2 and CF-3 - are scheduled to fly between March and May 2010 to complete the 12-aircraft development flight-test fleet. All will be delivered to flight test locations by the end of September.

This reflects Gen. Moore's "12-12-12" comment: Within 12 months (end September 2010) the JSF program expects to have 12 test aircraft in service, with an average sortie rate of 12 per aircraft per month.

One message from yesterday's press conference is that the start of training is now very important: the first cadre of Marine instructors needs to start work on the F-35A in 2010, moving to STOVL-specific training in 2011, in order to train the first operational crews for the Marines' 2012 initial operational capability (IOC) date. It depends on flying 12 new aircraft in FY10 (the ten remaining test aircraft plus the first two LRIP F-35As).

In summary, therefore, the F-35 test plan for FY10 (which starts in two weeks) involves delivering 12 aircraft to Pax or Edwards. Its goal, in 12 months time, is to be flying some 144 sorties a month.

AF-6 and AF-7 - the first two low-rate initital production F-35As are in the mate tools on the final-assembly line along with AF-8, the first of the 12-aircraft LRIP 2 batch. AF-6 and -7 are scheduled for delivery to Eglin by July 2010 to allow pilot training to begin.

The program has only one mission-systems aircraft at a customer flight-test location, BF-4, until June-July 2010, when AF-3 is released from duties at Fort Worth and ferries to Edwards.


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by f35phixer » 16 Sep 2009, 19:20

FlightDreamz wrote:
AA-1 - is now at Edwards AFB for arrestor-hook testing before heading to China Lake to END ITS CAREER IN LIVE-FIRE TESTING.
(emphasis mine). SERIOUSLY!?:shock:
I'm sure a lot of detractors of the F-35 would love to be there to witness the destruction (and maybe even a few fans), but that seems like such a waste to me. I'd rather see the aircraft donated to a museum or something.


That is Acquisition 101, It’s a LAW that all major military programs get Live Fire testing.



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