The previous F-35 Flight Test Update concluded with the first live guided missile launch from an F-35 on 30 October 2013. This first installment of 2014 and the thirteenth installment overall in the series of F-35 flight testing reviews presents a variety of subsequent weapon testing, including additional guided AIM-120 missile launches and guided GBU-32 drops for the F-35A, AIM-120 separation tests for the F-35C, and ten-weapon loads for the F-35A and F-35C. High angle of attack testing continued with the beginning of intentional departure tests of the F-35C at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division test facility at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. The F-35 System Development and Demonstration Program set flight duration records and surpassed 4,000 total test flights during this period as well.
Marine Corps Lt. Col. Patrick Moran flew F-35C CF-2 from NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, for the first AIM-120 AMRAAM separation test from the F-35C.
Navy Capt. Justin Carlson flew F-35C CF-2 from NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, for the first GBU-31 separation test from the F-35C.
Marine Corps Maj. Richard Rusnok flew Flight 400 of F-35A AF-2 at the F-35 Integrated Test Force at the Air Force Test Center at Edwards AFB, California.
The F-35 program executed its second live-fire launch of a guided air-to-air missile over the US Navy’s test range off the coast of California. The AIM-120 was launched from F-35A AF-6 operating from the F-35 Integrated Test Force at Edwards AFB, California. The pilot, Air Force Lt. Col. Brent Reinhardt, launched the AIM-120 from the F-35 internal weapon bay against an aerial drone target.
Navy Capt. Justin Carlson performed the final F-35C separation test required for F-35C Block 2B software. The test mission, which originated from NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, involved dropping a GBU-31 from the internal bay of F-35C CF-2 in a thirty-degree dive at Mach 0.92.
Lockheed test pilot Dan Canin flew F-35C CF-5 for the first intentional departure from controlled flight test for an F-35C. These tests are part of the high angle of attack testing being conducted by the F-35 Integrated Test Force at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland.
Test pilots from the F-35 Integrated Test Force at Edwards AFB, California, conducted the first multiship flight with all three F-35 variants during a test mission to evaluate the F-35’s Multifunction Advanced Data Link, or MADL. Four F-35s exchanged information during the flight—two F-35As, one F-35B, and one F-35C.
Marine Corps Lt. Col. Jonathan Ohman was at the controls of F-35B BF-18 for the first guided GBU-32 delivery from an F-35B. Caterina used the Electro-Optical Targeting System, or EOTS, to guide a GBU-32 Joint Direct Attack Munition to a specified ground target after releasing the weapon from the internal weapon bay of the F-35 at Mach 0.9 and at 25,000 foot altitude. The GBU-32 is a 1,000-pound Mk-83 general-purpose bomb mated with an INS/GPS guidance kit and guidance fins for precision strike. The test mission was conducted from Edwards AFB, California.
Royal Air Force Sdn. Ldr. Andy Edgell took off in an F-35 for the first time to become the newest test pilot at the F-35 Integrated Test for at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. His first flight was Flight 50 for F-35C CF-5.
Lockheed Martin test pilot Paul Hattendorf was at the controls of F-35A AF-7 for a 5.2-hour mission systems test flight from Edwards AFB, California. The flight, which also marked 500 hours for AF-7, was the longest test mission to date for the F-35 program. Coincidentally, Lockheed Martin test pilot David Nelson completed a 5.2-hour mission on the same day in F-35A AF-3.
BAE Systems test pilot Peter Wilson flying F-35B BF-1 and Lockheed Martin test pilot Dan Levin flying F-35B BF-5 completed the first conventional mode formation takeoff and landing in the F-35B.
Lockheed Martin test pilot Dan Canin was at the controls of F-35C CF-5 for the initial departure resistance test flights with the weapon bay door open for the F-35C. The flight occurred at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland.
Lt. Col. Brent Reinhardt was at the controls of F-35A AF-1 Flight 350 for the first test mission flown with ten weapons. The flight, which originated from Edwards AFB, California, was used to evaluate the handling qualities of the F-35A. The weapon load consisted of six 500-pound GBU-12 Paveway II bombs (two mounted in the internal weapon bays and four mounted under the wings), two AIM-120 AMRAAMs mounted in the internal weapon bays, and two AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles mounted under the wings.
RAF Sdn. Ldr. Andy Edgell flew F-35C CF-1 for the first test mission of the F-35C with ten weapons and one gun pod. The flight, which originated from NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, was used to evaluate the handling qualities of the F-35C with a full weapon load. The load consisted of four 500-pound GBU-12 Paveway II bombs and two AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles mounted under the wings and two GBU-32s and two AIM-120 AMRAAMs mounted in the internal weapon bays. A 25mm gun pod was mounted on the external centerline station as well.
Air Force Maj. Matt Phillips was at the controls of F-35A AF-4 for a 2.6-hour performance and aerial refueling test mission that marked the completion of all the clean wing performance testing for the F-35A flight envelope. The flight occurred at Edwards AFB, California.
Marine Corps Lt. Col. Patrick Moran flew the first F-35B high angle of attack test mission with external stores on the F-35B BF-2. The external stores included two AIM-9X sidewinder missiles and weapon pylons on the other four wing stations.
Forty-four flights were completed in January 2014 for the F-35 mission systems test fleet, which set a record for flights in one month. Mission systems aircraft include F-35A AF-3, AF-6, AF-7, BF-5, BF-17, BF-18, and CF-8.
The System Development and Demonstration Program set a new one-day flight record by completing twelve flights in one day. The prior record was for eleven flights in one day. The aircraft involved included three F-35As, five F-35Bs, and four F-35Cs flying from the F-35 Integrated Test Forces at Edwards AFB, California, and at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland.
Air Force Maj. Matt Phillips was at the controls of AF-6 for its 200th flight, which involved a sensor fusion mission flown from Edwards AFB, California.
Two F-35Bs flew in close formation for the first time while in short takeoff/vertical landing, or STOVL, mode. BAE test pilot Peter Wilson flying F-35B BF-1 and Lockheed Martin test pilot Dan Levin flying F-35B BF-5 conducted the mission from NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. The mission was used to evaluate the effects the aircraft had on one another while in STOVL mode to ensure F-35Bs can perform safely in formation while flying in an operational environment.
F-35Bs flew in close formation for the first time during takeoffs and landings while in short takeoff/vertical landing, or STOVL, mode. BAE test pilot Peter Wilson flying F-35B BF-1 and Lockheed Martin test pilot Dan Levin flying F-35B BF-5 conducted the tests from NAS Patuxent River, Maryland.
Air Force Maj. Andrew Rollins was at the controls of F-35A AF-6 for the first AIM-120 AMRRAM launch from an F-35 over White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
Two F-35 pilots broke the single flight F-35 duration record during the first AMRAAM launch at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. Air Force Maj. Mark Massaro flying BF-18 and Air Force Maj. Andrew Rollins flying AF-6 completed the round trip from Edwards AFB to the range in 5.7 hours. The previous duration record was 5.1 hours.
System Development and Demonstration Program flight test aircraft surpassed 4,000 total flights.
F-35A AF-3 surpassed 500 flight hours, becoming the second mission systems aircraft to achieve this milestone.
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