Flight International - 04

Defence Fighters
In an attempt to address the high
approach and airspeed, the pilot
made a “nose-down correction”.
However, combined with the lack of
power, this pushed the F-35 below
the required angle of attack (AoA).
The pilot attempted to throttle up
and regain altitude, but was unable
to make the correction in time.
The fighter struck the vessel’s aft
ramp at 123kt, with an AoA of 21°.
Its nose landing gear was crushed
by the impact, sending the aircraft
Automated command mode was not
activated before attempted landing
skidding across the flight deck. The
pilot ejected before the aircraft
fell overboard, but six flight deck
personnel were injured by debris.
The USN in early March 2022
recovered the wrecked F-35,
which had sunk to the floor of the
South China Sea. Its fuselage was
raised from a depth of approximately
2,400ft.
Following the crash, the service
changed its F-35C flight manual to
require the use of the APC system
for carrier landings. Vice Admiral
Kenneth Whitesell, commander
of naval aviation in the US Pacific
Fleet, says it will also consult with
Lockheed and Boeing about adding
an “external indicator” to the F-35
and F/A-18 that would alert landing
signal officers on the carrier flight
deck if the APC is turned off.
Whitesell also wants to add a
head-up display indicator and/
or cockpit audio tone that would
alert pilots when their aircraft has
“reached on-speed AoA” without
assisted landing systems engaged.
Limited fleet
The crash aboard the USS Carl
Vinson represents the only loss to
date of the F-35 in its carrier variant
– the smallest sub-fleet of the
stealth fighter in active use.
Cirium fleets data shows that
70 of the C-model fighters are
in service with the USN and US
Marine Corps, with another 16 currently
on order.
The services have a programme
of record requirement to eventually
acquire 340 of the carrier-optimised
version, along with the more
widely fielded short take-off and
vertical landing F-35B. ◗
forces around the world for nearly
40 years,” he says.
The company notes that it plans
to build “three new state-of-theart
facilities” and recruit additional
workers in St Louis for the next
five years to support several of its
newer defence programmes. These
include the F-15EX Eagle II fighter
and T-7A Red Hawk advanced jet
trainer, both in production for the
US Air Force, and the USN’s in-development
MQ-25 Stingray autonomous
carrier-based refuelling aircraft.
The site also produces wing
components for the new-generation
777X commercial widebody.
News that the F/A-18’s curtain
is to close came 45 years after
long-defunct McDonnell Douglas
first flew the twin-engined Hornet
in 1978. Boeing acquired McDonnell
Douglas in 1997. More than
2,000 F/A-18s have been delivered
since the first-generation version
entered service in 1983.
Worthy successor
The originally GE Aerospace
F404-powered type was developed
as a successor for the USN’s
venerable McDonnell Douglas F-4
Phantoms and Vought A-7 Corsairs.
The updated Super Hornet first
flew in 1995, and entered USN
service in 1999. Boeing began deliveries
of an upgraded Block II
version from 2005, and of its latest
Block III model in 2021.
International customers for the
F/A-18A-D “Classic” Hornet included
Australia, Canada, Finland, Kuwait,
Malaysia, Spain and Switzerland.
The USN and Australia now operate
F414-powered Super Hornets,
as well as the EA-18G Growler electronic
attack-variant, while Kuwait
is obtaining 22 F/A-18Es.
Cirium data used in FlightGlobal’s
2023 World Air Forces directory
shows that there were 1,274 F-18-
series aircraft in service late last
year, including 283 used as dedicated
training assets.
Boeing says it will continue supporting
the type, including by
rolling out upgrades and through
work under a service-life extension
programme which is expected to
continue through the mid-2030s.
The company’s decision to shutter
production follows a series of unsuccessful
bids to secure new sales
of the type, via campaigns in nations
including Classic Hornet operators
Canada, Finland and Switzerland –
all of which have opted to acquire
Lockheed Martin’s fifth-generation
F-35A stealth fighter. ◗
Additional reporting by
Craig Hoyle in London
April 2023 Flight International 35