OT-f-35 Sea Trails

[Hauksbee 103]

First carrier sea trials with no arresting hooks. The blurb follows:

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

 

These are the latest sea trials of the F-35B on the USS Wasp. They were very successful, with74 VL's and STO's in a three week period.

The mediaand the program critics had predicted that we would burn holes in the deck and washsailors overboard. Neither of which happened. You will notice a sailor standingon the bow of the ship as the jet rotates.

 

That was anintentional part of the sea trials. No catapult... No hook.... It’s a new world out there!

The shapeand scope of warfare – worldwide – just changed.

 

 

F-35B

 

 

Edited April 6, 2012 by Hauksbee

[Pips 5]

Quite spectacular! Does this mean the CV no longer has to turn into the wind for a F-35 landing? The aircraft itself can pivot over the carrier until it is facing into the wind.

[Flyby PC 23]

Cough, cough. Sea Harrier. Cough, cough.

 

Correction, make that now retired from service Sea Harrier. 1993 to 2006. (1993 was when the Sea Harrier entered service, but the Harrier itself was 1978).

 

They punched well above their weight in the Falklands and took off a ramped flight deck to save fuel rather than rely on VTOL. (But they could have if the flight deck was damaged)

 

http://en.wikipedia....ace_Sea_Harrier

Edited April 7, 2012 by Flyby PC

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

Yeah!...Like many things..Us Brits invented it..and the Yanks pour money at it and call it theirs!

[tranquillo 10]

I clicked on the link, wathched the video, and thought "Didn't the Sea Harrier do that?" Then I noticed that it's already been mentioned - thought I'd post anyway

[Hauksbee 103]

Yeah!...Like many things..Us Brits invented it..and the Yanks pour money at it and call it theirs!

I thought the Brits invented it, then sold it to the U.S because it worked so well.

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

I thought the Brits invented it, then sold it to the U.S because it worked so well.

 

Yes m8...They were built under licence in the US

[Flyby PC 23]

Think the US Marines have had a love affair with Harriers for some time, to the extent I'm sure they have their own.

 

Criminal the UK scrapping Harriers. They have years of service left ahead of them.

 

 

 

When I think, I'm sure that pre-Falklands, when the Task Force was still on its way, lots of people were worried the Harrier wasn't fast enough to do the business and protect the fleet. They reckoned it would get a bit of a doing up against the Argentinian fast jets. In the event, the Harrier served us proud, being more than a match for the Pucharas and the like, and way too manouvreable for the faster jets to engage. I don't think a single Harrier was lost to enemy action. 2 were lost in accidents, but sure I remember none were shot down in actual aerial combat. I also seem to recall the Harrier pilots stopped counting kills with sidewinders as proper kills. Guns were adequate and took more skill. (That wasn't flippant arrogance either, the UK pilots deeply respected the bravery and ability of the Argentinians, but using sidewinders was no contest and akin to murder). Not bad for 1970's aircraft fully expected to get its arse kicked since it was only designed to hide in the bushes once the Ruskies had cratered all of NATO's runways. Brilliant piece of kit way, way, way ahead of its time..

 

Part of me likes to think there's a big secret bunker somewhere in the UK and under some massive big tarpaulin in a dark and shady corner there are half a dozen harrier shaped lumps with all their electrics disconnected and fluids drained, and their ignition keys in six break glass in emergency boxes fixed to the wall. Just so the UK can save a few pence and give it to some fat sleazy greasy banker for a Christmas present. Shameful.Thats bean counters for you. Count them all out, and count them all back in again.

Edited April 7, 2012 by Flyby PC