The Marine Corps’ ‘No. 1 priority’ for the F-35 involves a rough landing in hot environments
By: Aaron Mehta   1 hour ago
WASHINGTON — It was a hot day aboard the amphibious assault ship Essex when a pilot brought his F-35B in for what is known as a “mode four†flight operation, where the jet enters hover mode near a landing spot, slides over to the target area and then vertically lands onto the ship.
It’s a key part of the F-35B’s short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing capability, known as STOVL. And normally, everything in a “mode four†landing goes smoothly. But on this day, when the pilot triggered the thrust to slow his descent, something went wrong.
The engine, working hard on a day that temperatures cracked 90 degrees Fahrenheit while trying to lift a plane that was heavier than most returning to base, wouldn’t generate the needed thrust for a safe, ideal landing.
https://www.defensenews.com/air/2019/06/12/the-marine-corps-no-1-priority-for-the-f-35-involves-a-rough-landing-in-hot-environments/
