A_T_I_2015_04_

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APRIL 2015

AEROSPACETESTINGINTERNATIONAL.COM

Engineering and Support Equipment &
Aircraft Launch & Recovery
Equipment departments, the Atlantic
Test Range (ATR) and Pax River ITF,
and Lockheed Martin Aero, Northrop
Grumman, and Fokker Landing Gear.
The tailhook redesign effort, like
the flight control system, is an example
of the power of collaboration between
government and industry engineers. In
both cases, industry was able to
leverage NAVAIR’s decades of
experience in carrier-based aircraft
design to build an outstanding product
for the warfighter.
“Since beginning shore-based
carrier suitability testing in January
2014 with the redesigned hook system,
test results have been positive, with the
ultimate proof coming in the success of
DT-I,” says Bryan Racine, F-35 ship
suitability team lead.
“We had stricter weather
requirements when we were here. As
we got into testing, the weather started
coming down,” Dyckman says. “We
had such confidence in how the
airplane was flying that we lowered the
weather minimums to what the fleet
is actually using, knowing that when
I lower my hook and come into the
groove, I’m going to trap.”
Dyckman adds that the test team’s
confidence level in the aircraft was so
high that they were ready to evaluate
the aircraft for night operations. “It
flew very well behind the ship, even
on the darkest night,” he says. “Two
hook-down passes and two traps:
that says it all right there. It’s unheard
of to conduct night ops on the first
te st det ail.”
During DT-I, F-35C maintenance
and ground operations integrated well
with standard Navy carrier procedures
aboard Nimitz.
“All of the flight deck crew
members involved in DT-I were
assigned to Nimitz, some of whom

“We also performed some aircraft

functions in and around the shipboard

environment, including use of various

sensors and fuel dump testing.”

RUNWAY TRIALS

As team members returned to the ITF

from their highly successful

detachment aboard the Nimitz, they

began to finalize preparations for wet

runway and crosswind testing at

Edwards Air Force Base and Naval Air

Weapons Station China Lake in March

2015; and ski jump testing at Pax River

in May 2015.

To date, 158 F-35 pilots and more

than 1,650 maintainers have graduated

from training at Eglin AFB, while the

F-35 has completed multiple weapons

tests as well as F-35B and F-35C first-

life durability testing.

Additionally, the program has

conducted two F-35B DT shipboard

trials aboard the USS Wasp (LHD 1)

and two more shipboard trials are

anticipated in 2015 – the F-35B will

conduct its first operational test and

the F-35C will conduct its second DT

event. As the F-35 progresses through

all of these test events, the initial

operational capability (IOC) milestone

dates published in 2013 continue to be

on target. The F-35A is set to reach its

IOC milestone by December 2016; the

F-35B is expected to reach its IOC

milestone by July 2015; and the F-35C

is anticipated to reach its IOC

milestone by February 2019. z

Sylvia Pierson is the F-35 Lightning II

Patuxent River Integrated Test Force (ITF)

public affairs officer

2

Intentional

bolters for

test data

100

Percentage

completed

threshold test

points on DT-I

2

Night ops hook-

down passes

and arrested

landings

3

The number of

days ahead of

schedule that

DT-I was

completed

went to NAS Patuxent River in mid-

October for training,” Wilson explains.

“They returned to the ship and

prepared the remainder of their crew

for the arrival of the F-35C. The initial

ship trials of the F-35C would not have

been possible without the cooperation

of Nimitz.”

After all test points are collected,

analyzed and assessed, the DT-I data

will be used to advise the Navy of any

adjustments necessary to ensure the

fifth-generation fighter is fully capable

and ready to deploy to the fleet.

“Our main testing points were to

verify that the approach handling

qualities were satisfactory across a

variety of wind conditions; to

determine the launch characteristic

and performance from the ship’s

catapults across a variety of wind

conditions; to look at the integration

of the aircraft with the ship, both on

the flight deck and in the hangar bay;

and to test the ability of the F-35C to

use other ships’ flight systems to

perform inertial alignments,

instrument approaches, and basic

navigation to and from the ship,” says

Cdr Shawn Kern, the director of test

and evaluation for F-35 naval variants.

z F-35 latest developments

RIGHT: The F-35

Lightning II Pax

River Integrated Test

Force from Air Test

and Evaluation

Squadron (VX) 23

has ferried aircraft

BF-05 to Eglin AFB

to undergo climatic

testing

BELOW: CF-05

lands aboard the

USS Nimitz during

the initial shipboard

trials. The F-35C

performed its first

set of arrested

landings and

catapult launches