Carrier Trials, USMC F-35B

[silverking]

Carrier trials F-35B USMC. The flying Devil Dogs have some cool new toys.



Amazing stuff....... A new kind of Carrier Ship Aviation..... no tail hooks,
arresting wires, or catapults required........

This video link 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 VSTOL's in a 3-week period. The aircraft is also stealth,
and super-sonic.

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!!

No catapult...no hook.... It's a new world out there!



http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=Ki ... ure=colike

[reelbad]

Can you say unleash hell!!

[Mdnght_Wlf]

It's an awesome design, much more efficient than the old Harrier design. The research facility I just built for FSU out at Innovation Park, has several wind tunnels in it and one of them is a STOVL tunnel. FCAAP (Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsion) has contracts to test ground stability for the new F-35B, so seeing this video hits pretty close to home!

[fireant21]

This plane and the future versions of it have significant strategic advantages for the navy. No longer tied to large carriers and catapults and arresting gear, this has the potential of changing the overall makeup of what we consider a carrier task force. Large carriers are significant capital assests that require large crews and support ships as part of the task force. They are a prime target for our enemies. Any way we can reimagine the force makup of our carrier groups and spread the threat they are under to multiple targets rather than one is a good thing.

[wevans]

Looks like they have MUCH less blast than the Harriers had I watched the Harriers in action from our carrier and it was cool as heck ta watch em come streaking up to the ship and then just hit the brakes and hover next to it

[charlie tuna]

Much too noisy to fish the backcountry!

[mjsigns]

Very Cool Video - I'd say that the tests were a success.

[Rhettley]

Wow

[fishinfool]

[Knot on Call]

Awesome video!! What plane did you fly silverking?

[silverking]

I was a radio operator/comm-nav tech on EP-3Es, based in Rota, Spain. We flew combat reconnaissance missions in all the garden spots like Libya, Lebanon and the Soviet Baltic. Finished my Navy career as the leading Drill Instructor for Naval Aircrew Candidate School in Pensacola. Worked (and fished) with several Marine aircrewmen as co-instructors during that tour of duty. Miss those days a lot, but civvie life ain't been too bad.

[Knot on Call]

Awesome. My Dad and I were at your seminar this past winter and really enjoyed it!!! Remembered you talking about your service a little bit. I appreciate you and a lot of folks on this forum's service!!!

[FUTCHCAIRO]

THAT IS A FAR CRY FROM WHAT WE HAD IN WW 2, IF YA MISSED WITH THE TAIL HOOK , GET PREPARED FOR A LONG TALK WITH THE CAPTAIN IF YOU WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET BACK AROUND AND GRAB A CABLE.
PA
SEMPER FI

[MudDucker]

These look awesome, but they sure seem to have a lot of moving parts that would could be trouble if they sustain battle damage. With the small carrier, I wonder how you would get one back aboard if it were damaged and could not do a vertical landing.

[Mdnght_Wlf]

There are actually 3 variants of the F-35. The 'A' model is for conventional runway take off and landing for the Air Force, the 'B' model (as seen in the video) is designed for Marine use, and the 'C' model which has larger wingspan and beefed up landing gear for carrier take off and landing. Unfortunately the military budget cuts hit the F-35 hard with approximately 7 billion cut from testing and production of these jets.