F-35C DT-II On The USS Eisenhower
29 January 2016
The F-35C Carrier Suitability Test Team deployed aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) for Developmental Test Phase Two (DT-II) in October 2015. Trials with F-35C test aircraft CF-03 and CF-05 spanned nine days in operating areas near the Atlantic coast between Florida and Virginia. DT-II followed a successful round of initial sea trials in 2014.
F-16 MATV
20 April 2015
The Multi-Axis Thrust Vectoring system allowed the F-16 to maneuver effectively beyond its twenty-five degree angle of attack limit to almost 100 degrees AOA.
F-35 Aerial Refuel Testing
9 April 2015
F-35B test aircraft BF-17 was flown over Edwards AFB, California, during several aerial refueling missions behind KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-10 Extender tankers. The tests involved a drogue adapter attached to the centerline refueling boom on the KC-135 and the hose-and-drogue refueling system on the KC-10.
F-35 Climatic Testing
1 April 2015
Every major US weapon system and its associated equipment make the trek to Eglin to undergo environmental testing at the lab. The F-35 is the latest to be frozen, baked, deluged, snowed, blown, fogged, and humidified.
F-35A Lightning II Images
5 March 2015
Various images of F-35A Lightning II.
F-35B Lightning II Images
5 March 2015
F-35B Lightning II photo collection.
F-35C Lightning II Images
5 March 2015
Various photos of F-35C Lightning II aircraft.
F-16 Baltic Air Policing In Lithuania
20 February 2015
The thirty-sixth NATO deployment to secure air space over the Baltic States began on 1 September 2014 when four F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters of the Portuguese Air Force, or Força Aérea Portuguesa, landed at Šiauliai. The F-16s came from Esquadra 201 Falcoes (Falcons) and Esquadra 301 Jaguares, (Jaguars) at Monte Real AB in Portugal. The deployment ended in January 2015.
F-35 Flight Test Update 14
20 January 2015
The previous F-35 Flight Test Update concluded with F-35A test aircraft AF-3 completing 500 flight hours on 18 March 2013, making AF-3 the second mission systems test Lightning II to reach this milestone. This fourteenth installment in the series of F-35 flight testing reviews presents a large variety of additional milestones for the F-35 test fleet from a monthly flight record for the F-35 CATBird in March to the completion of the initial carrier trials for the F-35C in November.
Semper Viper
10 January 2015
Joe Bill Dryden was a graduate of the US Air Force Academy, Class of '62. After retiring from the Air Force, Joe Bill became an experimental test pilot for General Dynamics. His experience with the F-16 began when he was selected to represent Tactical Air Command as one of the original members of the YF-16/YF-17 Lightweight Fighter Joint Test Team. He subsequently flew and helped develop various combinations of F-16 airframe, engine, wing, flight control system, and avionics. Joe Bill died on 24 May 1993 when his F-16 crashed in North Central Texas during a company acceptance flight.
