Pictures of an F-35 taking off from QE appear on t'net. (UK Defence Journal) Apparently landed/took of on Tuesday

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....3ae02e073d.jpg

Why's he/she got the airbrake up?

Because it's not an airbrake; it's the lift fan cover.

Congratulations, everybody involved. :D

Indeed, it is certainly a feat for logistics, ops and crew to pull it all "together"...

2ITF F35B LIGHTNINGS ON HMS QE'S DECK
A picture Tweeted a short while ago showing the 2 ITF F35Bs now landed on HMS QE's deck on 25 Sep 18.
BF05 flown by Commander Nathan Gray RN FAA was the first to land on this historic occaision, with Squadron Leader Andy Edgal landing second in BF04.https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....15c690f6c3.jpg

Ahh, you mean like the lift engines on the Short SC1 in the Ulster Folk and Transport museum just up the road. The engines that were shut down in forward flight and added nothing other than lots of weight and were only used again at the end of the flight to land, like them lift engines?

A342

From another source:

FIRST F35B TAKE OFF FROM HMS QE - 25 SEP 18
RN FAA TEST PILOT IN HISTORIC 1ST F35B LANDING & TAKE OFF ON HMS QE
Commander Nathan Gray RN FAA is seen taking off the first F35B Lightning from HMS Queen Elizabeth on Tuesday 25 Sept 18 in a historic moment in the history of RN aircraft carriers.
This is the first supersonic STOVL aircraft operating on any RN carrier, the first supersonic aircraft landing and take-off for 40 years on an RN carrier and the first fast jet aircraft on an RN carrier since 2011. It’s also the first time an F35B Lightning has operated on a non USN ship.
25 Sep 18 therefore marks the date that the RN and the UK re-joins the 1st league of maritime air power projection and with the latest cutting edge capabilities. Last time that happened was 1969 when the first FAA F4 Phantom landed on HMS Eagle. A historic and most welcome return indeed”

ACW, perhaps I can offer the following thoughts.

Yes, the F-35B has a lift fan (a bit like a lift engine, yes), and yes, when it's shut down in forward flight it does add weight and yes, it's only used again at the end of the flight. Of course, the end of an F-35B flight is a bit different, because it requires zero airspeed to do a vertical landing and land on a ship, which is one of the key requirements that the UK signed up to. To do that, you need a powered lift system. It's what will allow the F-35B to operate from a range of warships including LHDs and other small carriers.

A powered lift system also allows landings (and take offs) using short strips, as the USMC required it to do. I suppose that might be useful one day. Actually, thinking about it, the F-35B's not exactly like the SC1, because the main engine also provides powered lift. That reduces the amount of 'dead' weight by quite a bit. And helps make the F-35B a very serious combat aircraft. Hope this helps explain things

Best Regards as ever to all those working so damned hard to give the UK a serious maritime aviation capability.

Engines

Some shots from the start of trials:https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....7006ab7dfa.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....429aa21f44.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....807dc26940.jpg

Late last night this news got put on the Royal Navy website:

F-35B Lightning jets land on HMS Queen Elizabeth for the first time

Fast fighter jets are once again flying from a Royal Navy aircraft carrier as the first F-35s have landed on the flight deck of HMS Queen Elizabeth.

Royal Navy Commander Nathan Gray and RAF Squadron Leader Andy Edgell were the first pilots to make history by landing their F-35 Lightning stealth jets on the flight deck of Britain's newest carrier.

Shortly afterwards, Commander Gray became the first pilot to take off using the ship's ski ramp. The flying operations mark the start of more than 500 take-offs and landings set to take place from the warship over the next 11 weeks.

Speaking shortly after the first landing on Tuesday 25 September 2018, Commander Gray said:

"No words can explain how it felt to turn the corner at 500mph and see HMS Queen Elizabeth awaiting the arrival of her first F-35 jets. I feel incredibly privileged.

"For a naval aviator it is always a special moment when you spot the carrier in the distance, hidden within a grey expanse of ocean. HMS Queen Elizabeth is a floating city, home to hundreds of fellow sailors and Royal Marines, and it's been a particularly poignant day."

Not strictly the case. EAGLE was never operational with F4s. She was modified to conduct flying trials only and the deck would not have lasted many more reheat launches. The RN became operational with supersonic jets in May 1971, when ARK ROYAL completed ORI. Happy days.

You missed out the smaller weapon bays as well. :}

Almost as good as the fish head/ crab sandwiches in the OM at Lossie?

A342

Film
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknew...hip/ar-BBNGrEc

Night ops; BZ to the photographer for this one:https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....6f0d6cc0aa.jpg

That's a truly wonderful picture. :D Why does it look like it has burner in - anybody know?

Some more from the night trials. I don't think these are duskers, it's just the camera used takes great pictures in the moonlight!https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....6690a66e82.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....61689a4474.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....56c5c0f73f.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....c1a34a06e1.jpg

A digital camera with the kind of light sensitivity for such dark environment photos is sensitive down into the near infra red. So while your eye can't see the heat plume from the engine, the camera can.