F-35 Cancelled, then what ?

[Just This Once...]

I think he came across really well.

[Jacks Down]

Yes, but he didn't exactly strengthen the case for flying pay though did he?!

[Courtney Mil]

I guess the secret was bound to get out one day.

[SpazSinbad]

First Robotic Arrested Landing X-47B

Yep the secret is out....

NAVAIR: X-47B Completes First Shore-Based Arrested Landing

NAVAIR: X-47B Completes First Shore-Based Arrested Landing - YouTube

"Published on May 5, 2013
The X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator completes its first shore-based arrested landing at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. May 4."

[Courtney Mil]

I think the robot needs to be careful about using the brakes whilst being pulled back in something that short.

[PhilipG]

At least the Robot catches the wire as can be seen in the video, is there a video of the F35C catching the wire yet?

[SpazSinbad]

Same Old Same Old Same Old F-35C Arresting Videos

For 'PhilipG': Yeah it is always easy to fake:

F-35C Arrest SloMo Orig NOW 1-8slow Again HiDef - YouTube

You Tube

[Courtney Mil]

Oh dear. I hadn't realized that vid was a fake. Now I know.

[LowObservable]

That was the test series where the F-35C scored five out of eight, causing Gen. Bogdan to remark to the media: "And if anyone tries to tell you that's good, it's not."

The X-47B goes for first cat shot next week, and if it goes well they may try a landing out of Pax while the carrier is still out there and available.

[SpazSinbad]

I wonder why this thread even cares about the F-35C arrest situation but whatever. The tests earlier were carried out with an interim redesigned hook mouth (looking more like an A-4 hook rather than original Hornet design). The snubber to stop excessive bounce was not in place at that interim test time. The full deal redesign tests will be whenever. I could provide more info and links but it seems that is irrelevant on this F-35B thread.

[Rhino power]

Spaz, where does it say its an 'F-35B only' thread? I thought the thread title inferred all versions were up for discussion...

-RP

[kilomikedelta]

The title implied. Spaz inferred (I think incorrectly).

[JSFfan]

I don't know, given the the production of the f-35 with at worst another slip before IOC..it's probably time to change the title of the thread to "sad, silly old men"

[kilomikedelta]

JSFfan:


Perhaps you should reflect on the 'sad' and 'silly'.

[SpazSinbad]

F-35C New Hook Point Design ONLY Tested

I'll imagine that this news is relevant from about beginning of this year?

STRIKE TEST NEWS Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 Newsletter 2012 Issue

http://www.navair.navy.mil/nawcad/in...ownload&id=670 (PDF 2.1Mb)

"...MISSION SYSTEMS AIRCRAFT... [page 24]
...CF-3 returned to Patuxent River after completing final finishes in Fort Worth in early March [2012] and continues to perform F-35C mission systems testing, as well as ship suitability events. Initial catapult tests have been executed on standard steam systems as well as EMALS. A tailhook dynamics evaluation was conducted while performing cable roll-overs and roll-in arrestments at NAS Patuxent River and NAES Lakehurst. A new hook point design was validated at speeds up to 100 knots, trapping on each attempt....

With a new hook snubber (to prevent bounce) yet to be installed/tested etc. with flyin arrests (some done already with the interim hook as noted earlier).
____________________

Lt General Christopher C. Bogdan Program Executive Officer F-35 SASC Written Testimony 24 Apr 2013

http://www.armed-services.senate.gov...n_04-24-13.pdf (180Kb)

"....During land-based ship suitability testing in 2011, the F-35C tailhook did not catch the arresting wire at a rate considered to be acceptable. A Critical Design Review was completed in February 2013 on a redesigned arresting hook system and modeling and simulation involving the redesigned hook showed a marked improvement in performance. Ground test of this newly redesigned hook is scheduled at Lakehurst, NJ in the 4th Quarter of 2013, followed by aircraft carrier qualifications in 3rd Quarter of 2014. Although work remains to be done, I am confident this new hook will meet our needs...."

[SpazSinbad]

Test F-35B unflared slow landings in STOVL mode for SRVLs?

Probably relevant to youse F-35B SRVLs requirement?
STRIKE TEST NEWS Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 Newsletter 2012 Issue

http://www.navair.navy.mil/nawcad/in...ownload&id=670 (PDF 2.1Mb)

"...F-35B (STOVL) FLIGHT SCIENCES AIRCRAFT
For each variant, Flight Sciences aircraft specifically go after flight test data requirements that would not be available in a production configuration. Each aircraft has a unique set of instrumentation that has been incorporated throughout the airframe, making them truly one-of-a kind. They were the first to roll off the production line in Fort Worth, and each one is critical to the completion of the flight test program. The Flight Science jets do not have full sensor suites installed and do not run the block software that provides warfighting capabilities for the jet. Recent lines of testing are defined below for each aircraft. The BF-1 team completed loads testing of the new Auxiliary Air Inlet (AAI) door configuration in January 2012 with positive results. BF-1 has continued loads testing with unflared slow landings in STOVL mode...."

[SpazSinbad]

Intrepid Tiger II on USMC Hornets Integration Request

From post http://www.pprune.org/7818942-post2194.html about Intrepid Tiger II here is some more info...

STRIKE TEST NEWS Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 Newsletter 2012 Issue

http://www.navair.navy.mil/nawcad/in...ownload&id=670 (PDF 2.1Mb)

UPCOMING PROJECTS... (page 8)
"...The USMC has asked for integration of the Intrepid Tiger II (IT II) Pod on their F/A-18C/D aircraft. The IT II Pod is a tactical communications jammer used to provide offensive and defensive airborne electronic combat mission support. This system is designed to be operational on many military fixed-wing aircraft. VX-23 expects to conduct ground and flight test to clear the IT II Pod for carriage on stations 2 and 8 on the Hornet beginning in the fall of 2012."

[SpazSinbad]

APARTS Hook/Skip/Bolter Rate Comparison to F-35C for Beer Chat

Paddles monthly April 2013 APARTS Revival LCDR Stan “Pleber” Hanley

http://hrana.org/wp-content/uploads/...yApril2013.pdf (0.7Mb)

"...the data is being used to analyze the hook skip bolter rate for the fleet to compare with the future capability of the Joint Strike Fighter. It's something good to talk about over beer...."

[LowObservable]

That last post is interesting. If you follow the link, it looks like the Navy is trying to rebuild a lost database of carrier approaches (passes) to find out how often its aircraft bolter because the hook skips (hits deck and bounces over the wire).

Is the goal to say "Look, the F-35 is not perfect, but neither is anything else"?

[Lonewolf_50]

LO, I think someone decided to use some data to support research into identifying whether or not there is a problem, rather than guess at it. What that may lead to is a need to look at tail hook system design from a blank sheet of paper if something in the analysis crops up.

The comments made in the previous posts suggest that the tail hook has to be tailored to the aircraft, and by that I mean the entire system.