OT The New F-35B (video)

[DOC.129]

This video is fresh (for the public). It was made just six weeks ago in the Atlantic, just off Newport News (Hampton Roads), Virginia .

These are the latest sea trials of the F-35B on the USS Wasp. They were very successful, with 74 VL's and STO's in a three week period. The media and the program critics had predicted that we would burn holes in the deck and wash sailors overboard. Neither of which happened. You will notice a sailor standing on the bow of the ship as the jet rotates. That was an intentional part of the sea trials.

F-35B Video

[YT]http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=Ki86x1WKPmE[/YT]

The USS Wasp is an amphibious assault ship designed to embark a Marine Expeditionary Unit. It is capable of simultaneously supporting rotary and fixed wing STOVL aircraft and amphibious landing craft operations. For this test deployment the USS Wasp was outfitted with special instrumentation to support and measure the unique operating environment as the F-35B conducted short takeoffs and vertical landings.

No catapult...... No hook .............

[Air Boss]

Re: OT The New F-35B (video)

Great vid....thanks for posting. Interesting to watch the control surfaces as the a/c goes off the "pointy end." Note the movement of the elevons.

So I have to ask...does this mean the end of USN Tail Hook Associatino or the "convention" in Las Vegas?!

[Dudewanarace]

Re: OT The New F-35B (video)

Wow, watch the nose gear during the landing at 2:53!

[mcavanaugh55]

Re: OT The New F-35B (video)

Looks a little strange with that big barn door open on top of the plane !

[Eric J.]

Re: OT The New F-35B (video)

I wonder how all those precision moving parts would hold up over in the sandbox during STO/VL? I'm sure it's been addressed, but there seems to be an awful lot going on, all critical. The canopy hinge point is interesting, too.

[SkyvanDelta]

Re: OT The New F-35B (video)

Wow, watch the nose gear during the landing at 2:53!

That will be the first thing that breaks or bends. There is a lot of flexing going on. The weak link.

The vertical landings look safer then coming in fast and hard trying to catch a cable on the deck.

Nice video, who shot it?

[SkyvanDelta]

Re: OT The New F-35B (video)

Looks a little strange with that big barn door open on top of the plane !

I wonder what the maximum speed is before you close the barn door? Must be a big load on the hinges.

[Desertdawg]

Re: OT The New F-35B (video)

Thanks for the post. Interesting watching the barn door open for the first time.

At first I thought it was going to be a vert take off, then I thought wow, big air brake at take-off ? :-)

In the end all comes together quite nicely for a short carrier take-off.

[DOC.129]

Re: OT The New F-35B (video)

Wow, watch the nose gear during the landing at 2:53!

I was thinking the same thing when I saw that, those will definitely get bent up by hard landings and rough weather. However, as one of the most technologically advanced fighters to ever go into service, the on-board computer and the F-35 24/7 Sustainment Operations Center will diagnose and order service on the AC before it lands when detecting an issue.

In addition, the first production model F-35B was delivered to the Marines at Eglin AFB, Florida, Jan 11, 2012.

[F-22 please]

Re: OT The New F-35B (video)

Pretty awesome plane for sure.

[ArmyMP]

Re: OT The New F-35B (video)

Good video. I saw some close calls with the nozzle rotation when coming off the end of the deck.

Not sure if it was the angle of the video or not, but I see some bent nozzles in the future if you don't time the rotation off the end just right.

It does look like a smoother touch down as opposed to all the bumpy landings in the "Whissling S@#$can" movies of old.

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: OT The New F-35B (video)

I wonder how all those precision moving parts would hold up over in the sandbox during STO/VL? I'm sure it's been addressed, but there seems to be an awful lot going on, all critical. The canopy hinge point is interesting, too.

This has been a point of interest in all of our modern fighters... The "Soviets" have always had a "slightly" different approach from our extremely high tech aircraft..

I hope we never have to sort out which mind set works best...

[spacegrrrl]

Re: OT The New F-35B (video)

Great video and awesome aircraft!

Hopefully in the near future they will go active and things in the world will settle down a bit, then this very cool plane can get about doing what I'd most like to see......


Awesome flight demos at RENO!!!!! Woot!!!

Spacegrrrl

[flyingjibus]

Re: OT The New F-35B (video)

Pictures from my friend who works at Pratt and Whitney.

[Frank C.]

Re: OT The New F-35B (video)

Thanks for posting. That was cool. F-35 worth the tax dollars. Gotta stay ahead of the Russians and Chinese. No offense to anyone of those heritages. Not a jingoistic thing just geopolitics and reality.

Frank C.