F-35 NEWS Sep 2016 Combat Aircraft Magazine
"...Testing continues to evaluate the F-35B’s ability to carry asymmetric external loads in flight. The tests are designed to ensure that the fighter can operate safely while carrying a 1,000lb (454kg) store under one wing but not the other. Testing has already been conducted in non-crosswind conditions and is now being carried out in stronger crosswinds that might be experienced at sea. The latest round of land-based weapons testing is the final hurdle that the Lightning II must clear before it embarks aboard the USS America (LHA 6) for at-sea developmental testing phase 3 (DT-3) in October 2016. DT-3 is the last of three at-sea testing periods that will ultimately allow the US Marine Corps’ F-35Bs to deploy aboard US Navy amphibious assault ships. The F-35B is currently limited to crosswinds of 15kt during vertical landings. DT-3 will evaluate the aircraft’s ability to operate safely in conditions up to sea state 6, which translates as equivalent to wave heights of 13-20ft (4-6m). The DT-3 tests will involve the use of two instrumented F-35Bs...."
Combat Aircraft Magazine September 2016 Volume 17 Number 9