Sea Trials of the F-35B have begun aboard the USS Wasp (LHD-1). check out the video below:
From Joint Strike Fighter Program Office Public Affairs
USS WASP, At Sea (NNS) — The Navy and Marine Corps Team made naval aviation history Oct. 3 as the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) test aircraft BF-2 landed safely on USS Wasp’s (LHD 1) flight deck, the first at-sea vertical landing for the Marine Corps’ F-35 JSF version.
Marine Corps test pilot Lt. Col. Fred Schenk landed BF-2 at 3:12 pm.
“It was exactly like we predicted,” said Schenk. “But that’s because of all the hard work and extensive preparation done by the Wasp and JSF team.”
The first vertical landing is part of the initial ship trials for the F-35B which started Monday and is expected to last two weeks. The tests are scheduled to collect data on the aircraft’s ability to perform short take-offs and vertical landings on a ship at sea, as well as determine how the aircraft integrates with the ship’s landing systems, and deck and hangar operations.
This test period, the first of three scheduled at-sea test periods over the course of the development program, will also collect environmental data on the deck through added instrumentation to measure the F-35B’s impact to flight deck operations.
“The first at sea vertical landing is a huge milestone,” said Marine Corps Col. Roger Cordell, military site director for F-35 test and evaluation at Naval Air Station Patuxent River. “We’re still early in this test period, and we expect to learn a lot more, but this is a great step toward delivering the capability to the fleet.”
Wasp spent time in a shipyard earlier this year, preparing for the F-35 test period; adding specialized instrumentation to measure deck environmental effects.
“It is no small feat to put together sea trials,” said Vice Adm. David Venlet, F-35 Program Executive Officer. “This test was planned to happen on 3 October back in early spring of this year and the team delivered on schedule. Signs of dependable performance are emerging across broad aspects of the development program. Professionals from the Navy, Marine Corps and industry team of Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems and Pratt and Whitney and Rolls Royce continue to work tirelessly to deliver this aircraft to the fleet.”“Every time an aircraft is first tested at sea we learn a great deal and the data collected from this event will inform us about the further development work necessary to successfully integrate the F-35B on large-deck amphibious ships. By all accounts, we’re off to a great start today,” Venlet said.
The F-35B is the variant of the Joint Strike Fighter for the U.S. Marine Corps, capable of short take-offs and vertical landings for use on amphibious ships or expeditionary airfields to provide air power to the Marine Air-Ground Task Force. The F-35B will replace Marine AV-8B Harriers and F-18 Hornets and is undergoing test and evaluation at NAS Patuxent River prior to delivery to the fleet.
In addition to being the first ship to successfully land the F-35B, USS Wasp was also the first ship to host the V-22 Osprey during shipboard trials in October 2007.
Summary information regarding the performance of the F-35B ship trials will be made available after the completion of the test period.
source: http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=63065
By: SpudmanWP - 15th November 2011 at 02:37
Notwithstanding the fact that the bird in the above shot is mush after rebounding off the door, the blades will slice up any remains.
By: Arabella-Cox - 14th November 2011 at 17:30
The F-35B’s lift-fan & door should stand up pretty well to birdstrikes. Besides, there is nothing in the fan to “flame out” or otherwise lose performance when struck.
would this mean that once the bird hits the door, it’ll fall into the fan and get diced up into chicken meat for the sailors?
By: SpudmanWP - 14th November 2011 at 01:46
The F-35B’s lift-fan & door should stand up pretty well to birdstrikes. Besides, there is nothing in the fan to “flame out” or otherwise lose performance when struck.
By: me109g4 - 14th November 2011 at 00:17
That door looks like a seagull catcher to me,,
By: SpudmanWP - 5th November 2011 at 19:55
Another thing to consider is that testing covers a wide field of power levels. That need (at 1:53) for the horizontal stabs to momentarily kick the nose up could have been a STO test at lower power levels (hence the lower thrust generated by the lift fan).
By: observe - 5th November 2011 at 19:38
Cool video!
There were three types of STOs (automatic, manual, and combo)
The take-off @1:53, horizontal stabs deflecting up and down, could be manual?
By: SpudmanWP - 5th November 2011 at 18:57
There were three types of STOs (automatic, manual, and combo) and there is no way of knowing which this is.
Here is a nice vid showing a lot of STOs and VLs from the WASP. Notice that most of the STOs happen well short of the edge (sometimes more than a plane-length).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki86x1WKPmE
Notice too that in the above pic that ALL flight surfaces are generating lift. This is different from conventional takeoffs where the horizontal stab would in the up position in order to push the tail down to facilitate the nose coming up.
By: Arabella-Cox - 5th November 2011 at 18:22
A picture is worth a thousand words but is this one?
This photo hopefully will not be used by LM to say how well the trials went. as I see it it shows an un armed, unsure of fuel state F35B needing nearly all of the the deck of the Wasp to get airborne. A picture of an unladen F35B airborne say 2/3 of the way down the deck would have had a lot more “inteligent” PR value.:)
By: swerve - 5th November 2011 at 12:41
I wonder why they didn’t hinge it at the front, rather than the rear ?
There’s no doubt an obvious answer, but it looks like an accident waiting to
happen….
See Bager’s post above –
With the side-opening doors there was a reduction in airflow into the lift-fan chamber when the aircraft was moving forward.
The new door channels more air into the chamber as forward speed increases.
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/lift-fan-inlet-door-problems-led-to-rethink-214382/.
A front hinged door would channel air away from the fan.
By: AlanR - 5th November 2011 at 10:24
Thx. Thought it could have something to do with airflow into the fan duct and generating lift. F35B looks odd gathering speed and taking off with this big air-brake like thing stuck up there.
I wonder why they didn’t hinge it at the front, rather than the rear ?
There’s no doubt an obvious answer, but it looks like an accident waiting to
happen.
Makes me think of the Lightning, where I believe the nose wheel wouldn’t
retract once the aircraft exceeded 250kts ?
By: comoford - 5th November 2011 at 06:54
By: TooCool_12f - 23rd October 2011 at 15:43
The new door actually added weight.
http://www.codeonemagazine.com/archives/2008/articles/apr_08/f35transition/index.html
(Link is now dead)http://www.codeonemagazine.com/gallery_slideshow.html?gallery_id=34
go to X-35 top viewNote the pics of the variable area vane box nozzle and the roll posts in this image gallery… these help control the F-35B while in hover.
http://www.codeonemagazine.com/gallery_slideshow.html?gallery_id=14
ah ok, I stand corrected… thanks for clearing it up
obviously what I’ve read was a bit beside the point 😀
By: AutoStick - 22nd October 2011 at 19:21
Old Aussie naval song???? ” Tie me aeroplane down sport “
By: benroethig - 22nd October 2011 at 18:25
Yep. Tie down are all over the place on the flight tech, hanger, and elevators on amphibious assaults ships and carriers. If the aircraft isn’t landing, taking off, or being moved, its tied down.
By: StevoJH - 22nd October 2011 at 15:20
Slightly off topic, but are those tie-down points visible on the flight deck? or something else?
By: Wanshan - 21st October 2011 at 14:39
Thx. Thought it could have something to do with airflow into the fan duct and generating lift. F35B looks odd gathering speed and taking off with this big air-brake like thing stuck up there.
By: Bager1968 - 20th October 2011 at 23:23
it was introduced because it was lighter than the two doors system (as the aircraft was overweight, they needed to change a number of things, and it was one of them)
The new door actually added weight.
http://www.codeonemagazine.com/archives/2008/articles/apr_08/f35transition/index.html
(Link is now dead)
Lift Fan Inlet
The lift fan inlet doors were changed from a bi-fold, side-hinged configuration to a single, aft-hinged door. The change added some weight, but significantly reduced lift fan flow distortion, which increased lift fan performance and operability.
http://www.codeonemagazine.com/gallery_slideshow.html?gallery_id=34
go to X-35 top view
The auxiliary inlet provides an additional source for low distortion air for the engine during powered lift operation. When open at slow speeds, about sixty percent of the air at the engine face comes from the auxiliary inlet. The X-35B had a smaller opening with two doors hinged on the centerline of the aircraft. The F-35B has two doors hinged on the outboard sides of the opening. The change improves inlet flow performance. The increased size reflects the largest inlet within the structural constraints of the aircraft.
Note the pics of the variable area vane box nozzle and the roll posts in this image gallery… these help control the F-35B while in hover.
http://www.codeonemagazine.com/gallery_slideshow.html?gallery_id=14
By: Bager1968 - 20th October 2011 at 23:01
When/why was a single piece rear-hinged lift fan door introduced? (initial info indicated left and right opening split doors, just like the aux vent right behind the main lift vent.)
With the side-opening doors there was a reduction in airflow into the lift-fan chamber when the aircraft was moving forward.
The new door channels more air into the chamber as forward speed increases.
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/lift-fan-inlet-door-problems-led-to-rethink-214382/
Lockheed Martin redesigned the lift-fan inlet on the F-35B with an aft-hinged door after problems with the bifold doors on the X-35 concept demonstrator.
…..
“The bifold doors did not work well with forward speed,” says Rob Burns, propulsion director with the Joint Strike Fighter programme office.
There is also a side-effect of the new door that helps in other ways… it reduces loads on the auxiliary-inlet doors behind it.
So I have just read on the F35 thread in aviation Obi.
Still looks unnatural to me. Probably a good job I’m not an aircraft designer.
Any idea what the take-off speeds (when leaving the deck and when the aircraft is now properly flying so that the vertical lift is not needed) are and what the maximum air speed of the funnel is. I would be intrigued to know what the margins between the 2 are.
I suspect the values may be classified though
The door remains fully open to 165 knots.
The lift-fan door was programmed to open to 65 deg. below 120 kt., and to 35 deg. above that airspeed. But with the large door fully open, loads on the auxiliary-inlet doors behind it are reduced, so the schedule has been changed to keep the lift-fan door open 65 deg. up to 165 kt. during a short takeoff, says J.D. McFarlan, vice president of F-35 test and verification.
By: TooCool_12f - 20th October 2011 at 10:40
it was introduced because it was lighter than the two doors system (as the aircraft was overweight, they needed to change a number of things, and it was one of them)
By: Wanshan - 20th October 2011 at 10:21
When/why was a single piece rear-hinged lift fan door introduced? (initial info indicated left and right opening split doors, just like the aux vent right behind the main lift vent.)
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October 4, 2011 at 5:01 pm