Lightning evaluation? Not so fast...

XF/A-2C 2 MFFK BuNo's 17019 and 17017 at Miramar, 03/29/2017.

Supporting the Fleet in the procurement and evaluation of new assets, the United States Naval Test
Pilot School is always helping aircraft manufacturers to improve their airframes, engines and avionics, to the benefit of the Navy and the global aviation community. Seasoned pilots, engineers, designers and builders come together to create some of the most exciting and advanced naval aviation
aircraft in Second Life.

Following a Third Fleet procurement for a mid term aircraft stand in for the F-35C Lightning II, the United States Naval Test Pilot School has been evaluating the XF/A-2C 2 MFFK, asset procurement # X0117 (see here). Three aircraft have been acquired for testing, research and development purposes by USNTPS test pilots and the process is underway.

The results are confidential as usual and will be submitted to Third Fleet command and MFFK management. We expect this work to lead soon to a front line F-35C in service with the Fleet.

Two of the three USNTPS XF/A-2C's on the East apron at NASM.

MFFK will get a full report on the X prototype the Navy requires for R&D.

Though impressive as they sit on the tarmac, a lot of work is still ahead.

The Navy places high hopes on this mid term solution. Key word: Engine.

The promise of many Lightnings to come.

The XF/A-2C is the first X-Plane to be evaluated at the USNTPS, but hardly the first X-Plane at Miramar. We have been serving the Fleet in the R&D capacity for over a year now (see here).
More to follow. Stay tuned!
Developing the ideal aircraft for the Navy may be a hard target but we aim true and try our best
to be as accurate and realistic as possible within the limitations of this virtual world.


CDR. Asra Kron
NASMCO

Note (August 2019):
The XF/A-2C was never adopted by the Fleet and the USNTPS reports were forwarded to MFFK to serve as a check list for the development of the true F-35C Lightning. Today, August 2019, with the USNTPS located at NAS PAX River (as it is in real life) the XF-35C project is underway to provide MFFK with an alternative more advanced engine and flight model for the available F-35C.