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[Marcantilan]

Nice post above. But posted after that only for chance. I will only answer about the thread. The other troll like commentaries does not deserve an answer.

According to Commodore Cano (he was CO of C-130 Herk Sqn) in "Recuerdos Transporteros", he saw the gun cammera footage of the SHAR in Uruguay. I have another book in the shelf (but I am not close to it right now) about Hercules in the war and it says that a ex military pilot, then civvie, saw the gun cammera in a convention in the Miami airport.

I don´t think no one in Argentina argued about the legitimacy of the kill. I only heard complaints about it was an overkill, because the A/C was (allegedly) already doomed and on fire, trying to ditch at the time of the cannon engagement.

I must end saying that like 8 o 10 years ago I attended a conference by Commodore Pablo Carballo (CO of 5th Fighter Group in wartime) and he said that C130 TIZA was fair game, but regretted the overkill of an aircraft in fire. The widow of a crewmember was there also.

[Navaleye]

I'm sorry to tell you that is nonsense. I was in the Navy at the time and all footage such as you describe is classified. Even we did not get to see it. We only got to see a few unclassified stills after the event.

[SpazSinbad]

C-130 Info about Ditching Varies

Bitchin' about [not] Ditchin' the Herk seems problematic at best - on fire?

C-130 Broad Area Review January 1998)

"3.3 Ditching/Bailout
3.3.1 A review of ditching/bailout information and procedures in various flight manuals reveals a significant variation in implied survivability of a ditching maneuver. Flight Manuals managed by AMC and Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) have significantly different guidance.

Specifically, T.O. 1C-130H-1 managed by AMC states:
"…ditching of transport-type airplanes can usually be accomplished with a high degree of success." Pg. 3-71 under "ditching."

3.3.2 However T.O.-1C-130(A)U-1, managed by AFSOC, states
"…ditching of the AC-130U can be accomplished with a low probability of aft crew member survivability. The flight deck may be survivable, but ditching should be considered an absolute last resort for any crewmember." Pg. 3-90 under "ditching."

3.3.3 Another apparent contradiction appears in T.O. 1C-130H-1 pg. 3-71 under "ditching characteristics"
"…Reasonably high probability that the airplane can be landed on water without major collapse of structure or a sudden rush of water into occupied compartments."

3.3.4 Compare this citation to the following language found in T.O. 1C-130(A)U-1 pg. 3-90 under "ditching characteristics"
"…reasonably high probability the aircraft structure will collapse followed by a sudden rush of water into occupied compartments."

3.3.5 These two flight manuals addressing the same subject portray vastly different projections of success for a ditching attempt. Of similar concern the diagram on page 3-76 of T.O. 1C-130(H)H-1 titled "Emergency Exits-Water" depicts a fully intact C-130 floating in the water. None of the aircraft in the three most recent C-130 ditchings survived intact. The referenced diagram gives support to the idea of a survivable ditching...."

C-130 Broad Area Review

Find Herculean ditchings here: List of C-130 Hercules crashes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1982 Flight Globular story here: 1982 | 2566 | Flight Archive

HerkyBird NATOPS: http://info.publicintelligence.net/USNavy-C130T.pdf (20.5Mb)

Physical page numbers 780-88 for Emergency Ditching Procedures

[500N]

Navaleye

PM sent.

[Marcantilan]

@Navaleye: I don´t know, and you have a point . Just quoting some sources.
Of course, I never saw it.

From AAF perspective, the final engagement was like this:

[SpazSinbad]

'Magic Carpet' for Carrier Landings says SINBAD

As my internet connection went to dialup speed I saw only the intro to this video with a glimpse of the 'carrier landing' section. 'PhilipG' on page 6 of this thread was worried about carrier landings etc.... so if for no one else this info is relevant.

VIDEO Airwaves: 9 July 2013

"On this edition of Airwaves, weather watchers keep their eyes to the sky to ensure aircrew safety during tests; plus, a "magic carpet" makes carrier landings safer for pilots; and the Navy's newest unmanned air vehicle flies high above Palmdale, Calif., during its first flight.
&
(Transcript) "A new landing system aims at making carrier landings safer.
Engineers at manned flight simulator are testing magic carpet – a landing system designed to reduce the workload of pilots and improve carrier touch-down performance. By using manned flight simulator, engineers can test the system under normal and adverse conditions, giving them a better idea of how the system will respond at sea. The goal is to reduce landing variability allowing pilots to focus more on the mission.

James Denham / Senior Engineer, Aeromechanics Division 4.3.2
“Airplanes today have very good computer systems, redundant and reliable flight control computers. We are capitalizing on those systems and then providing augmentation in the flight path access for the airplanes. So we are taking a lot of the tasks that the pilot has to do manually and letting the computer take care of those tasks and give him direct control of what he is trying to do which is fly the flight path and line up the touchdown.” In addition to increasing safety, the system is expected to save on training costs for carrier landing signal officers. Engineers are currently testing the system for use on the Hornet and F-35C."

NAVAIR - www.navair.navy.mil
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Now on Utuby:

You Tube

[PhilipG]

Dear Spaz,

Thank you for bringing this to the Forum's attention, the point that I was trying to make back as you point out on page 6 was that it in my view is difficult to design software to achieve something that has not really been tried in real life.

As you quoted SRVL trials are going to commence in 2018, I am not sure what software release the trials plane(s) will have, implicitly the software base for the proper IOC planes will have to be the next release, so that the lessons of the trials can be incorporated into the mainstream F35B software suite, I forget what the software update cycle is, no doubt you have it at your fingertips. I did always understand that all the software on the planes had to be written by LM, so a UK built SRVL patch is in my understanding an impossibility.

As far as I know, I of course stand to be corrected, the UK is the only customer that is looking at the moment at implementing SRVL, a rather a different form of landing on a carrier than hopefully catching a wire when guided down under software control in an F35C. The basic dynamics of carrier landings are, except for hooks etc, well understood and documented, so lend themselves to semi automation, when the dynamics of the landing are not fully understood over the required envelope, automation of the process of SRVL could well create issues.

[Engines]

PhilipG,

I felt I could help out here a little.

The F-35B's hardware and software is designed and built to allow the aircraft to execute a wide range of manoeuvres in 'up and away' flight, pure powered lift and also in the 'transitional flight' regimes, both accelerating and decelerating. It's a basic part of the challenge of building a powered lift aircraft, and one which the F-35 team, especially BAE Systems, understand well. They have been working these issues since 2003, and have made a lot of progress.

SRVLs are basically just another point in the F-35B flight envelope. The USMC already call for a short landing to a 1200 foot strip as well as pure VLs, and the B also has to be able to carry out normal landings without use of powered lift.

You are absolutely right that 'automation' of any flight manoeuvre could cause issues. However, doing an SRVL at around 40 kts speed relative to the deck is a whole lot less demanding than trying to catch a wire at 145 kts relative.

I suppose what I'm trying to convey is that an SRVL is an achievable and sensible thing for a powered lift aircraft to do to a flight deck - it's exploiting the platforms' ability to use both wing and jet lift as most suitable to land on in a small area at the weights desired. Really, it's no drama. Honestly.

Best Regards as ever

Engines

[PhilipG]

Thanks Engines, Philip

[SpazSinbad]

SRVL History

Some information for 'PhilipG' regarding long history of RN SRVL investigation and testing via VACC Harrier - plenty more where this came from....

Successful Trials

"The new Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) F35 Joint Strike Fighter is another step closer following successful trials of the aircraft’s advanced flight control software which will enable pilots to land onboard ship in all weathers, day and night with ‘centimetric accuracy’.

The trials, carried out onboard HMS Illustrious using a veteran two seat Harrier airframe, the Vectored-thrust Aircraft Advanced Flight Control (VAAC) Harrier, put the new system to the test. The Harrier has been heavily modified with a conventional control arrangement in the front cockpit and the rear being connected instead into an experimental flyby-wire system using left and right hand interceptors[sic] [inceptors?] to manoeuvre the aircraft and simulate the way the new Joint Strike Fighter will fly and respond to different inputs. 66 running landings and recoveries were achieved in varying sea states up to and including sea state 6, with outstanding results. (Late Low Waveoffs for all approaches)

The test aircraft, XW175 is the oldest flying two seat Harrier in the world. Commander Kieron O’Brien, the Air Engineering Officer, HMS Illustrious said “The VAAC Harrier provided an ideal facility to trial the Shipborne Rolling Vertical Landing (SRVL) techniques that will be utilised by the Joint Strike Fighter in the new carriers. It worked brilliantly. XW175 represents an incredible link between the past and the future of the Fleet Air Arm.”

http://www.fleetairarmoa.org/Content...0_ISSUE_30.PDF
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Extra long screed about SRVLs and the like in this very informative (but old) article. No need to register continue to scroll down the page here to read it all:

Preparing for take-off: UK ramps up F-35 carrier integration effort [EDITED] 11-Dec-2008 International Defence Review

“A range of simulation, modelling, risk-reduction and technology-demonstration activities are under way to optimise the safety and operability of the ship/air interface between the UK's new aircraft carriers and the F-35B Joint Strike Fighters that will operate from them. Richard Scott reports....

...SRVL manoeuvre
As currently conceptualised, an aircraft executing an SRVL approach will follow a constant glidepath (five to six degrees) to the deck. This angle is about twice that of a normal CV approach, offering increased clearance over the stern and less touchdown scatter. The touchdown position on the axial flight deck is about 150 ft from the stern, similar to that of a conventional carrier. No arrestor gear is required. Instead, the aircraft brakes are used to bring the aircraft to a stop. Low-key studies to investigate the SRVL technique were initiated by the MoD in the late 1990s, but the work has latterly taken on a much higher profile after the MoD’s Investments Approvals Board (IAB) in July 2006 directed that SRVL should be included in future development of the JCA design to mitigate the risk to KUR 4. Accordingly, the JCA IPT amended the CVF integration contract in mid-2008 to include this requirement. Addressing IPLC 2008, Martin Rosa, F-35 technical coordinator in Dstl’s air and weapon systems department, said the SRVL studies to date had shown “a way forward exists to achieving operationally useful increases in bring-back, compared to a vertical landing, on board CVF with an appropriate level of safety”.

Dstl began early work to examine the feasibility of employing the SRVL manoeuvre in 1999. According to Rosa, an initial pre-feasibility investigation demonstrated the potential payoff of the manoeuvre in terms of increased bring back, but also threw up four key areas demanding further examination: performance (as affected by variables such as deck run, wind over deck, aerodynamic lift and thrust margin); carrier design; operational issues (such as sortie generation rate); and safety.

Further feasibility investigations were conducted in 2000-01 using generic aircraft and ship models. Dstl also ran a two-day safety workshop in late 2001. This showed that there were no “showstoppers, and no SRVL-specific safety critical systems were identified”, said Rosa. “Also, the ability to ditch weapons and carry out a vertical landing instead of an SRVL in the event of a failure was seen as a powerful safety mitigation.”

During 2002, more representative F-35B information became available which altered assumptions with respect to aircraft ‘bring back’ angle of attack (from 16 degrees to about 12 degrees, so reducing the lift co-efficient); wing area (revised downwards from 500 ft2 to 460 ft2, reducing lift available on approach at a given speed by 8 per cent); and jet effects in the SRVL speed range (which were significantly greater than those in the hover).

Aggregated, these revised assumptions significantly reduced predicted bring back performance. Even so, the improvement offered by an SRVL recovery was still substantial and MoD interest continued. In the 2003-04 timeframe, Lockheed Martin became formally engaged in the investigation of SRVL recovery, with the JPO contracting with Team F-35 for a study into methods for Enhanced Vertical Landing Bring Back. Once again, safety and performance characteristics were considered broadly encouraging. “However,” pointed out Rosa, “at this stage work on the adaptable CVF design was progressing rapidly.... Consequently the obvious next step was to consider the detailed impacts that SRVL might have on the CVF design.”..."

Military Nuts -> The F-35 JSF/Lightning II thread
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‘carrier waves” Issue 1 - January 2009 ‘Creating a unique & diverse ship-air interface’

"...It is in aircraft recovery that perhaps the greatest challenge exists and here too the team has been busy. Shipborne Rolling Vertical Landings (SRVL) is a new manoeuvre, introduced to increase the bring back capability of the aircraft, which requires a radical change in the interface between the aircraft and the ship. Aviation Director John Ward said: “Modifications to the visual landing aids, a stabilised glide path array and aircraft closure rate sensors coupled with glide path cameras are all being examined through studies, simulations and trials. Next year will see the formal introduction of these changes.” The diversity in the ship-air interface is not limited to the challenges associated with the JCA...."

http://www.aircraftcarrieralliance.c...s-jan-2009.pdf
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Good explaino about SRVLo here: Jane's Defence Weekly | Mar-04-09 | Inside | Zinio Digital Magazines

Diagram from thence above....
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Lockheed gets funds for UK F-35 landing modification 08/10/2010 by Craig Hoyle

"....The US Marine Corps has also shown interest in potentially using the SRVL technique with its own F-35B fleet...."

Lockheed gets funds for UK F-35 landing modification
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US Marines eye UK JSF shipborne technique DATE:15/06/07 Flight International

“A shipborne rolling vertical landing (SRVL) technique being developed by the UK for the Lockheed Martin F-35B is being eyed by the US Marine Corps as a way to facilitate operation of short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) Joint Strike Fighters from US Navy aircraft carriers.

The F-35B is scheduled to replace USMC Boeing F/A-18s and concerns have arisen that integration of the STOVL JSF with conventional US Navy fighters will disrupt carrier landing operations....

...For the USMC, the technique would allow a conventional approach to a short landing on the carrier and could ease integration of the F-35B with US Navy F/A-18E/Fs.

“We strongly support what the UK is doing on rolling landings,” says Lt Gen John Castellaw, USMC deputy commandant for aviation. Studies on how the F-35B will be operated continue, but SRVL “appears to be a viable option”, he says...."

US Marines eye UK JSF shipborne technique
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UK to extend rolling carrier landing research for JSF 21 Aug 2008 Flight International

"...Qinetiq used its VAAC Harrier testbed to perform representative land-based flight trials and a ship-based SRVL demonstration aboard the French navy's aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle last year.

Rosa said past work has also identified a promising visual landing aids (VLA) concept optimised for SRVL & stabilised against deck motion. "We will continue to mature the SRVL-optimised VLA arrangements, look at the possible 'tuning' of the JSF flight-control laws, and further study the effect of SRVL on the CVF sortie generation rate," he said. The capability's full scope will be confirmed after flight trials from the 65,000t vessels, which are due to enter service in 2014 and 2016, respectively.

Other forthcoming work includes optimisation of the approach profile, agreement on the optimal post-touchdown technique, and mitigation for failure cases, such as a burst tyre on touchdown.”

UK to extend rolling carrier landing research for JSF
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Cleared to Land! 'desider' Jan 2013

"...“...One objective of the [BAE computer simulator] trials has been to come up with a set of requirements that define which tools and techniques are required by the Landing Signals Officers in the Flyco, helping in the safe recovery of the approaching aircraft.”...”

https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...2013_Jan-U.pdf
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JSF To Develop Landing Technique For U.K. carriers 15 Oct 2010 Graham Warwick

"...The [Bedford Array] lights illuminate based on ship motion to provide a stabilized aimpoint for the pilot. This array is used in conjunction with a special velocity-vector symbol and glideslope scale on the pilot's helmet-mounted display.

Aligning the helmet symbology with the aimpoint provided by the lights on the deck allows the pilot to clear the ship's aft ramp and touch down at the planned point with the specified descent rate, Cook says...."

http://web02.aviationweek.com/aw/mst....K.%20Carriers
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U.K. Looks Ahead To F-35 Carrier Ops 29 Apr 2013 Tony Osborne : Aviation Week & Space Technology

"...Simulator experiments have proven the validity of the deck parking layout for the aircraft. Because the U.K. ship in the simulator does not have an angled deck, landings are conducted down the length, but F-35s that are not flying can be parked on both sides of the deck. Initial experiments showed that at certain angles of parking on the port side, pilots on approach would adjust and push the aircraft to the right and closer to the ship’s islands. However, by parking aircraft at a more acute angle to the stern of the ship, pilots were more comfortable touching down on the centerline.

The ships will also make use of a Bedford Array, which is a lighting system that includes a series of flashing units down the centerline of the ship at the landing point that are stabilized for the vessel’s heave and pitch. On the pilot’s head-up display is a new ship-reference velocity vector. By maneuvering the aircraft and the vector onto the Bedford Array, the pilot can comfortably make a 6-deg. glideslope landing using the Shipborne Rolling Vertical Landing (SRVL) method....

...Wilson said the SRVL work was also influencing how the Marine Corps may also use their F-35Bs on larger vessels such as the U.S. Navy’s big-deck nuclear carriers. Several Navy carrier air wings feature Marine squadrons, and the Marines are examining if it might be possible to use SRVL on the larger vessels without issues with systems such as the
arrestor wires.

“The B model offers huge flexibility,” said Wilson. “The U.S. Navy has 10 large-deck carriers capable of delivering first-day strike, with the F-35B operating from LHDs [landing helicopter dockships], you have then got 20 carriers capable of doing that, and that’s a very different concept.”

Wilson says the choice of the F-35B for the U.K. is significant mainly because the training burden is substantially reduced, particularly compared with the AV-8B Harrier but also for conventional carrier operations. During the DT-1 deck trials on the USS Wasp in October 2011, one of the test pilots, who had previously flown F/A-18s was cleared to land on the Wasp after conducting 18 vertical landings on ground....”

U.K. Looks Ahead To F-35 Carrier Ops
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QinetiQ solution for F-35B ‘rolling landings’ QinetiQ : 27 January, 2009

DefenseFile: QinetiQ solution for F-35B ?rolling landings?
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Trials Ahead for Navy Carrier Landing Software by Armed Forces International's Defence Correspondent 21/10/2011

"New software designed to assist US Navy pilots landing combat jets on aircraft carriers will be tested in 2012, the Office of Naval Research said in a 20 October press release. The flying skills demonstrated by naval aviators are often applauded - given that theirs is a role that demands extreme accuracy and concentration. Bringing high performance combat aircraft like the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet into a comparatively small space, on a moving platform, is a tricky business. It requires constant speed and flight control surface adjustments to ensure the correct trajectory's being followed.

Navy Carrier Landing Software
The new naval carrier landing software aims to simplify this process, bringing an unprecedented degree of precision to the maritime arena. "The precision that we can bring to carrier landings in the future will be substantial", the deputy chief of naval research for naval air warfare and weapons, Michael Deitchman, explained in the release, adding: "The flight control algorithm has the potential to alter the next 50 years of how pilots land on carrier decks."

The algorithm is designed to work in tandem with a so-called Bedford Array lighting system positioned on the aircraft carrier and a series of symbols presented in the pilot's HUD (Heads-Up Display). It connects the control stick straight to the aircraft's trajectory with the result that, rather than have to make minute shifts, the pilot directs the aircraft so it beams a fragmented green line in the HUD.

"You're tracking a shipboard stabilized visual target with a flight path reference, and the airplane knows what it needs to do to stay there", Naval Air Systems Command representative James Denham stated, in explanation...."

Advanced Navy Carrier Landing Software Trials: Armed Forces Int. News
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And as noted elsewhere recently the VACC Harrier has carried out automatic vertical recoveries and here is another repeat tidbit for good measure:

Just Push ‘Auto-Land’ April 2011 John A. Tirpak

“A Lockheed Martin F-35B short takeoff & vertical landing test aircraft last week achieved an impressive milestone, according to Warren Boley, Pratt & Whitney military engines president. “For the first time,” Boley said in an interview, “a pilot pushed a button & the [air]plane landed autonomously.”

Boley joked that the pilot could fold his hands behind his head or ‘read the paper’ while the air-plane safely settled down to a vertical landing from hover. The flight was the 74th vertical landing of the F-35 test program, & the fact that the Marine Corps was willing to allow the test indicated high confidence in the airplane & its Pratt-supplied F135 engine, Boley told the Daily Report April 8.”

http://www.airforce-magazine.com/DRA...Auto-Land.aspx

[SpazSinbad]

Bedford Array Approach via SSVV Ship Stab V Vector

Here is a USN test pilot from VX-23 at Pax River describing how the BEDFORD ARRAY may be used on CVNs in future (which method applies to SRVL to CVF approaches).... [References to Fig.1 & 2 are to the combined graphic as shown attached.]

Paddles Monthly August 2011 ‘What the Future Beholds...’ Dan "Butters" Radocaj Test Pilot/LSO VX-23 Ship Suitability

"...-“...We may also need to add another lens-type glideslope indicator. One idea is called a Bedford Array. You can see in Figure 1 that a Bedford Array is like a lens spread of over the length of the LA. Unlike an IFLOLS which has 12 cells that are always on to create a glideslope reference, the Bedford Array is a set of Christmas lights and only the light corresponding to current position of the touchdown point is illuminated. Just as the dynamic touchdown point moves across the deck on the LSODS screen, the Bedford Array lights would “move” forward and back across the deck corresponding to the dynamic touchdown point. Figure 2 shows what your HUD may look like. You keep the ship stabilized velocity vector on top of the Bedford light that is illuminated. The datum is a reference line in your HUD. As long as the 3 all line up you are on glide path. A Bedford Array & a ship stabilized velocity are indicators of glide-slope that will show you if you are off glide-slope more precisely but they still don’t make the airplane respond differently....”

http://www.hrana.org/documents/Paddl...August2011.pdf
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Pilot Approach View from the LSO PDF above:

[WhiteOvies]

Phillip,

One of the advantages of going back to the B is that the UK requirements, including SRVL, were built in from practically day 1. As Spaz has highlighted a lot of the work to develop the flight control software was done early on at Boscombe, including SRVL trials on Charles de Gaul.

When we switched to C a major challenge was to shoe horn the UK specific testing into the already tight timelines. As it was, UK involvement with the F-35C EMALS launch was important at the time, but became irrelevant when we went back to B.

Back to the thread, I'd be intrigued if Sharkey's views would change if he visited Pax River and actually saw the B and C being tested side by side. With some up to date knowledge he might be better placed to comment.

As far as the C-130 kill? Gentlemanly combat in air to air went out of fashion in about 1915....

[WE Branch Fanatic]

SpazSinbad/PhillipG

Is the lack of a STOVL aircraft in UK service causing problems in developing future landing aids, in addition to causing problems with training both pilots and others? I am assuming that the RVL approach speed is below the stall speed of non STOVL aircraft.

How do you trial aircraft landing aids without aircraft? Sharkey Ward's book, and his internet writings, have flagged up the whole ship aspects, as have the following Gentlemen of PPRuNe: Bismark (here and here), Not_a_bofin (here), Whiteovies (here), and orca (here).

The risks of Pilots not being able to land is small, particularly since many will have done exchanges and landed Hornets/Super Hornets (at a much higher speed) aboard a CVN. Regardless of possible delays, F-35B will do the business, but what about everyone else if they have not practised? That risk is harder to quantify, but is probably more significant.

Is sending a handful of aircraft handlers (as discussed here) Stateside really enough to prepare?

At least Sharkey Ward considers the whole ship aspects in his writings.

[SpazSinbad]

'WE Branch Fanatic' asked: 'Is the lack of a STOVL aircraft in UK service causing problems in developing future landing aids, in addition to causing problems with training both pilots and others? I am assuming that the RVL approach speed is below the stall speed of non STOVL aircraft.

How do you trial aircraft landing aids without aircraft?..."

I do not have sources inside the UK Armed Forces nor any other force these days so I rely on public information only. It seems to me that these days computer simulations are excellent for all the development described, despite the 'thoughts' of some. Here is an example albeit for the X-47B (I believe I have given ample examples of how the VACC Harrier simulated the F-35B before it existed and how computer sims in UK / USA are in wide use for various purposes for not only the F-35B).

However as always the real deal needs to be tested and so it was thus...

X-47B UAS completes first arrested landing aboard aircraft carrier Brandon Lewis July 11, 2013

"...The UAS [X-47B] flight is completely autonomous, relying solely on computer programs such as GPS navigation, advanced flight control software, and a high-integrity network connection for flight guidance.

"It has taken several years of software development, thousands of simulated landings in high-fidelity labs, and many hours of flight test in the Patuxent River landing pattern to prove this aircraft is up for the challenge," says Captain Jaime Engdahl, Program Manager, Navy Unmanned Combat Air Systems."

X-47B UAS completes first arrested landing aboard aircraft carrier - Military Embedded Systems

[just another jocky]

Originally Posted by WEBF

At least Sharkey Ward considers the whole ship aspects in his writings.

Indeed, but considering all the lies, errors of fact and downright misrepresentation contained in his blogs, how are we to know that these writings don't contain the same?

Unfortunately, his writings are tainted and therefore unreliable.

[SpazSinbad]

And that is really sad. I hope Sharkey gets some good/better/best advice from now on. It is way too easy to see the inaccuracies in his blogs via a simple internet search. It seems he is not capable to do his own fact checking. A verbal stoush with blustering 'facts' is a good AWI tactic back in the old days; but not in this age of the interbabble.

[SpazSinbad]

Attention to delayed graphics for SRVL G/S - Pilot View

Graphics long delayed inserted in context appropriately above:

[WE Branch Fanatic]

Originally Posted by just another jockey

Indeed, but considering all the lies, errors of fact and downright misrepresentation contained in his blogs, how are we to know that these writings don't contain the same?

Unfortunately, his writings are tainted and therefore unreliable.

Unfortunately there is truth in that, which reduces the Signal/Noise to a level where his writing fail to communicate some very valid points. However, the anti carrier/anti RN lobby also tell lies, misrepresent things and get them wrong.

SpazSinbad

Interesting pictures. Thank you. Perhaps The Prime Minister is simply happy for the UK to lose our technological base and not to support companies such as Aeronautical and General Instruments - suppliers of a number of visual landing aids for naval aviation. There are other British companies involved with visual aids too, but how do you test them without (STOVL) aircraft?

[SpazSinbad]

The CVF deck landing aids equipment would be portable enough to take it to where the F-35Bs will be. Probaby PaxRiver (USN test facilities) or where the UK 3 F-35Bs will end up eventually at Edwards AFB for operational testing? My guess would be NAS Patuxent River - Ttere are dummy decks available along with a replica ski jump and all the F-35B test pilots in the world.

The USN (LSOs at least) are interested in the Bedford Array. Probably a good idea for the company to test it where the most potential users can see it in action?
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Third UK F-35B arrives at Eglin AFB 26 Jun 2013 Dave Majumdar

"...The three current UK aircraft are operating in a training capacity as part of the USMC's VMFAT-501 squadron at Eglin AFB. However, the aircraft will eventually move to Edwards AFB, California, to participate in the F-35's operational evaluations."

Third UK F-35B arrives at Eglin AFB

[ORAC]

I'm sorry, when you mentioned a "Magic Carpet" landing system my mind went immediately in another direction. Capt Eric "Winkle" Brown got the Boyd Trophy for this work.