Forum: F-35 milestones

spazsinbad wrote:

[b]...This article has no formatting. WTF? Very Happy

Looking at some of the other articles, formatting is up to the author. Apparently they have no editor. Looks more like a blog site.

Sorry, IMHO.

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FARNBOROUGH: Lockheed ready to deliver UK's first F-35 By: Craig Hoyle Farnborough 08 July 2012

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... 35-373942/

"...O'Bryan says testing of the F-35 remain ahead of Lockheed's planned schedule for 2012. By 30 June, aircraft in all three variants had made a combined 595 flights and achieved 4,800 programme test points: 34% and 14% ahead of target, respectively...."

Lockheed Martin F-35 Flight Test Progress Report 10 July 2012

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/p ... eport.html

"FORT WORTH, Texas, July 10, 2012 -- Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE: LMT] F-35 program accrued the highest number of test points in a single month during June, an accomplishment indicative of the program’s ongoing maturation. Additionally, for the 18th consecutive month the F-35 test program remained ahead of plan.

As of June 30, the F-35 Lightning II 5th Generation multirole fighter had conducted 595 test flights in 2012 versus a plan of 445 and accrued 4,830 test points against a plan of 3,901.

In June, the F-35 program accomplished several flight test and production milestones:
During June, the F-35 test program accrued the most test points in a single month, 1,118, in program history.

On June 5, BF-5 became the first F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) jet to fly with Block 2A software.

On June 13, the first F-35C carrier variant (CV) night flight was completed at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.

On June 13, F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) weapons pit drop testing was conducted for the first time at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.

On June 14 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., BF-2 completed the first test flight for the F-35B STOVL variant with an asymmetric weapons load.

On June 25, AF-1, an F-35A CTOL test jet, accomplished the first F-35 weapon pit drop from an external station, a GBU-12 from station 2.

On June 27, the program achieved the highest number of F-35 flights in a single day, 12.

Cumulative flight test activity totals for 2012 through June 30 are provided below:
F-35A CTOL jets have flown 260 times.
F-35B STOVL jets have completed 202 flights, 134 of which began with a short takeoff. Additionally, F-35B STOVL aircraft have conducted 55 vertical landings.
F-35C CV jets have flown 133 times.

Cumulative flight test activity totals for the duration of the program through May 31 are provided below:
F-35A CTOL jets have flown 907 times.
F-35B STOVL jets have completed 791 flights, 553 of which began with a short takeoff. Additionally, F-35B STOVL aircraft have conducted 334 vertical landings.
F-35C CV jets have flown 325 times.

Since December 2006, F-35s have flown 2,355 times and accrued more than 3,700 cumulative flight hours. This total includes 91 flights from the original test aircraft, AA-1; 2,023 SDD test flights; and 241 production-model flights...."

That's it.

spazsinbad wrote:

[...On June 5, BF-5 became the first F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) jet to fly with Block 2A software.... F-35A CTOL jets have flown 260 times.... F-35C CV jets have flown 133 times.

Cumulative flight test activity totals.. F-35A CTOL jets have flown 907 times.... F-35C CV jets have flown 325 times.
...
That's it.

That's a lot!

It's great to see the "Bees" with Block 2A inflight, now we know why BF-5 was hanging around FW.

It'll be great to see CF-5 next year in LRIP 4, added to the SDD flight regime. Perhaps the "Sea" can catch-up on some of the flights, hours and test points. It'll also be grand to see the first "3" wire and carrier launch. Anchors Aweigh! Smile

Awsome that is some great news, they are ahead of plan by 929 test points. They are achieving just slightly over 8.1 test points per flights. I think the flight staff of the F-35 program deserves some "major kudos" for being extremely productive in achieving a high number of test points per flight.

The plan called for an extremely ambitious plan of 8.76 test points per flight and the flight test group beat that.

Any report on test flights in the Phoenix area yesterday, July 10th?

to Release: Fifth F-35B test aircraft returns to Patuxent River 11 July 2012

http://www.navair.navy.mil/index.cfm?fu ... mp;id=5056

"NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – The F-35B test aircraft BF-5 returned to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., on June 26 after a planned modification period in Fort Worth, Texas. BF-5 fills the complement of five F-35B test aircraft at NAS Patuxent River...."

For the first time I saw two F-35's in the air at the same time in Fort Worth...they departed to the south with an F-18 in tow.

Don't know which airframes they were...saw them from a distance.

I'm assuming this was a delivery flight.

Just FYI

F-35B To Edwards

http://www.codeonemagazine.com/news_ite ... tem_id=786

USMC Lt. Col. Matt Kelly flew F-35B BF-2 to its new but temporary home at the F-35 Integrated Test Force at Edwards AFB, California, on 23 July 2012. The aircraft is at Edwards for a series of flights involving airstart testing. Crazy Pilot

Air restart testing worked on the "A", now time to try the "B" Smile

Ztex wrote:

For the first time I saw two F-35's in the air at the same time in Fort Worth...they departed to the south with an F-18 in tow.

Don't know which airframes they were...saw them from a distance.

I'm assuming this was a delivery flight.

Just FYI

BF-13 and -14 going to Eglin.

F-35 Flight Test Update 8 By Sydney Carrol 7 August 2012

http://www.codeonemagazine.com/article.html?item_id=105

"The F-35 Flight Test Update in the Volume 27, Number 1 issue of Code One closed with Royal Air Force Sqdn. Ldr. Jim Schofield’s first flight, which, as it turned out, was also the program’s 1,500th flight. Since then, nine new F-35 pilots have qualified, bringing the total to forty-two pilots who have now flown the Lightning II. The growing pilot population has made significant progress testing external weapons on all three F-35 variants, accomplishing first flights with external stores, refueling inflight with external stores, and flying with asymmetric weapons loads. The team has also begun night aerial refueling of F-35 at Edwards AFB, California, and night flight testing of F-35B and F-35C variants at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland.

In the months since the last issue, the System Development and Demonstration, or SDD, test pilots have set new records for most flights in a month – 123 flights in March 2012 – and most test points in a month – 1,118 in June 2012. Through 30 June 2012, the F-35 test program had conducted 595 test flights in 2012 and accrued 4,830 test points...."

"...3 May 2012: First Carrier Variant Approach Handling Qualities Test
The F-35 Integrated Test Force continued preparations for F-35C carrier variant ship trials with the first handling approach qualities test at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. US Marine Corps Lt. Col. Matt Taylor executed sixteen touch and goes, one wave off, and two full stop landings during the 1.4-hour mission. The test marked F-35C CF-3 Flight 53...."
___________

I guess the FCLP is part of this...

New Flight Control Mode Improves F-35C Handling on Landing Approach 25 July 2012
by Tamir Eshel

http://www.f-16.net/f-16_forum_viewtopic-t-20155.html
_________________________________

A lot of information in the Update 8 article is not new but all consolidated. The above excerpt is something new to me anyway. Best to go to de URL.

Air Force chief cites concern about F-35 operating costs Reuters 18 Sep 2012 By Andrea Shalal-Esa

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-air-fo ... 12244.html

"...Lockheed officials told reporters the program was making progress in flight testing and software development. They said the Air Force model of the plane had flow 365 times this year [2012], while the B-model being developed for the Marine Corps had flown 300 times, including 184 short takeoffs, 133 short landings, and 66 vertical landings...."

spazsinbad wrote:

Air Force chief cites concern about F-35 operating costs Reuters 18 Sep 2012 By Andrea Shalal-Esa

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-air-fo ... 12244.html

"...Lockheed officials told reporters the program was making progress in flight testing and software development. They said the Air Force model of the plane had flow 365 times this year [2012], while the B-model being developed for the Marine Corps had flown 300 times, including 184 short takeoffs, 133 short landings, and 66 vertical landings...."

....but no VL at Eglin...yet! Laughing

According to Code One BF-17 in PAX to assist the SDD planes there.
And after a while it will go to Edwards, why to Edwards and mot to Eglin?
http://www.codeonemagazine.com/f35_news ... tem_id=853

fang wrote:

According to Code One BF-17 in PAX to assist the SDD planes there.
And after a while it will go to Edwards, why to Edwards and mot to Eglin?
http://www.codeonemagazine.com/f35_news ... tem_id=853

1- This a/c is #6 of 9 F-35B from LRIP3, it is not a test plane.

2- Any testing to be done at Edwards would have to be Operationally or from attached systems/ weapons. Perhaps the telemetry at Edwards is better than PAX but the AF weapons testing is usually done at Eglin (where the F-35B training command is co-located)??

3- Taking BF-17 out of the training command, may allow the USMC to expedite efforts toward IOC, with Mission Systems v. 2.B.

4- Environmentally, Yuma is more similar (250 miles) to Edwards than PAX or Eglin. Idea

5- BF-3, a SDD plane, was recently at Edwards for in-flight restart testing. The precedent of F-35B flights at Edwards has been set. Smile

6- AF-6 (LRIP1) at Edwards was upgraded to Mission Systems v. 2.A at Edwards and recertified by LO/ RCS. All LRIP 2 and 3 a/c will soon be upgraded to MS v. 2.A for required flight training. BF-17 could be the first one to prove the upgraded program? Also, BF-17 is ending movement at Eglin AFB. This would add to the progress of #3. Idea

Forum: F-35 milestones

Overview of F-35 test flights