F-35 To Royal Air Tattoo: Wait Till Next Year

[unhappycamper]

http://aviationweek.com/awin-only/f-35-royal-air-tattoo-wait-till-next-year?NL=AW-13&Issue=AW-13_20140718_AW-13_63&YM_RID=%27email%27&YM_MID=%27mmid%27&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_2



F-35 To Royal Air Tattoo: Wait Till Next Year
Angus Batey, Amy Svitak and Tony Osborne | Aviation Week & Space Technology
Jul 21, 2014

The absence of the F-35B from its highly anticipated international debut at two air shows in the U.K. was a public relations embarrassment for U.S. program leadership, prime contractor Lockheed Martin and, especially, engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney, whose F135 caused the fire that grounded the entire Joint Strike Fighter fleet.

The disappointment and wisecracks circulating as a result will eventually subside, and the debut that wasn’t likely will be reduced to a footnote in the program’s storied history.

But the graver implications of a three-week full stand-down of test flights followed by a very restricted flight clearance are yet to be fully understood. Program Executive Officer U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan said on July 10, before the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) at RAF Fairford, that about 50 test-flight opportunities had been missed as of that day; flights resumed six days later. While grounded, aircraft were updated with modifications slated for later in the test program, building extra margin that can be used for later flights, he said.

But the F-35’s return to the skies is very limited. Pilots are restricted to Mach 0.9, 18-deg. angle of attack, -1 to 3 gs and half a stick deflection for rolls. The overall impact on the program and its key milestones will depend on how long these limits are in place.

[TexasProgresive]

1. It would've been worse than an embarrassment

if the engine failure occurred at the air show with great loss of life.