The Air Force is concluding a series of “night flights” at Edwards AFB, Calif., that test the F-35’s capability when flying in instrument meteorological conditions–when pilots have no external visibility references.
The service’s F-35 Integrated Test Force, which has the lead on all Joint Strike Fighter mission systems testing, is responsible for five night flights, with Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., conducting the sixth, according to an Air Force statement.
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| The F-35 performs a night flight. Photo: Lockheed Martin. |
F-35 ITF Director of Operations Air Force Lt. Col. Peter Vitt said last week in a statement the original intent was to perform three night flights at Edwards and three at Patuxent River with the Marine Corps’ F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) variant and the Navy’s F-35C aircraft carrier variant.
“But as we moved into the execution phase, it made sense for us to do five here (at Edwards) because of the variety in our pilots’ backgrounds,” Vitt said. “Additionally, the airplanes fly essentially the same in an instrument environment and the mission system software is identical, so we leveraged that to make things more efficient.”
F-35 ITF Government Director Air Force Lt. Col. George Schwartz said yesterday in an email the ITF is also continuing testing of the F-35’s Block 2B software and weapons integration. Schwartz said the ITF is also planning its first Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) launch in June and will continue with Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) GBU-31 and GBU-12 Paveway II laser guided munition separations.
Schwartz said night flights were conducted on F-35As at Edwards and a F-35C night flight took place at Patuxent River.
When the ITF completes the night flights, a variety of capabilities will have been tested, including ground operations and the pilot’s ability to maneuver the aircraft without becoming disoriented. The test team will also evaluate the navigation systems, data from the instrument landing system and how well the radios work.
For safety purposes and to ensure decision-quality data is collected, the ITF used a “build-up” approach to conduct the night flights. Pilots began flying in visual meteorological conditions, familiarizing themselves with the F-35’s mission systems. Simulator flights, which took place in February, also helped pilots prepare for the missions.
This is not the first series of night flights for the F-35 ITF. A flight test-only clearance was granted in December 2011 so the test team could get an early look at the aircraft’s refueling lights and assess night air refueling capabilities. Nighttime aerial refueling took place for the first time in early 2012, demonstrating the F-35’s ability to safely and adequately perform the test.
The F-35B in May performed its first ever vertical takeoff before transitioning into level flight before performing a vertical landing (Defense Daily, May 21).
The F-35 is developed by Lockheed Martin [LMT].