PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - F-35 Cancelled, then what ?
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Old 31st Jul 2014, 09:58
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SpazSinbad
 
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Looks as though the USMC had this intent - whether they did or not as described? Dunno.

Marine Corps welcomes the decision to return F-35Bs to flight 15 Jul 2014
"...On a related note, the Marine Corps will soon conduct a transcontinental redeployment of four F-35Bs from Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland to their home base at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona. The six-hour cross-country mission will include aerial refueling similar to what is required while transiting an ocean. Once back at their home station, the pilots and squadron will continue training and progress toward initial operational capability next summer."
http://www.hqmc.marines.mil/News/Pre...to-flight.aspx
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A news report said (or maybe a VX-23 report? or NavAir?) said that Patuxent River runway for wet testing could not be organised - or made suitable - so the Bee went to a suitable runway already set up at Edwards that earlier tested the F-35A (AA-1 where it did emergency arrest testing) for wetness liking.
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Bee testing wet concrete began some time ago now:
"...5/15/2014 - EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- A Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant of the F-35 Lightning II is shown performing Crosswind and Wet Runway testing at Edwards AFB May 6. Pilot Dan Levin and a team from the F-35 Integrated Test Facility at Patuxent River, MD accompanied aircraft BF-4 for the deployment to Edwards April 11. Testing is expected to continue until June 14...."
http://www.edwards.af.mil/news/story...p?id=123411117
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"19 July 2011 First Wet Runway Landing
F-35A AF-2 became the first F-35 to land on a wet runway at Edwards AFB, California, with Lockheed Martin test pilot Jeff Knowles at the controls. The 0.9-hour mission was Flight 135 for AF-2."
http://www.codeonemagazine.com/article.html?item_id=83

Last edited by SpazSinbad; 31st Jul 2014 at 10:15. Reason: xtra xtra
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