Navy F-35C DT-III Testing

Navy F-35C Now Armed With Max Weapons Load
25 Aug 2016 Kris Osborn

"During recent developmental testing on the USS George Washington in the Atlantic Ocean, the F-35C took off with one GBU-31, two AIM-120s and four GBU-12s along with its 25mm gun mounted in a pod beneath the aircraft....

...The ongoing DT-III testing also, for the first time, is evaluating new high-tech adjustments to the aircraft’s Helmet Mounted Display, or HMD. The sensors in the pilot’s Generation 3 HMD have been improved with new firmware to better enable pilots to target enemies and perform missions at night, Kitts added.

“This gives us more fidelity in the lower range of brightness and a degree of low-light conditions. We are developing the ability to perform targeting operations at night when it is as dark as possible, such as when there is no moon,” Kitts said. “Previously when we got to the lowest setting in brightness, the display would turn off.” [I would too - it is scary ]

The assessment of the F-35C, designed to bring the aircraft into operational service by 2018, also included efforts to refine a precision-landing technology called Joint Precision Approach & Landing Systems, or JPALs.

“JPALS better allows navigational alignment prior to approach,” Kitts explained...."

Source: http://hrana.org/news/2016/08/navy-f-35 ... pons-load/

Fairly certain an F-35B can carry more than, "one GBU-31, two AIM-120s and four GBU-12s along with its 25mm gun mounted in a pod". Weight wise that could all hang from one inboard pylon with more to spare.

It is confusioning I must admit and thought to mitigate effects however this is the F-35C thread. There is an F-35B thread with similar - or same text (author OSBORN) likes the 'titles' of MAXIMUM for MAXIMUM EFFECT! or whatever.

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=52450&p=357383&hilit=Osborn#p357383

There will be a limit for flat deck LHA USMC F-35B maximum weight take offs under prevailing conditions - what they are is beyond my NOFORN / PUBLIC INFO security clearance. However we know from several quotes severally quoted on the forum that CVF with ski jump can 'MAX LOAD (described) F-35B can ski jump in 800 feet however the other conditions WOD/WX never described. So be it.

The F-35C can be catapulted with maximum weight under any conditions I imagine. This effect of the powerful USN catapults has been explained a few years back in this forum.

The F-35C can be catapulted with maximum weight under any conditions I imagine. This effect of the powerful USN catapults has been explained a few years back in this forum.

Yep. Even as far back as the RA-5C and A-3D they were hitting ~80,000lbs.

Now an oldie but a goldie & even CHAINS!

Better late than whatever - 6 page PDF about F-35C DT-III - only a short excerpt below.

Back to the Boat
December 2016 Aerospace Testing International

“...The work at Lakehurst earlier this year involved a detachment that undertook intensive trials of different external weapons configurations, including GBU-12s and AIM-9Xs on (outer under-wing) stations 1 and 11. After a briefing at 07.00, a take-off at 09.30 allowed for a mission lasting around five hours, in the course of which as many as eight to 10 arrestments could be made.

While embarked on the carrier, VX-23 completed all of its required DT-III test points during 41 flights logging 39.7 flight hours and featuring 121 catapult launches, 70 touch-and-go landings, one bolter and 121 arrested landings. Among standout test flights were validation of flying capabilities with a full load of inert internal and external stores, including up to four 500 lb GBU-12 laser-guided bombs and two AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles on the external hard-points. Meanwhile, different asymmetric loads were evaluated in handling tests. Maximum-weight launches were tested at minimum power and in a variety of wind and sea conditions.

The testing saw the F-35C carry out its heaviest catapult launch to date, with a 5,000 lb load [does not seem heavy - perhaps 'external load'?] that included a single 1,000 lb GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), four 500 lb GBU-12 LGBs, two AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles and a 25mm gun pod. No less important were more minor tests, including evaluation of adjustments made to control laws as a result of the previous two developmental test phases.

The ultimate proof of DT-III will be found in the aircraft launch and recovery bulletins (ALB/ARB). These will provide the guidelines within which the F-35C will be operated once in front-line service. Essentially, they provide a manual for launch and recovery parameters in all permitted aircraft weights and configurations....

...Maximum crosswind speed (15kts) for F-35C launch as tested during DT-III (maximum crosswind for recovery was 10kts)...”

Source: Aerospace Testing International Magazine December 2016

At btm of previous page of this thread is interest in placement of IFLOLS on CVNs. viewtopic.php?f=57&t=52238&p=355117&hilit=unknowns#p355117

I'll attempt to get a better graphic however the one below is a screenshot from a TAILHOOK 17 video briefing about FORD. The figures are difficult to decipher whilst my quick squizz says the IFLOLS has been moved (the figures highlighted in graphic) while other parameters are the same from recent NIMITZ 3 wire class to FORD 3 wire class. Click on graphic to enable ZOOM feature. ALSO the graphic is NOT TO SCALE. Go here for the viddy:

https://livestream.com/wab/tailhook2017 ... /162551304

What I'm getting from this graphic is that the Ford doesn't have a "3A" wire. That little guy stopped me on a couple nights on where I was sure I was going around on my Bush cruise. Oh well. Looking forward to being a guinnea pig on her in the near future. EMALS....hope they got that one right.

You'll get a lot of info about EMALS from the video that it is good to go. Testing of EMALS & AAG has been more extensive than any previous arrest/cat systems. CO was impressed by how EMALS overcomes failures during deliberate failure tests.

There are only three arrest engines on FORD (four on the 3/3A wire NIMITZ variants). I'd have to watch video again but about halfway I think the CO explains I think that one engine was removed for extended testing at Lakehurst and I think he says that engine will be added at some later time - perhaps with a 3A sheave as is the case with 3A systems - just WAG.

The graphic here shows the 3A setup for FORD: http://thefordclass.com/build/design.html

Then there is the AAG cutaway diagram: https://i1.wp.com/news.usni.org/wp-cont ... 03/aag.jpg

First FORD arrest rusty deck photo: http://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/ ... t_edit.jpg

VERY OLD 2002 info about what AAG might be here - includes four engines etc. (however remember CO in VIDEO above).

"...The AAG system consists of four units, where a unit is defined as a single recovery wire and associated equipment. It is envisioned that the AAG deck configuration will utilize a “3 + 1” recovery wire configuration, where a maximum of three recovery wires are rigged on three of the units at any given time. The remaining unit may be utilized as a spare, enabling a recovery wire to be rigged in the event one of the other units becomes unavailable...." viewtopic.php?f=22&t=23118&p=247567&hilit=AAG%2A#p247567 & viewtopic.php?f=22&t=16571&p=210670&hilit=AAG%2A#p210670

You can drag video slider to MINUTE 20 to see 'Brick' Wilson tell tall tales & true of the legendary F-35C at HOOK17:

https://livestream.com/wab/tailhook2017 ... /162471073 [F-35C bombed up in JPG is going faster than Mach 1]

From MINUTE 31:20sec there is a clip showing what the F-35C pilot sees through the HMDS (now with 'optical tracking' whatever that means) and other stuff.

Overall the F-35C test pilot segment of the video is 18 minutes long from minute 20 into the video itself - slide slider to it.

That 32:20 stuff was all CGI.

Tailhook Items of note:
-- 21:50 - 6 x 2k JDAMS + (int) AMRAAMS + 9x going mach 1+
-- 23:44 - some of the items changed to mitigate cat oscillation
-- 25:30 - HMDS improvements to include an new "optical tracker" to get added to the inertial and magnetic trackers. A new OLED HMDS display is in the works to "eliminate" 'green glow'.
-- 30:00 - F-35Cs participating in LFE (TopGun, Northern Edge, Red Flag ["releasable" 24:1 kill ratio "We Killed Everything" @ 3i])
-- 27:30 - Some kind of issue on the B/C with IFR, no details given.

That 32:20 stuff was all CGI.

Fair enuf - I needed to look agin but did not get around to it.

You can drag video slider to MINUTE 20 to see 'Brick' Wilson tell tall tales & true of the legendary F-35C at HOOK17:

https://livestream.com/wab/tailhook2017 ... /162471073 [F-35C bombed up in JPG is going faster than Mach 1]

From MINUTE 31:20sec there is a clip showing what the F-35C pilot sees through the HMDS (now with 'optical tracking' whatever that means) and other stuff.

Overall the F-35C test pilot segment of the video is 18 minutes long from minute 20 into the video itself - slide slider to it.

First of all thanks very much for the video/livestream link that you shared!

Yes, it's really impressive that the F-35C while carrying 4 x GBU-32 (externally), 2 x AIM-9X (also external) plus internal weapons load still can be supersonic (surpass Mach 1)!
And the F-35 critics still say that the F-35 is "slow", go figure...

Also impressive is the information at minute 30:29 --> It seems that the kill ratio in Red Flag was actually to 24:1 (in favour of the F-35, of course)

Tailhook Items of note:
-- 21:50 - 6 x 2k JDAMS + (int) AMRAAMS + 9x going mach 1+
-- 23:44 - some of the items changed to mitigate cat oscillation
-- 25:30 - HMDS improvements to include an new "optical tracker" to get added to the inertial and magnetic trackers. A new OLED HMDS display is in the works to "eliminate" 'green glow'.
-- 30:00 - F-35Cs participating in LFE (TopGun, Northern Edge, Red Flag ["releasable" 24:1 kill ratio "We Killed Everything" @ 3i])
-- 27:30 - Some kind of issue on the B/C with IFR, no details given.

Ooops, you beat my post

But note that the external JDAMs on that F-35C were GBU-32's and therefore 1K bombs and not GBU-31/2K.