Patuxent River Ski Jump Video (No F-35Bs on it)

NAS Patuxent River Ski Jump with BBC talking head:

Video snippet from here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18919388
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How to land an F-35 fighter plane [SAME VIDEO AS ABOVE IT LOOKS LIKE!]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18919934#

"20 July 2012 The UK has been handed its first Joint Strike Fighter jet, also known as the F-35, for use by the RAF and Royal Navy.

Although not intended for use until 2018, British pilots have already been test-flying the new fighter - codenamed the Lightning II - at Patuxent River Naval base in Maryland.

The BBC's defence correspondent Jonathan Beale spoke to one of the pilots involved in the programme, Peter Wilson of BAE Systems."
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Quote from elsewhere: “The mock ski-jump is 150-feet long, with a 15-foot high “lip” for aircraft launch. These shore-based ski-jump takeoffs will be conducted at varying airspeeds prior to the first UK ship detachment with the F-35B.”
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“...Although the AM-2 matting is serving its purpose as vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) pads and a 1,900 x 96-foot runway for the EAF/STOVL testing, it also doubles as the run-up for a test “ski-jump” used in conjunction with JSF testing for the British Royal Navy. The AM-2 matting and the 12-degree ski-jump ramp were installed at the centerfield area last month [May 2009]....”

EAF enables JSF landing anywhere, everywhere | Jun 29, 2009

http://www.navair.navy.mil/index.cfm?fu ... ry&id=4144

Just a detail about the max. load expected on the Ski Jump gives an indication of the MAX. STO Mode for the F-35B which is also confirmed in the Marine Aviation Plan 2015.

17 -- Ski Jump Ramp
08 Jul 2005 Solicitation Number: N00421-05-R-0119 Agency: Department of the Navy; Office: Naval Air Systems Command; Location: Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Pax River

"The Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) intends to award a sole source contract to Williams Fairey Engineering Limited (WFEL), P. O. Box 41 Crossley Road Heaton Chapel, Stockport Cheshire SK4 5BD England. This sole source award will be made to design, fabricate, deliver, and provide analysis and set-up documentation for a Ski Jump Ramp in support of flight test operations of the F-35B Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing (STOVL) Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft, which weighs approximately 62,000 lbs...."

Source: https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity ... 4&_cview=0

Marine Aviation Plan 2015

"Max gross weight: F-35B = 61,500 lbs..."

Source: https://marinecorpsconceptsandprograms. ... 20Plan.pdf (16Mb)

From AEROSPACETESTINGINTERNATIONAL.COM APRIL 2015 attached 2 page PDF about the Ski Jump at NAS Patuxent River. No details about 'current ongoing testing' just historical stuff - already mentioned in a few places on this forum - but amalgamated in the PDF.

LETTERS: Ski-jump Harrier: something...
25 Dec 1976 LT CDR D.R. TAYLOR (Ski Jump Inventor) FLIGHT International

“Sir — "Ski-jump Harrier" (Flight, December 4) mentions a "something for nothing flavour." Misgivings on this score are understandable — I suffered them myself at one stage. As John Fozard has indicated. I began with the realisation that a semi-ballistic trajectory would reduce the launch speeds required. This was in 1969, and at that time I felt that various forms of catapult could provide the initial momentum.

Catapults had to be dropped for a variety of reasons, and it was while I was looking at inclined ramps that I began to worry about "something for nothing." A remark by my wife that one of my sketches looked like a ski-jump provided the analogy which reassured me that l had a simple alternative to the catapult.

But it is one thing to invent some thing and quite another to convince others of its value. I was working alone in my spare time, with no access to Harrier data, and so it was not until 1972-73 at Southampton University and with HSA assistance that I was able to make the concept respectable. It is therefore most gratifying – and rather surprising – that my first rudimentary calculations gave results close to the current predictions.

Why isn't it something for nothing? Because the take-off run to the transition point is longer for a Ski-jump launch than for a conventional short take-off launch. But with Ski-jump the runway is in the sky, of course.”

Source: FLIGHT International 25 Dec 1976

Lightning II ground
no date Sylvia Pierson is the F-35 Lightning II Patuxent River Integrated Test Force (ITF) public affairs officer

"...Runway trials
As team members returned to the ITF from their highly successful detachment aboard the Nimitz, they began to finalize preparations for wet runway and crosswind testing at Edwards Air Force Base and Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in March 2015; and ski jump testing at Pax River in May 2015.... [I guess this is the B and not the C variant]

Source: http://www.aerospacetestinginternationa ... cleID=1189

Just a detail about the max. load expected on the Ski Jump gives an indication of the MAX. STO Mode for the F-35B which is also confirmed in the Marine Aviation Plan 2015.

17 -- Ski Jump Ramp
08 Jul 2005 Solicitation Number: N00421-05-R-0119 Agency: Department of the Navy; Office: Naval Air Systems Command; Location: Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Pax River

"The Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) intends to award a sole source contract to Williams Fairey Engineering Limited (WFEL), P. O. Box 41 Crossley Road Heaton Chapel, Stockport Cheshire SK4 5BD England. This sole source award will be made to design, fabricate, deliver, and provide analysis and set-up documentation for a Ski Jump Ramp in support of flight test operations of the F-35B Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing (STOVL) Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft, which weighs approximately 62,000 lbs...."

Source: https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity ... 4&_cview=0

Marine Aviation Plan 2015

"Max gross weight: F-35B = 61,500 lbs..."

Source: https://marinecorpsconceptsandprograms. ... 20Plan.pdf (16Mb)

So, does that mean a F-35B could take off from a Ski Jump at Max Gross Weight???

Why not? However it would be nice to know the other circumstances - as such we know that on CVF the F-35B will take 850 feet but I'm not certain about WOD/Temps - not in my memory anyway. The runup to the Pax River Ski Jump is AM-2 matting (on grass? or asphalt/concrete? SEE FIRST POST ABOVE) which replicates CVF deck length. Another thread shows this from a googie erf overhead shot perspective.

GO HERE for PaxRiver SkiJump overhead: viewtopic.php?f=22&t=14082&p=266110&hilit=Patuxent+jump#p266110

Immediately below is the CVF info on the same "F-35B/C and the Ski-Jump?" thread c.2014

Didn't the testing start in Feb?

Depends when you want to start quoting 'when the ski jump testing was supposed to start'. I'll guess we will hear/read about it all one day. IF tests only started recently then probably they are not finished.

Depends when you want to start quoting 'when the ski jump testing was supposed to start'. I'll guess we will hear/read about it all one day. IF tests only started recently then probably they are not finished.

I was referring to this - http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/ ... AK20150224

Would love some pictures

Didn't the testing start in Feb?

I'm thinkin' the Brits are supportin' the Marines to get to IOC in July and that might slide the Ski Jump a bit to the right on schedules. After the recent trip to the boat, a Marine General stated that no debilitating gripes were generated and now weapons certifications were the next goals. I remember posting a B dropping the dual mode Paveway IV precision-guided bombs, recently.

First photo?

THANKS MUCH 'Dragon029' - at last - what a sight!

And for 'bring_it_on' references to 'ski jump testing at Pax' were in the news from ..... (have to find it) but I'll guess got derailed by 'UK MoD in a Muddle Bidness' at the time.

First photo?

...so no news was "Good News"...

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