No Hover
Yes I am aware that SRVL has been simulated, I am also aware that the landing of an F35C on a UK Carrier was simulated as a fait accompli, this was before it became apparent that there were problems with the hook catching a wire, since resolved. Something can be simulated with all the best inputs but it does not necessarily mean that the real aircraft will behave as the simulator suggests.
There was a discussion I think on here about the bring back weight for a Vertical Landing for an F35B and as I recall it did not allow much unused ordnance to return to the ship, implicitly this might mean having to drop say an unused Storm Shadow into the drink, yes when the interface has been done, also as far as I am aware the F35B is not cleared to use any external points at the moment so has at most been taking off and landing on USS Wasp with a full tank of fuel, 2 1,000 lb bombs and two AMRAAMs, not a particularly heavy load out.
As regards trials of SRVL, I think that you are confirming that as far as anyone is aware there have been no trials of this sort of landing on an area similar to that available on a QEC Carrier. My point was that as much of the flight control of the F35 is down to software, it would seem that, if I am correct, that the software for SRVL has yet to be tested on an actual development aircraft and implicitly therefore has not been released to the fleet.