F-35 test flight video

[hitman]

Start givin me some rep points...might as well cuz its a good find.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c6d8b68834

[Shaman]

Hm... well no rep from me, I need to spread more around ;) I thought this will be the video from the first flight of the serial plane which occured not so long time ago.

I've seen better footage :P I have this DVD: http://www.amazon.com/NOVA-Battle-X-Planes-Nova/dp/B00008YLV1

I really recommend it getting this movie if you haven't seen it.

[SuperKungFu]

yea the nova video was awesome, and i liked hitman's video, if anyone finds a hi-res version of it, please post that link.

[Weta43]

looks like its trying to roll over on him at take off...

:-)

[Prophet]

I bet its just from the wind.

 

Its kinda odd looking, the front seems like it should be on a boat.

[Force_Feedback]

The FCS looks twitchy, hmm, where do we know that from... Oh well, the thing looks monstrous.

 

Did it use afterburners on take off? If it did, it sure is a piggy then. How about the helmet mounted display? Is the thing still having a hud, or did they finally do what they promised? :/

[VMFA117_Poko]

Where was this test? In Marietta?

[Black_Hawk]

What's with that gear-down-thing on the test flights? I've seen it on quite a few videos.

What to they actually test that way? Gear resistance to drag, testing the stall speed?

[RvETito]

This is a standart practice in the first flight for any new aircraft, no matter the manifacturer. The only explanation I have is that the first flight has more or less psychologial value. The test pilot has to get confident in the a/c's essential behaviour and controls and that it's safe to take-off, climb, fly level, descent and land.

[Pilotasso]

I a safety measure. Hydraulic leaks are very common on new aircraft. If the pilot had one after gear up, there wouldnt be a gear down and a bely langing would probably result in a damaged or destroyed prototype or even its pilot.

[ericinexile]

Man, that is the ugliest fighter ever made. Sex is dead in aviation! Smokin' Hole

[Shaman]

I do not agree that it's the ugliest fighter ever. There were many worse (including A-10 :P). It looks good. I even like it. It looks better then F-16 even. But it's my opinion and my taste.

 

This video's aspect ratio is porked. Notice how diffrent the shape of the aircraft is (stretched very bad).

 

http://www.jsf.mil/images/f35/f35_variant_ctol.jpg

[RvETito]

Hydraulic leaks are very common on new aircraft.

Say what?!?! I hope you don't mean that seriously. That's may be the most rare defect that can occur. Fuel leaks may be, but hydraulic... Usualy every prototype retracts it's gear on the second flight. Is it the probability of gear malfunction smaller than in the first flight? Besides, if they don't operate the gear because of possible hydraulic failure then what about controls? Should I mention that in most a/c they are hydraulicaly powered. Turn off all the hydraulic power?..:D

Keep in mind that all systems, including hydraulics, undergo countless tests before the first flight up to the limit in conditions that can never happen in service. That includes numerous gear retraction/deployment using both main and emergency procedures.

The maiden flight of any a/c is always a special event. There are plenty of political leaders, military leaders, journalists, fans. That's whay it's only purpose is to demontrate them that the new bird can fly. It doesn't matter how, it just has to take-off and land. From pure superstition the pilot operates only the essential systems in order to get airborne.

 

The Airbus A380 is the only one I've seen(not on live though:() to retract it's gear up at the first flight.

[RvETito]

Man, that is the ugliest fighter ever made. Sex is dead in aviation! Smokin' Hole

 

Then what about it's opponent- the Boeing X-32? Compared to it the F-35 is like Miss Universe.;)

 

[jonnyB3]

Then what about it's opponent- the Boeing X-32? Compared to it the F-35 is like Miss Universe.;)

 

 

This is very true. I only think the jsf gets ugly is when it sticks out its engine to take-off vertically....it looks like its taking a #2 on the toilet.;)

[Guest IguanaKing]

Say what?!?! I hope you don't mean that seriously. That's may be the most rare defect that can occur. Fuel leaks may be, but hydraulic... Usualy every prototype retracts it's gear on the second flight. Is it the probability of gear malfunction smaller than in the first flight? Besides, if they don't operate the gear because of possible hydraulic failure then what about controls? Should I mention that in most a/c they are hydraulicaly powered. Turn off all the hydraulic power?..:D

Keep in mind that all systems, including hydraulics, undergo countless tests before the first flight up to the limit in conditions that can never happen in service. That includes numerous gear retraction/deployment using both main and emergency procedures.

 

Yup, and the second worst way to find a hydraulic leak is to get the fluid on your skin. That is nooooo fun. :no_sad:

[hitman]

Where was this test? In Marietta?

 

The test flight was in Ft. Worth Lockheed-Martin plant. I recognize the area there, it happens to be practically next door to the Joint Reservist Base.

[hitman]

Then what about it's opponent- the Boeing X-32? Compared to it the F-35 is like Miss Universe.;)

 

 

Thank god good taste prevailed.

[BladeLWS]

The FCS looks twitchy, hmm, where do we know that from... Oh well, the thing looks monstrous.

 

Did it use afterburners on take off? If it did, it sure is a piggy then. How about the helmet mounted display? Is the thing still having a hud, or did they finally do what they promised? :/

 

The F-35 has the most powerful jet engine of any fighter, 43,000lbs of thrust. Its not "piggy". They had a long runways and decided to use it. On first flights they keep the gear down so going into afterburners would of gone of max gear speed to fast.

 

Check out this video of it testing its engine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHInTk3gtnc&mode=related&search=

 

And yes the JSF uses a helmet mounted display. Looking at the cockpit in the video I posted there is no more HUD.

[Shaman]

Looking at the cockpit in the video I posted there is no more HUD.

 

HUD and large classic MFDs are back :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzpLXAn3vXI&mode=related&search=

[Guest IguanaKing]

The F-35 has the most powerful jet engine of any fighter, 43,000lbs of thrust. Its not "piggy". They had a long runways and decided to use it. On first flights they keep the gear down so going into afterburners would of gone of max gear speed to fast.

 

Not to mention that taking off with AB is pretty much standard procedure for US military aircraft that have afterburners. It really doesn't have anything to do with whether or not they're needed. :D

[Force_Feedback]

HUD and large classic MFDs are back :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzpLXAn3vXI&mode=related&search=

 

That is not the F-35, it's the X-35

 

The F-35 is piggy, it's fat, has this strange nose, and is as large as the average american man of these days, so yes it is piggy. Yess, he's our Ziggy piggy, Ziggy piggy!! --> something from Bill & Ted (yes, a stoner movie)

[hitman]

Dude, you gotta lay off and low on the cheetos. Snack on Dr. Pepper and Dorito's from now on.:P

[Pilotasso]

Say what?!?! I hope you don't mean that seriously. That's may be the most rare defect that can occur. Fuel leaks may be, but hydraulic... Usualy every prototype retracts it's gear on the second flight. Is it the probability of gear malfunction smaller than in the first flight? Besides, if they don't operate the gear because of possible hydraulic failure then what about controls? Should I mention that in most a/c they are hydraulicaly powered. Turn off all the hydraulic power?..:D

Keep in mind that all systems, including hydraulics, undergo countless tests before the first flight up to the limit in conditions that can never happen in service. That includes numerous gear retraction/deployment using both main and emergency procedures.

The maiden flight of any a/c is always a special event. There are plenty of political leaders, military leaders, journalists, fans. That's whay it's only purpose is to demontrate them that the new bird can fly. It doesn't matter how, it just has to take-off and land. From pure superstition the pilot operates only the essential systems in order to get airborne.

 

The Airbus A380 is the only one I've seen(not on live though:() to retract it's gear up at the first flight.

 

Out of my memory I remenber that the X-32 and f-14 prototypes had hydraulic leaks. The one on the TOMCAT destroyed the first prototype and nearly made a second plane almost miss the schedule for presentation for the congress. The one on the X-32 has cut the first flight in half and the plane had to make an emergency landing.

 

True that fuel leak are more common, but thats a design compromise. Hydraulic leaks are simply statisticaly obligatory ocurrences. You simply cant avoid them. Some are worse than others, amd some are catastrophic. My new job has alllowed me to already verify thats impossible to fix all leaks but to minimize them to acceptable levels. One such case is grease comming out of bearings wich is no more than dryed out oil from a very slow leak.

[RvETito]

I'm not saying that hydraulic leaks can't happen. I had myself a couple of them this summer with a Ka-32 helicopter in Turkey. What I meant is that it's very unlikely this to be the reason why every prototype makes it's first flight with gear down.