Posted: 12/3/2012 7:23:49 AM EDT
|
|
Spin recovery chutes (the white thingy bolted on the empenage) are traditionally used in about all spin/stall regime tests on all aircraft. It is the last resort to straighten out an out-of-control aircraft if the test pilot using flight controls cannot do it. After recovery, and controlled flight is reestablished, the chute can be jettisoned.
A former Edwards AFB Flight Test Pilot friend, told the story of testing the chute out on a B-47 back in the day. The chute held on alright, but it yanked the structural longitudinal it was attached to clean out of the aircraft. C.H. was able to get the test plane back onto the lake bed without further incident. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
It seems a little weird to me that they are still exploring the boundaries (flight testing) of the plane after people are taking deliveries of them. How old is the video? Published on 19 Nov 2012 by LockheedMartinVideos Video of F-35A high angle of attack testing at Edwards AFB with test pilot commentary. Testing began in late October 2012. |
|
Quoted:
I can't imagine a world in which I have the balls to deliberately force a high performance aircraft into a non-flight situation. Hats off to those guys! somebody's got to do it; better them than me. maybe a coincidence, but the several Test Pilots i've met were extremely relaxed in temperment. 
|
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
It seems a little weird to me that they are still exploring the boundaries (flight testing) of the plane after people are taking deliveries of them. How old is the video? Published on 19 Nov 2012 by LockheedMartinVideos Video of F-35A high angle of attack testing at Edwards AFB with test pilot commentary. Testing began in late October 2012. The aircraft can be certified with certain parameters, and then the envelope gets expanded and revised with testing and software and hardware upgrades. Aircraft design isn't a one off deal, it's an evolutionary process. |
Smoke belching B52s too! 
|
Quoted:
It seems a little weird to me that they are still exploring the boundaries (flight testing) of the plane after people are taking deliveries of them. Normal - among other things, this testing will help develop training and additionally the data gathered may be used in other areas of development of the platform (weapons release etc). |
|
Quoted: You shut up with your knowledge, experience, and facts.Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: It seems a little weird to me that they are still exploring the boundaries (flight testing) of the plane after people are taking deliveries of them. How old is the video? Published on 19 Nov 2012 by LockheedMartinVideos Video of F-35A high angle of attack testing at Edwards AFB with test pilot commentary. Testing began in late October 2012. The aircraft can be certified with certain parameters, and then the envelope gets expanded and revised with testing and software and hardware upgrades. Aircraft design isn't a one off deal, it's an evolutionary process. THIS. IS. GEE DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! |
|
Quoted:
It seems a little weird to me that they are still exploring the boundaries (flight testing) of the plane after people are taking deliveries of them. It's not just a little weird, it's completely ridiculous. They have completed something like 20% of the flight test program since the aircraft spend most of their time grounded for one thing or another. They decided to proceed with building the low rate production aircraft to avoid even more delays. It's pretty obvious the program is headed for the shitter, but lockmart is trying hard to keep the pork coming. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
You shut up with your knowledge, experience, and facts.
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
It seems a little weird to me that they are still exploring the boundaries (flight testing) of the plane after people are taking deliveries of them. How old is the video? Published on 19 Nov 2012 by LockheedMartinVideos Video of F-35A high angle of attack testing at Edwards AFB with test pilot commentary. Testing began in late October 2012. The aircraft can be certified with certain parameters, and then the envelope gets expanded and revised with testing and software and hardware upgrades. Aircraft design isn't a one off deal, it's an evolutionary process. THIS. IS. GEE DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! I think you should read more and post less. The point is not expanding the flight envelope. The problem is taking delivery of aircraft that are supposed to count towards our total operational numbers before the flight test program is complete. Do you get that at all? That means we are getting aircraft that may need major redesigns and we don't know it. The contractor has no problem with rebuilding those aircraft or with delivering more aircraft at the back end of production, but as taxpayers we sure as hell should. |
|
Quoted:
It seems a little weird to me that they are still exploring the boundaries (flight testing) of the plane after people are taking deliveries of them. If something goes wrong with a test like this during the early stages, it sets back the whole program because they lose a significant test asset, so they plan this type of test later in the program and keep their fingers crossed that there aren't any major problems. That may or may not be the case for this specific example, but I know that's how .gov operates sometimes. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
|
Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: You shut up with your knowledge, experience, and facts.Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: It seems a little weird to me that they are still exploring the boundaries (flight testing) of the plane after people are taking deliveries of them. How old is the video? Published on 19 Nov 2012 by LockheedMartinVideos Video of F-35A high angle of attack testing at Edwards AFB with test pilot commentary. Testing began in late October 2012. The aircraft can be certified with certain parameters, and then the envelope gets expanded and revised with testing and software and hardware upgrades. Aircraft design isn't a one off deal, it's an evolutionary process. THIS. IS. GEE DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! I think you should read more and post less. The point is not expanding the flight envelope. The problem is taking delivery of aircraft that are supposed to count towards our total operational numbers before the flight test program is complete. Do you get that at all? That means we are getting aircraft that may need major redesigns and we don't know it. The contractor has no problem with rebuilding those aircraft or with delivering more aircraft at the back end of production, but as taxpayers we sure as hell should. You don't know what LRIP is. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
You shut up with your knowledge, experience, and facts.
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
It seems a little weird to me that they are still exploring the boundaries (flight testing) of the plane after people are taking deliveries of them. How old is the video? Published on 19 Nov 2012 by LockheedMartinVideos Video of F-35A high angle of attack testing at Edwards AFB with test pilot commentary. Testing began in late October 2012. The aircraft can be certified with certain parameters, and then the envelope gets expanded and revised with testing and software and hardware upgrades. Aircraft design isn't a one off deal, it's an evolutionary process. THIS. IS. GEE DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! I think you should read more and post less. The point is not expanding the flight envelope. The problem is taking delivery of aircraft that are supposed to count towards our total operational numbers before the flight test program is complete. Do you get that at all? That means we are getting aircraft that may need major redesigns and we don't know it. The contractor has no problem with rebuilding those aircraft or with delivering more aircraft at the back end of production, but as taxpayers we sure as hell should. You don't know what LRIP is. Yes I do. Low rate intital production. In other words, aircraft built before the program clears all of its milestones and is cleared for full rate production. LRIP aircraft are built with risk with regards to testing. The decision for LRIP is supposed to be made when the risk has been mitigated to the point where major issues are not expected. I also know where this program is in its flight testing. The decision to enter into LRIP has not been made on the basis of risk. It has been made on the basis of politics. For the USMC and USAF they need to make this a fait accompli and they're doing it with little regard to the risk of the program. I mean, if there are major problems and these aircraft can't be used for combat missions (like the early airframes of the F-22A another LockMart product) they'll just ask the taxpayers to pay for more, or a rebuild, or maybe a generation 6 aircraft, depending on what the mood is like at the time. So how long have you worked for LM? |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
I can't imagine a world in which I have the balls to deliberately force a high performance aircraft into a non-flight situation. Hats off to those guys! somebody's got to do it; better them than me. maybe a coincidence, but the several Test Pilots i've met were extremely relaxed in temperment. They truly are a different breed. |
|
Quoted:
It seems a little weird to me that they are still exploring the boundaries (flight testing) of the plane after people are taking deliveries of them. This is the usual practice. After the airplane finishes this phase, weapons clearance flying will start; that will require a decade or more to complete. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
I can't imagine a world in which I have the balls to deliberately force a high performance aircraft into a non-flight situation. Hats off to those guys! somebody's got to do it; better them than me. maybe a coincidence, but the several Test Pilots i've met were extremely relaxed in temperment. Those are the "low gain" pilots. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
You shut up with your knowledge, experience, and facts.
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
It seems a little weird to me that they are still exploring the boundaries (flight testing) of the plane after people are taking deliveries of them. How old is the video? Published on 19 Nov 2012 by LockheedMartinVideos Video of F-35A high angle of attack testing at Edwards AFB with test pilot commentary. Testing began in late October 2012. The aircraft can be certified with certain parameters, and then the envelope gets expanded and revised with testing and software and hardware upgrades. Aircraft design isn't a one off deal, it's an evolutionary process. THIS. IS. GEE DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! I think you should read more and post less. The point is not expanding the flight envelope. The problem is taking delivery of aircraft that are supposed to count towards our total operational numbers before the flight test program is complete. Do you get that at all? That means we are getting aircraft that may need major redesigns and we don't know it. The contractor has no problem with rebuilding those aircraft or with delivering more aircraft at the back end of production, but as taxpayers we sure as hell should. The F-22 set the bar at new heights in this regard. The USAF and LM had to get airplanes on the ramp. They did, too. Now we're retrofitting those airplanes to bring them up to the standard. I lost count at the variations, I think there are three broad groups. This is a precedent that should not be permitted to live past F-35. |
|
Quoted:
It seems a little weird to me that they are still exploring the boundaries (flight testing) of the plane after people are taking deliveries of them. He said it right in the video they are doing it to help train and make procedures to help train the guys flying the machine recover from bad situations. they aren't "testing" it, they are developing better recovery training for pilots. the plane already meets the specifications set for it when it was delivered. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
It seems a little weird to me that they are still exploring the boundaries (flight testing) of the plane after people are taking deliveries of them. This is the usual practice. After the airplane finishes this phase, weapons clearance flying will start; that will require a decade or more to complete. Ha Ha, I detect the sarcasm, or maybe not. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
It seems a little weird to me that they are still exploring the boundaries (flight testing) of the plane after people are taking deliveries of them. This is the usual practice. After the airplane finishes this phase, weapons clearance flying will start; that will require a decade or more to complete. Ha Ha, I detect the sarcasm, or maybe not. I'm dead serious. We're barely in the engineering development phase of F-35 flight testing. Flying with weapons requires a whole new engineering effort to understand separation, shock, vibration, loads, flutter, and so on, and their effects on the airplane. Every weapon, every rack, and every combination has to be examined and most of them have to be flown through the entire envelope where they will be deployed. Analysis and vibe testing in the lab are required. It's tedious and it's necessary to insure the airplane is safe to operate, or even that it can be operated. Add a new weapon, and the work starts over from scratch. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Nice. I wonder how many hours those dudes in Eglin are actually getting in that thing. There are 22 aircraft and they have barely flown 500 sorties, total. Average sortie is what, 1.1 hrs give or take? Somewhere around there, some test sorties are shorter, like .8 or so. I would imagine max sortie duration on internal fuel is pretty abysmal, around an hour. |