F-35 Night Vertical Landing
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Velocity173
Need to get rid of that big green search light on the bottom.
tmyers
En-Route
We have a POA member aboard that ship.
Fearless Tower
Touchdown! Greaser!
That would be me (on the ship that is)
The answer is.....we don't really know for sure, but the structural engineers at NAVSEA insist that the LHDs need some significant deck strengthening mods to accommodate long-term F-35B ops. We are currently in the shipyard to have the JSF mods installed....HUGE project and will take several months.
However, during round two of the developmental testing we did in Aug, we (the ship's crew) did not observe any structural weakness issues. It was deafening loud in the aft portions of the O2 level (directly under the flight deck) during the landings. They are supposed to include some sound proofing in those spaces.
Biggest issue we had with the jet was relatively minor- a few flight deck nets on the bow were getting trashed, a roller door on the fantail was damaged by blast....stuff like that.
The answer is.....we don't really know for sure, but the structural engineers at NAVSEA insist that the LHDs need some significant deck strengthening mods to accommodate long-term F-35B ops. We are currently in the shipyard to have the JSF mods installed....HUGE project and will take several months.
However, during round two of the developmental testing we did in Aug, we (the ship's crew) did not observe any structural weakness issues. It was deafening loud in the aft portions of the O2 level (directly under the flight deck) during the landings. They are supposed to include some sound proofing in those spaces.
Biggest issue we had with the jet was relatively minor- a few flight deck nets on the bow were getting trashed, a roller door on the fantail was damaged by blast....stuff like that.
Fearless Tower
Touchdown! Greaser!
BTW, thanks for posting the video. One of the things they sucked about the DT was that we weren't allowed to take any photos or video while they were onboard. Everything had to be screened by the program office before release.
I don't see a huge problem there. The deck is steel and reasonably thick. I wouldn't want to be bunked underneath the landing pad, but I think the usage level would be getting pretty extreme before there was a significant problem due to heating. We weld and torch cut on decks all day long with no problems.
Is that due to the weight of the bird? Or is it a CYA or 'Get some extra budget'? Because I'm not seeing a heck of a big issue.
Fearless Tower
Touchdown! Greaser!
That vectored nozzle is pretty extreme (a lot more than an AV-8), and the aircraft is at least twice the size of a Harrier, so the greater weight is a concern, but....bigger heads than mine prevailed with the decision making and consequently I may end up transferring before this tub heads back to sea again.
Fortunately, no one sleeps back where it lands. All the living space on that deck is up forward.
Fearless Tower
Touchdown! Greaser!
Don't know for sure. We asked the question about whether we really needed to go through the pain of the structural mods (they literally have to rip up the deck and add the additional strengthening supports before going back and re-running all of the piping for chill water, fireman, electric cables etc.
The guys with the pocket protectors said yes, the pain was necessary.
Weight is the only real factor I can see unless you were running round the clock with landings every couple of minutes. How old are all those buckets now?
Fearless Tower
Touchdown! Greaser!
Well, WASP (my ship) was the first of the class, launched in '87 and commissioned in '89. MAKIN ISLAND was just commissioned in the last few years, so there is quite a spread in age.
That's not particularly old considering the care they get.
tmyers
En-Route
Very proud of my military friends and their service to our country, and especially so of the one that bears my last name.