F-35 Lightning II developments

[Coati]

The first LRIP-2 aircraft AF-8 (08-0746/EG), made it's first flight the 6th of May, to become the 15th flying F-35. This aircraft will be the first one, which is destined for Eglin AFB 33 FW (after AF-6 & AF-7 were switched to bolster the SDD program). LRIP-2 consists of 12 aircraft, 6 F-35A and 6 F-35B, which were ordered in 2008.

14 F-35s are now in active flying, 13x SDD (including AF-6 and 7), plus the first to be delivered to the USAF. (AA-1 already completed testing and is grounded).

[Coati]

AF-7 has been accepted by the USAF and is delivered to Edwards to reinforce the SDD aircraft which already operate from Edwards AFB, the 6th of May. AF-7 is the first production model delivered to the USAF.

In total 8 more production aircraft have been delivered from the factory, 2 from LRIP-1 (of 2) and 7 from LRIP-2 (of 12), of these aircraft, three have already flown (AF-6, AF-7 and AF-8).

Test flights conducted to date: 865. (>300 the previous 5 months)

[Coati]

And yet another F-35A took to the sky:

AF-9 (08-0747/EG) with 33 FW markings made it's maiden flight the 13th of May. This is the second LRIP-2 aircraft to fly and the 4th production model to fly. AF-9 will be delivered to the Eglin wing soon.

http://www.codeonemagazine.com/news_ite ... tem_id=332

[Coati]

CF-2, the second SDD F-35C, which first flew the 29th of April, is ferried to NAS Patuxent River to join the SDD test program today.

[Coati]

AF-6 has been ferried to Edwards AFB the 16th of May, so Both LRIP-1 planes (AF-6 and AF-7) are now delivered to the USAF and added to the SDD flight program.

Now at Edwards, 6x F-35A: AF-1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7
Now at PAX 5x F-35B and 2x F-35C: BF-1, 2,3, 4, 5 and CF-1,2
Already flying at Fort Worth and waiting delivery to Eglin 33 FW (2x F-35A): AF-8,9

[Coati]

CF-3 made it's first flight the 21st of May. This was the last SDD aircraft which still had to fly. (previous months this airframe was involved in RCS tests). CF-3 is expected to be delivered to NAS Patuxent next month.
Now all the 12 SDD are flying, and augmented with two additional F-35Aaircraft, flight testing is picking up fast. Vertical landings by the F-35B fleet already exeeded 100, and the number of test flights for all types (including AA-1 91 flights) totals around 900 flights. The SDD program will be further reinforced by an additional F-35C airframe (CF-5 in 2013).

[Propwash]

U.S. Senators Ask For JSF Alternatives (Aviationweek)

[Coati]

Two more first flights:

http://www.codeonemagazine.com/news_ite ... tem_id=392

"The fifth and sixth production models of the F-35 Lightning II, F-35A AF-10 and AF-11, completed their inaugural flights on 29 June and 1 July 2011, respectively, from NAS Fort Worth JRB. (AF-11 first flight shown in photo.)"

So as of now:

12x SDD aircraft flying
6x production models flying (of which 2 (both LRIP-1 aircraft) are added to the SDD program at Edwards AFB.

Other news: Norway has ordered 4 F-35A Joint Strike Fighters.

[Coati]

And the 1000th test flight has been made the 20th of June, by AF-6:

http://www.codeonemagazine.com/news_ite ... tem_id=389

[Coati]

Another milestone in the F-35 program: The first F-35A is delivered to the Air Force. AF-9 arrived yesterday at Eglin Air Force Base to become operational under the 33rd Fighter Wing.

Further: a few days ago AF-12 made it's first flight. So as of now:

All 12 SDD aircraft are flying
The 2 LRIP-1 production aircraft are added to the SDD program and flying at Edwards.
5 out of 12 LRIP-2 production aircraft are flying, of which the first one is delivered to the Air Force.

[Coati]

More news: AF-13, the sixth and last F-35A of LRIP-2 also flew. First flight was the 14th of July. Next first flights will be the first of six F-35B aircraft of LRIP-2.

Also: the 100th flight of the F-35C has been made when CF-2 returned to PAX after jet blast preparations for carrier ops.. And at Pax over 240 vertical landings have been made by the F-35B pilots.

[sdamico]

A VX-20 KC-130 tanker (SCORE 58) was at NASJRB Fort Worth as of yesterday. So BF-5 (the only completed SDD aircraft left in Fort Worth) should be close to being ferried to Pax (scheduled for this summer). CF-3 was delivered to Pax on 3 June.

Rgds,
SD

[Coati]

A VX-20 KC-130 tanker (SCORE 58) was at NASJRB Fort Worth as of yesterday. So BF-5 (the only completed SDD aircraft left in Fort Worth) should be close to being ferried to Pax (scheduled for this summer). CF-3 was delivered to Pax on 3 June.

Rgds,
SD

Correct, BF-5 was ferried to PAX the 16th of July, according to Code One. This is the last SDD aircraft to be delivered to the test bases (not counting the additional SDD aircraft added later to the program):

F-35B BF-5 was ferried to NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, on 16 July 2011. The aircraft joins seven other F-35B/C models now being operated at the US Navy’s flight test center. BF-5 is the final test flight aircraft delivered for the F-35 program.

http://www.codeonemagazine.com/news_ite ... tem_id=412

[Coati]

AF-8 is the second F-35A delivered to Eglin AFB to join 58 Fighter Squadron. The aircraft was delivered the 20th of July.

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/news/pres ... -f-35.html


And Nellis AFB will receive 36 F-35A aircraft, starting deliveries next year:

http://www.f-16.net/news_article4384.html

[Coati]

As of June 30, Lockheed Martin officials say the F-35 program has accomplished 18% more flights than the planned 378 for this year and 30% more test points than the planned 2,996 for this year.

They break down by variant as follows:
•F-35A conventional version with 208 flights (180 planned).
•F-35B Stovl with 170 flights (138 planned).
•F-35C with 70 flights (60 planned).

Test-point statistics are:
•F-35A with 1,578 (1,533 planned).
•F-35B with 1,528 (1,072 planned).
•F-35C with 765 (391 planned).

The Stovl version has also executed 116 vertical landings to date.

http://www.navair.navy.mil/lakehurst/nl ... esting.pdf