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Amid a Year of Challenges, F-35C Sea Trials Progressing Well 14 Nov 2014 Valerie Insinna
"...Another positive finding was the performance of the F-35C’s new tail hook. During the original hook’s initial tests at Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst in New Jersey, service officials found the hook did not engage with the cable, said Thomas Briggs, head of the air vehicle engineering department at Patuxent River.
Lockheed Martin then redesigned the tail hook with the input of Atlantic Test Range personnel, he said.[?]
It passed structural demonstrations earlier this year at Patuxent River, but critics like Michael Gilmore, the Pentagon’s director of test and evaluation, cautioned that the increased weight and sharpness of the new equipment could cause damage to the flight deck.
However, the gear has been catching the wires on the carrier deck without gouging or otherwise damaging the surface, Wilson said...."
Amid a Year of Challenges, F-35C Sea Trials Progressing Well - Blog