Page 3 - Nellis AFB Bullseye 11-6-15

BULLSEYE News 3November 6, 2015

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F-35A successfully fires first airborne shots

By Rebecca Amberr

412th Test Wing Public Affairs

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — For the Lockheed Martin photo by Chad Bellay
first time, an F-35A Lightning II successfully fired the
four-barrel 25 mm GAU-22/A Gatling gun while in Maj. Charles Trickey, a 461st Flight Test Squadron F-35 experimental test pilot, successfully fires the four-barrel 25 mm
flight Oct. 30. GAU-22/A Gatling gun while in flight Oct. 30 over China Lake Weapon Range, Calif.

Maj. Charles Trickey, a 461st Flight Test Squadron 1.44, and reaching 40,000 feet. They will also do a burst an extensive structural modification at Edwards, to a
F-35 experimental test pilot, was in the cockpit of tail fire to empty all 181 rounds. Some of the tests will be full production representative internal gun configura-
number AF-2, and fired one burst of 30 rounds and two done at China Lake, but most of the remaining flights tion. AF-2 is instrumented differently than other F-35s
60-round bursts at 20,000 feet from the 25 mm gun will be done over the Sea Test Range at Naval Air Sta- for data collection.
that is embedded in the F-35’s left wing. The GAU-22 tion Point Mugu, California.
is hidden behind closed doors to reduce its radar cross Clearing the gun for airborne use is a key milestone
section until the trigger is pulled. At full rate, it can fire “We’re going to have elevated G and supersonic toward the Air Force’s initial operating capability of the
3,000 rounds per minute. flights, and some of those things you really can’t do F-35A. The program’s development and demonstration
over the land range,” Trickey said. phase is scheduled to end in 2017, at which point the
“We took off out of (Edwards Air Force Base) and F-35 will have an operational gun.
went up to China Lake. We had this hazard pattern The F-35A is a conventional take-off and landing
and we did three cold passes and three hot passes in- aircraft and the only model with the GAU-22 system The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Integrated Test Force
terspersed with each other,” Trickey said. mounted internally. The Marine Corps variant B-model started testing the gun last June when the first shots
and Navy variant C-model will eventually have the gun were fired from the ground at the Edwards Gun Har-
The weapons system did exactly what it was supposed in a pod mounted to the center line. monization Range.
to do, he said, but data still needed to be collected and
reviewed. “They haven’t shot (their guns) airborne either so you “We want to clear it so when the guy is supporting
could say this was the first F-35 airborne gunfire ever troops on the ground or fighting someone, they don’t
Jennifer Schleifer, a Lockheed Martin AF-2 lead flight on any variant and that’s why we’re so excited about have to think about whether the gun’s going to work or
test engineer and the test director, said the team expects it,” Trickey said. not. They just have to worry about getting the (predicted
to fire the gun once or twice a week until this phase of impact point marker) on the right spot,” Trickey said.
airborne gunfire testing is complete. She added that they Tail number AF-2 is a flight sciences airplane and has “There’s a lot of trust that people have put into us to
could be done by the end of the year, weather permitting. more hours than any other F-35 in the world. Typically, make sure that we got the test right, and I feel like at
it has been used as a loads airframe and for expanding the end of the day, we did.”
According to sources, the first firing was not aimed at the envelope for structures. For this test, it underwent
any target, but the goal was only to make sure the gun
functions properly in flight. When the pilot is ready to
fire, a complex system of doors exposes the muzzle and
allows for ventilation. Keeping the gun hidden behind
closed doors until the trigger is pulled allows the aircraft
to remain in stealth.

“I like having a gun integrated with the airplane
personally,” Trickey said. “The airplanes that this is
replacing for the Air Force, the F-16 (Fighting Falcon)
and A-10 (Thunderbolt II), have internal guns.”

Todd Ankeny, a Lockheed Martin flight test engineer
and test conductor, added that it’s an important capabil-
ity for the F-35. The GAU-22 was primarily designed for
air-to-ground attack, such as taking out lightly armored
vehicles. It can also be used for air-to-air combat.

As the testing continues, many test pilots in the
squadron will get a chance to test the GAU-22.

“We’re going to try to get as much exposure to this
as possible. There are a lot of test pilots in the squadron
and there’s some value in getting more opinions and
getting more pilots exposed to it,” Trickey said.

In upcoming sorties the pilot will expand the enve-
lope by performing 7G turns, 3G turns, flying at Mach

FITNESS, from page 1 __________ Individuals allowed into the facility basketball courts, locker rooms, cardio The 99th Security Forces Squadron
will be Department of Defense common room, and the free weights area will will be conducting random patrols in
With the program on pace to be im- access card holders, after they sign up for remain available for use.” the facility during unmanned hours
plemented Nov. 16th, the manned-hours the program. as well.
schedule will be reduced. Individuals registered for Fitness Ac-
“Active duty, Guard, Reserve as well as cess will be allowed to bring one guest “The Fitness Access Program will
“Once we close, we lock the doors and DOD civilians assigned or TDY to Nellis — 18 years and older — into the facility allow authorized users access to the
then we turn on the Fitness Access com- or Creech AFB that have CACs and have during unmanned hours. The sponsor fitness center and an opportunity to
puter system that will work the common registered for the program will have ac- must sign the guest in and is account- stay fit based on their unique schedules,”
access card reader,” Sorrell said. cess to the Warrior Fitness Center during able for the guest’s actions. Douglas Kingery, Warrior Fitness Cen-
unmanned hours,” Sorrell said. ter director said.
Prior to unmanned hours beginning “I’m excited for this program. We put a
each day, all patrons currently in the When unmanned, the Warrior Fit- lot of effort into this to make sure it runs The Fitness Access Program is sched-
fitness center will need to exit the facil- ness Center will shut down some areas smoothly and effectively,” Sorrell said. uled to start the evening of Nov. 16th.
ity. Once fitness center staff verifies the to individuals in the facility. “We are ensuring that we have safety For more information, please visit the
building is cleared and the Fitness Access measures in place in case something was Nellis Force Support web page at www.
Program computer is activated, members “The pool, saunas, equipment check- to happen during unmanned hours. We nellisforce support.com and click on
will then swipe in to ensure proper ac- out, family room, offices and the Aim have security cameras, emergency phones, the Fitness tab, or call the WFC at 702-
countability of patrons. High Café will be off limits while the and automated external defibrillators.” 652-4891.
facility is unmanned,” Sorrell said. “The