Posted on 02/04/2010 7:20:34 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
Wyle air crew personnel have become the first aviators to aerially refuel the F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing variant (STOVL) of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) using a probe-and-drogue refueling system during a recent mission at Lockheed Martin's Ft. Worth, Tex. manufacturing facility.
These first aerial refueling missions were performed by Wyle aircrew flying a Navy KC-130 tanker aircraft assigned to the U.S. Navy's Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Twenty (VX-20) at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. The refueled aircraft, designated the F-35BF-2, represents one of three variants of this fifth generation strike fighter, developed for the U.S. military and eight allied nations.
Two of the first five F-35B aircraft slated for flight testing arrived at Patuxent River in the last quarter of 2009 and Wyle's KC-130 aircrew team will continue to assist with refueling missions as testing progresses.
Wyle has the largest independent flight test team in the world with more than 70 members, including 53 pilots, flying 20-plus types of aircraft from supersonic manned jets to helicopters to unmanned flight systems. Among the aircraft flown by Wyle pilots are the F/A-18, V-22, E-2D, P-3, KC-130 and AH-64D.
For the refueling mission, Wyle's crew included Steve Angay, Craig Homer, Josh Izenour, Jeff Kosich, Chris Loftis, and Bill Smith who support VX-20.
(Excerpt) Read more at aviationtoday.com ...
Ping
Its not all bad. Still wish we had the F-22 in larger numbers though.
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A.A.'s pic was from that event. Or is this just reclycled old news?
I was gonna say, “They’re just getting around to testing this?”
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