First F-35B take-off from HMS Queen Elizabeth: video

[Weaver]

First F-35B take-off from HMS Queen Elizabeth:

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/watch-first-f-35b-takes-off-from-hms-queen-elizabeth/

[PR19_Kit]

Interestingly the exhaust nozzle stayed almost static during the launch up the ski-jump.

On the vids of the Marines F-35Bs launching from their flat decked carriers it goes totally bananas as the aircraft rotates, going up, down and sideways like crazy. Perhaps the ski-jump really does do 'what it says on the tin' and launches the aircraft at the correct attitude no matter what the pilot does?

I wish they'd have shown the first landing as well though.

[zenrat]

Would the first landing come before the first take off?
Or would they have loaded the plane on board by some other means?

[scooter]

This paragraph is telling in reminding readers of certain "news"papers not to believe the propaganda:

The reason that the aircraft are American isn't some scandalous outrage or sign of something terrible, it's simply that most of the F-35Bs in Joint Operational Test team are American. Just watch how some papers report this, though.

Companion article: First F-35 jets land on HMS Queen Elizabeth

[zenrat]

Thanks Scoot.
They could have combined the two into one article entitled First F-35 jets operate on HMS etc.

I strikes me that a few stickers could have rebadged the F-35s as RAF and saved everyone from the frothing indignation of the UK gutter press.

[Weaver]

This paragraph is telling in reminding readers of certain "news"papers not to believe the propaganda:

The reason that the aircraft are American isn't some scandalous outrage or sign of something terrible, it's simply that most of the F-35Bs in Joint Operational Test team are American. Just watch how some papers report this, though.

Companion article: First F-35 jets land on HMS Queen Elizabeth

They even put the 'American jets' bit into a separate article: https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/why-were-the-first-f-35-jets-to-land-on-hms-queen-elizabeth-american/

I suspect this is so they can throw it back at the never-ending stream of people who reply to anything about the carriers on Twitter with stuff like "but what use are these huge carriers if we havn't got any aircraft to fly from them eh? EH? ANSWER THAT ONE THEN!!!!"

UKDJ has been quite entertainingly sharp in response sometimes: you can feel the frustration through the screen....

LMAO: somebody's started an entire Twitter account called Carrier Corrections:

[scooter]

Oddly, the JMNs who'll be frothing heavily at the thought of US fighters flying from Her Majesty's flattop seem to forget about being able to crossdeck fighters.  US Harriers operating off HM's ships, HM's Harriers operating off of Uncle Sam's flattops, etc...

[kitnut617]

Oddly, the JMNs who'll be frothing heavily at the thought of US fighters flying from Her Majesty's flattop seem to forget about being able to crossdeck fighters.  US Harriers operating off HM's ships, HM's Harriers operating off of Uncle Sam's flattops, etc...

Yeah! and they also seem to forget that RAF/RN pilots have been testing the F-35B from the get-go in the States ----

[kerick]

Now don't start confusing the press with facts, they are not interested. It's dangerous to give people facts to digest.

[kitnut617]

IIRC, the first vertical takeoff and landing of an F-35B was performed by one of the Brit test pilots ---

[PR19_Kit]

IIRC, the first vertical takeoff and landing of an F-35B was performed by one of the Brit test pilots ---

Indeed it was. My employers used the video of it for publicity, with a whole lot of MTS logos shooting out of the forward lift nozzles as it lift4ed off! 

[Leading Observer]

And here's one doing SRVL. The Shipborne Rolling Vertical Landing (SRVL) is a British endeavour—a capability at least a decade in the making—that will allow pilots to return to ship with more stores on the aircraft after a mission.
It is a process designed to land jump-jet aircraft that uses both the vertical thrust from the jet engine and lift from the wings, thus maximising the payload an aircraft can return with and stopping the financial waste that comes with dropping expensive weaponry in the sea in order to land vertically.

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/f-35-conducts-first-shipborne-rolling-vertical-landing-on-hms-queen-elizabeth/

[PR19_Kit]

Good stuff! 

Now if they fitted a hook to the back of the aircraft and laid some wires across the deck they could land them even faster too...........

[Thorvic]

Yes the press were quite funny as some were putting up headlines about the fleet being grounded, whilst QNLZ had already checked out its pair of trials aircraft and had gone to SRVL testing.

Interesting dumb statement on the BBC article covering SRVL by say we were the only nation going to use this landing procedure. They appear to have not realised that the USMC will be deploying a squadron on a regular basis aboard starting in 2020 and are most likely to adopt the same procedures when aboard so will use both the Ski-jump and SRVL to maximise their experience aboard the QEC's. The QEC are optimised for F-35B flight operations where as the USN LHA/LHD are really focused on Helicopter air assault with a secondary Fixed wing role.