F-35C heads north
June 30th, 2011 | Aviation Navy Research testing | Posted by Joshua Stewart
The first F-35C test aircraft has left Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., for the first volley of carrier-suitability tests at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
CF-2, the second test aircraft delivered by Lockheed Martin to the Navy, arrived at Lakehurst on June 25 and was flown by test pilot Lt. Cmdr. Eric “Magic” Buus. While there, the airplane will be used for jet blast deflector tests, including deck heating, deflector panel cooling and other aspects. Shipboard testing is scheduled for 2013.
But this isn’t exactly how things were planned, and this change-up, unlike others that have dogged the Joint Strike Fighter program, isn’t something to worry about. Originally a different test aircraft, CF-1, was supposed to head to Lakehurst first. However, tests earlier this summer went better than expected, allowing a change of plans, said Cmdr. Victor Chen, a Naval Air Systems Command spokesman.
“F-35C testing is currently ahead of schedule, allowing previously unplanned testing on CF-1 to eliminate the requirements that caused it to be the only aircraft that could support initial (jet blast deflector) testing. With both aircraft able to support, the decision was made to keep CF-1 at the F-35 integrated test facility at NAS Patuxent River in order to perform a software upgrade, modify flight test instrumentation and execute flight test points, which it did on its first Pax fly day,” Chen said.
Two test aircraft are expected to go to Lakehurst later this summer for more carrier-suitability tests, including catapult launches and roll-in and arrested landings.
One for the history books
June 10th, 2011 | Gator Navy Helicopters LPD-17 Navy Photos San Antonio class Ships testing | Posted by Bill McMichael
No, it’s not a doctored photo. That’s two — TWO — San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ships operating simultaneously.
The amphibious transport dock ships San Antonio (left) and New York steam alongside while operating together in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Virginia. // U.S. Navy Photo by MC1 (SW/AW) Edwin F. Bryan
To be fair, two of the other three commissioned ships in the class are also at sea. Mesa Verde and Green Bay are deployed. New Orleans just completed sea trials following a scheduled maintenance period. New York took part in the recent Fleet Week event in New York City and, as you can see in the June 9 photo above, is now underway, conducting unit-level training. But let’s face it: This is a rare pic — particularly since San Antonio is in it.
The class has been beset with problems from the day in 2005 when the Navy accepted San Antonio and a mountain of mechanical and electrical problems that have limited it to one deployment in five years as a commissioned ship. It’s now in the second phase of sea trials that follow cancellation of this year’s scheduled deployment and extensive — and expensive — repair work ordered by Fleet Forces Command.
Subsequent ships in the class came to the Navy in better shape than San Antonio, but only slightly. In late 2009, inspectors discovered that a bent crankshaft in one of New York’s four diesel engines, our colleague Christopher Cavas reported. Similar problems had surfaced earlier on Mesa Verde and Green Bay. New Orleans had propulsion, communication and well deck/vehicle ramp issues.
Given the problems, and the prodigious efforts to correct them, the above photo struck us as unique.
The entire program has obviously been a mess. Everyone, from Congress and Big Navy to the waterfront, is pulling for the class, and its hard-working crews, to put the problems in the rear-view mirror and fully join the fleet.
San Antonio trials, Part 2
June 8th, 2011 | Amphibious operations LPD-17 Navy Photos San Antonio class testing | Posted by Bill McMichael
The oft-troubled amphibious transport dock ship San Antonio continues its journey from reclamation project to fleet-ready this week during the second phase of special sea trials following an extended maintenance period.
The amphibious transport dock ship San Antonio heads out to sea after departing Naval Station Norfolk to begin its second half of sea trials, which will focus on flight and well deck operations, combat systems testing and improved crew proficiency. // U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW) Lolita Lewis.
The ship, the first in its class but deployed only once in its five years in the fleet due to widespread mechanical and electrical problems that forced cancellation of this year’s scheduled deployment, passed the first phase of the trials, held from May 17-26. Afterward, commanding officer Cmdr. Thomas Kait gave his ship and crew an “A+” following comprehensive testing of the ship’s propulsion, steering, electrical, navigation and damage control systems.
This set of trials, which began June 6, is putting the ship through more dynamic twists and turns, testing flight and well deck operations as well as the ship’s combat systems suite, according to the ship’s executive officer, Cmdr. Neil Koprowski.
“I look forward to as successful a second half of sea trials as we had in part one,” Koprowski said. “The crew performed very well, and morale is high. I am completely confident that we will take care of business over the next phase and finish sea trials fully capable, ready to rejoin the fleet.”
Kait said in late May that if all goes well, San Antonio will begin basic training for overseas deployment but could be ready by summer’s end to deploy on short notice should a contingency arise.
Some good news, for a change
May 26th, 2011 | Amphibious operations Gator Navy LPD-17 Maintenance Navy San Antonio class Ships testing | Posted by Bill McMichael
The much-maligned amphibious transport dock ship San Antonio returned to Norfolk Thursday afternoon after 10 days of sea trials, and commanding officer Cmdr. Thomas Kait seemed like a very happy man during a press availability in his onboard cabin.
“I would characterize it as an A-plus,” Kait told reporters. “I don’t know how many times I said `great’ or said, `This is the first time this ship’s done this in two years’.”
Kait said crew morale was sky-high, “just knowing that their gear worked. All the hard work they put forth over the past two years. I know there were a lot of people rootin’ for us who had left the command over the past six months that put a little blood and sweat into it as well. I know they were cheering for us on shore as well.”
This first of two phases of sea trials was dedicated to validating the main diesel engines. Kait said the ship operated about 80 miles off the Atlantic coast to steer clear of shipping and also kept maneuvering to a minimum, all so as not to throw off the vibration analysis equipment and other engine testing gear. A stepped series of tests, each more intense than the previous step, culminated with a full-power demonstration.
“We went full speed on all four engines for one hour,” Kait said. “We did some rudder swing checks. We shut power to the steering units to make sure they’d hold at a 25-degree rudder — which they did fantastic.” The ship then went all astern, full power, and followed that with the same steering checks performed going forward.
There was a bit of vibration as the ship got to 25 knots and up, Kait said — “which we would expect to see.” He received one report of a sailor standing between two main engines while underway who “said they were purring like kittens.”
Drive train vibration had been an issue when engineers searching for the cause last year discovered misaligned or non-tightened foundation bolts and an improperly installed main reduction gear. The problem, coming atop efforts to repair electrical, lube oil and other systemic problems, forced officials to cancel the ship’s scheduled deployment this year.
Kait, mindful of those issues, was careful not to get overly enthusiastic. “Instead of saying we’re doing great, I’d like to say that we’re getting back to where we should be,” Kait said. “We have a little bit of a checkered past, but I think we’ve overcome that. We’re not doing anything special. We’re following the maintenance requirements cards — just what every other ship does.”
During the second phase of sea trials, which begins in June, more emphasis will be placed on the San Antonio’s combat systems. “We’ll do a lot more maneuvering, to increase our proficiency,” Kait said.
If all that goes well, San Antonio will start preparing for only its second deployment since being delivered in August 2005. Kait said he couldn’t yet say when that might happen but said that the ship will begin the now-standard 20-week basic training phase. Integrated training with other amphibious ships would normally follow. But should a contingency arise, he said, San Antonio will be ready to respond once its flight and well decks are fully certified — probably by the end of summer, Kait said.
The JSF STOVL lands — but will it fly?
January 12th, 2011 | Aviation Joint Strike Fighter Naval aviation Navy testing Video | Posted by Bill McMichael
The Marine Corps variant of the Joint Strike Fighter is officially on shaky ground, as observers of military affairs learned Jan. 6 when Defense Secretary Robert Gates expressed concern over “significant testing problems” and announced he was putting the F-35B “on the equivalent of a two-year probation.” Oddly, that same day, manufacturer Lockheed Martin said the jet made its first vertical landing — at the same base, Naval Air Station Patuxent, Md., where the jet completed its first successful hover test in March.
Impressive. What can’t be seen, however, are the testing problems that Gates could lead to “a redesign of the aircraft’s structure and propulsion, changes that could add yet more weight and more cost to an aircraft that has little capacity to absorb more of either.” If these issues can’t be remedied in two years and the variant isn’t back on track “in terms of performance, cost and schedule, then I believe it should be canceled,” Gates said.