Official Cool Picture - Video Thread.

[Younggun]

Those external stores are gonna **** up the stealth profile.

Why does it have chicken pox?


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[Rhino]

Those external stores are gonna **** up the stealth profile.

Why does it have chicken pox?


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Assuming those are control points for cameras.

 

[orbitup]

Those external stores are gonna **** up the stealth profile.

Why does it have chicken pox?


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Probably all just for testing.

 

[Vaquero]

Those external stores are gonna **** up the stealth profile.

Why does it have chicken pox?


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Much like the "green screen" guys with ping pong balls velcroed on them. Just for later video/gaming reference points.

 

[toddnjoyce]

US Navy F-35C Lightning II firing an AIM-9X during inverted flight. Patuxent River Naval Base, MD. 2017

That particular jet is the last USN test jet off the assembly line. It’s still in the test fleet and while everyone knows the external stores trash the signature, data still has to be collected for all the various configurations and weapons employment regimes.

 

[BRD@66]

Heck, I thought it was a colony of sleeping white bats that got exposed to bright light during the inverted flight.

 

[ETH77]

When I was overseas I got to see these regularly. Pretty cool planes.

Very cool

When I was overseas I got to see these regularly. Pretty cool planes.

Very cool! Ran a Texas Instruments Terrain Following radar with a projected map display. I was fortunate enough to develop part of the test set for same. We got to see some really cool classified movies.

 

[Texan-in-Training]

When I was overseas I got to see these regularly. Pretty cool planes.

In 1998 a German Tornado that was engaging our "threat" radar at China Lake crashed into the site. Tragically, the pilot and WSO didn't have time to eject. They were 90 degrees to the ground and too close to roll out and try to climb.
Miraculously, all 11 of us at the site survived, the most serious injuries to a young lady who got a broken wrist and a concussion. Her hand was on an office chair the wing of the aircraft hit when it pretty much cut her control van in half. The concussion was from being blown into the corner of the van from the impact.
I can only think of a couple of times I can call the most fortunate days of my life. Meeting my wife was one, this was the other. Definitely the nearest "close call" I ever have been through.
My 1953 Chevy didn't survive... near as anyone can figure, a chunk of the engine "hot section" got the back of the cab, then fell into the bed and set that to smoldering for many hours.
It was rough, but not as rough as afterwards. Glad I hadn't gotten to the "cosmetic" part of the build.

 

[BRD@66]

Aah, that'll buff right out. Good story though.

 

[oohrah]

Yes, indeed. In the 70s I got to fire a Shrike anti-radiation missile at NWC China Lake. The protocol was to contact the range, they would start tracking our aircraft, and once we got a lock and fired the missile, they were supposed to shut down the radar so the missile would lose lock. Altho, they waited too long and the missile went right through the antenna and destroyed it, even tho it was inert. And fortunately, that facility was unmanned.

 

[kbaxter60]

Glad I hadn't gotten to the "cosmetic" part of the build.

Glad you weren't IN it.

 

[Texan-in-Training]

Yes, indeed. In the 70s I got to fire a Shrike anti-radiation missile at NWC China Lake. The protocol was to contact the range, they would start tracking our aircraft, and once we got a lock and fired the missile, they were supposed to shut down the radar so the missile would lose lock. Altho, they waited too long and the missile went right through the antenna and destroyed it, even tho it was inert. And fortunately, that facility was unmanned.

There was a small antenna hanging on the wall of the ARM Lab I hoped I could find a picture of that had a missile/fins hole in it, but no joy.
Found this youtube video you might enjoy, though. I got to China Lake in 1984. Lot of the guys in the video were legends at that time (and some were my bosses, too).

 

[Texan-in-Training]

Glad you weren't IN it.

Thanks... me too.

 

[pbratton]

Yes, indeed. In the 70s I got to fire a Shrike anti-radiation missile at NWC China Lake. The protocol was to contact the range, they would start tracking our aircraft, and once we got a lock and fired the missile, they were supposed to shut down the radar so the missile would lose lock. Altho, they waited too long and the missile went right through the antenna and destroyed it, even tho it was inert. And fortunately, that facility was unmanned.

The Human Factor will get you everytime...

 

[Jakashh]

US Navy F-35C Lightning II firing an AIM-9X during inverted flight. Patuxent River Naval Base, MD. 2017

Got to visit NAS JRB and walk through a sliver of the assembly line years back when I had an interview for Lockheed for an position related to the F35. Saw a few of them parked in the hangers alongside F16’s on the way to the parking lot, and saw a fuselage in the build process hanging. They had some other parts covered with a black curtain lol. Pretty neat.

 

[oohrah]

cool vido, thanks for sharing.

 

[Texasgordo]

 

[orbitup]

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[RoadRunner]

 

[RoadRunner]