Airplane Code One

LOCKHEED MARTIN AERONAUTICS COMPANY
VOL. 28
NO. 2
2013
Skunk Works: 70 Years & FOrWARD | Col. Art Tomassetti Interview

Royal Thai Air Force F-16 Demo Team | C-130J Program Overview
ENTER
VOLUME 28 | NUMBER 2 | 2013
Eric Hehs
EDITOR
Jeff Rhodes
I N TH IS ISSU E
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Stan Baggett
ART DIRECTOR
Charles Armstrong | Steve Hall
DESIGN AND PRODUCTION
Joseph LaMarca, Jr.
VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNICATIONS
Orlando Carvalho
3 Skunk Works Celebrates seventy years

Seven Decades On The Cutting Edge Of Aerospace
24 F-35 Flight Test Update 11
Lightning II Testing Highlights From April To August 2013
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, AERONAUTICS

LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
35 ten questions for Turbo tomassetti
CONTACT INFORMATION
41 royal thai air force centennial falcon
Send correspondence to Code One Magazine,

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This publication is intended for information only.
Its contents neither replace nor revise any
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2013 Lockheed Martin Corporation. All rights
reserved. Permission to reprint articles or
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the editor. Code One is a registered trademark
of Lockheed Martin Corporation.
Code One is published by Lockheed Martin
Aeronautics Company.
ISSN 1071-3816 A13-41004
From X-35 To F-35, This Marine Has About Seen It All
F-16 Demonstration Commemorates Anniversary Of Aviation In Thailand
49 cool million
C-130J Program Soars Past One Million Flight Hour Milestone
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ON THE COVER
FRONT: For seventy years, the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works has been
on the leading edge of aerospace. That tradition of innovation continues
today. This concept is for a future airliner incorporating technologies to
reduce air and noise pollution. Artist concept by Wayne Begnaud
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BACK: A US Coast Guard HC-130H Hercules long-range search and

rescue aircraft assigned to CGAS Clearwater, Florida, sits parked under
the stars in Guantnamo Bay, Cuba. The Coast Guard operates its
HC-130H fleet from four air stations. Photo by PO2 Robert Colon
CODE ONE VOL. 28 NO. 2
BY
HEATHER
KELSO
Robert M. Gross, the chairman of Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, told a design engineer
one day, Kelly, youve been bothering me now for seven years for an engineering
experimental department. I dont think much will come of this, but take it on.
That was 1943. And that was all Clarence L. Kelly Johnson needed to hear.
He already had the design of the P-38 Lightning fighter to his
creditand several other prominent projects to his credit as well.
Now he could pursue other projects. Shortly after that brief
conversation, the XP-80 Experimental Group was formed.
That experimental department has never looked back.
The department was later called Advanced Development
Proj e c t s n ow k n ow n a s t h e Lo c k h e e d M a r t i n
Skunk Worksand it continues to redefine flight today.
Looking back at what has come to fruition throughout
Skunk Works seventy years, a specific path that defines
the Skunk Works way of doing business can be clearly seen.
First, invest in independent research and development to explore

technologies. Next, find the right partner to put promising research
on contract. Then, if the technology performs well and matches the
customers need, launch a project into development.
Unlike the mystery that shrouds Skunk Works, the business
model, coupled with a now famous set of Fourteen Rules
and Practices that Johnson developed for managing projects,
is not a secret. But it is something special.
The following images represent just a snapshot of some of the
Skunk Works leaders and aircraft that pushed, and continue to
push, the envelope of aviation.
Skunk Works and the skunk logo are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and in many other countries, in connection with a wide variety of goods and services.
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Kelly Johnson
Clarence Kelly Johnson
founded the Skunk Works after
he and his team created and
delivered the XP-80 to the US
Army Air Forces Air Technical
Service Command in only 143
days. Johnsons unconventional
Fourteen Rules and Practices
have allowed the Skunk Works
to operate effectively and efficiently for seven decades.
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Early Skunk Works In Burbank

The Skunk Works was started as a wood-and-canvas shed
behind the Lockheed plant in Burbank, California. This photo
is the only one released publicly that shows the Skunk Works
tent. With the forebody of the P-80 Shooting Star in the foreground, a tiny portion of the tent that disguised the secret facility
is visible.
XP-80
The XP-80, known as Lulu
Belle , was the protot ype of
1,732 Shooting Stars that would
follow. The P-80 was designed
to counter the German jets
during World War II. It proved
itself to be a successful fighter,
responsible for the worlds first
jet-versus-jet combat victory
during the Korean War.
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XF-104
The F-104s distinctive and extremely thin trapezoidal wing
was considered ideal for achieving high Mach numbers while
retaining low-speed stability and control. Described as a
missile with a man in it, the F-104 Starfighter was the first
Mach 2 fighter. Its prototype, the XF-104, was first flown in
1954. The F-104 was flown by the US Air Force, but the Starfighter
found greater utility with fourteen international operators. Italy
flew F-104s during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. The last
operational F-104s, which were flown by the Italian Air Force,
were retired in 2004.
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U-2
The U -2 high - al t i tude
reconnaissance aircraft was
developed in secrecy to carry
out missions over the Soviet
Union. The U-2A was the first
variant of a continuously
modernized aircraft that has
served for more than fifty years.
First flown in August 1955, the
U-2A was originally flown in a
bare metal finish with only the
National Advisory Committee
for Aeronautics logo and
fictitious serial numbers in an
attempt to hide the aircrafts
true mission.
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A-12 Oxcart
Lockheed was given the official go-ahead on the A-12 highaltitude reconnaissance aircraft on 29 August 1959. The A-12s
design was dominated by the aircrafts propulsion system, which
would give it the power needed to set the world speed and
absolute records for its class. The single-seat A-12 was the
forerunner of the SR-71. This photo shows the YF-12A , a
two-seat interceptor variant for the US Air Force, being built in
a cordoned-off section of the facility in Burbank, California.
A-12, forerunner of the SR-71
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D-21
The D-21 ramjet-powered unmanned strategic reconnaissance
drone was an ex tension of the A -12 program. The D -21
was designed to be launched from the back of a modified A-12
known as an M-21. The drone was later modified with rocket
boosters so it could be launched from under the wing of a B-52.
The black areas on this full-scale mock-up were fabricated
from composite materials designed to reduce the drones radar
cross section.
CL-400 Suntan
The CL-400, or Project Suntan, was a successful exercise in
engineering and hydrogen fuel technology. Though it did not
reach the full-scale hardware phase, it did set the stage for
the more conventionally fueled SR-71. When the program was
terminated, Kelly Johnson gave the remaining project funds
back to the government.
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SR-71 Blackbird
This image shows par t of
the configuration evolution of
what was universally referred
to but never officially named
Blackbird. The SR-71 was the
worlds fastest and highest
flying manned aircraft. Though
super f icially resembling its
A-12 predecessor, the SR-71
differed in many ways, including
in the chine, the fuselage, and
the miscellaneous subsystems.
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Ben Rich
B e n Ric h , af fe c t io na te l y
known as the invisible man,
succeeded Johnson in 1975 as
the head of Skunk Works. Rich
won over the Pentagon with a
redesign of the Skunk Works
famed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft to meet more contemporary mission requirements. Rich
later led development of the
F-117 Nighthawk, the worlds
first stealth fighter.
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Have Blue
Have Blue was the subsonic
experimental stealth testbed
that led to the creation of the
F-117. Its unorthodox configuration was designed to provide
a maneuverable fighter aircraft
with very low observable characteristics. The first Have Blue
(shown here) was the only one
of the two prototypes to wear
camouflage paint.
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F-117 Nighthawk
The F-117 became the most
celebrated attack aircraft in
history in 1991 after attacking
targets in downtown Baghdad
on the first night of Operation
Desert Storm. With its faceted
surfaces and special coatings
to be essentially invisible to
enemy radar, the Skunk Works
precedent-set ting F-117
embodies virtually all contemporary aircraft disciplines. The
Nighthawk was retired in 2008
after a twenty-seven year career.
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Sea Shadow
The Skunk Works, working with Lockheed Missiles and Space
Company, developed Sea Shadow as a counterpoint to stealthy
submarines. To avoid Soviet radar, this surface vessel was
designed with severe flat planes of 45-degree angles, giving it
a passing resemblance to the Nighthawk. Though Sea Shadow
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never became operational, its technologies were eventually

applied to the lower cross section of submarine periscopes and
to reduce the radar cross section of a new class of destroyers
for the US Navy.
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U-2
Dragon Lady
The U-2S is a much different
aircraf t than the original
U -2 A . T h e U -2 S f l e e t w a s
completely rebuilt in the late
1980s to add the latest, most
advanced signals intelligence,
measurement and signature
intelligence, and imager y
i n te l l i g e n ce s e n s o r s . T h i s
aircraft is flown in all weather
conditions, day or night, and
carries four times the payload
of the original U-2A.
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YF-22
The YF-22 technology demonstrators brought a broad spectrum
of air combat and technology disciplines together in one airframe
for the first time.
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X-35
The Skunk Works-led development and flight testing of the X-35 Joint Strike Fighter prototypes,
precursor to the F-35, earned the Lockheed Martin team the Collier Trophy, shown at right. The
flight test program included the successful testing of the innovative lift fan system on the X-35B
demonstrator. The success of this revolutionary short takeoff and vertical landing capability was
a key factor in Lockheed Martin winning the final downselect for the Joint Strike Fighter program.
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X-55 ACCA
The Advanced Composite Cargo Aircraft, also known as the Carbon Comet , started out as a
Dornier 328 regional airliner whose fuselage and vertical tail were removed and replaced with
a new all-composite design structure specifically tailored for the air mobility mission. Compared
to the original metallic components, the composite structure used approximately 300 structural
parts and approximately 4,000 mechanical fasteners whereas the Dornier 328 required 3,000
metallic parts and 40,000 mechanical fasteners.
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X-56A
X-56A is designed to test
a c t i ve f l u t te r s u p p re s s i o n
and gust load alleviation. Its
flexible wings allow the safe
testing of flutter suppression
technologies at low velocities
and low altitudes. Technologies
demonstrated by this X-56A
will help reduce the weight
and increase the efficiency of
future aircraft.
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Stalker
Stalkera silent, day/night-capable unmanned aerial system
has the endurance and ability to track individuals and vehicles
undetected from its operational altitude. The vehicle operates
autonomously during its mission but requires one person to
launch. The extended endurance version (shown here) is capable
of flying twelve hours in operational flight conditions.
UCLASS
The Lockheed Martin Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne
Surveillance and Strike, or UCLASS, concept leverages technologies and lessons learned from F-35C, RQ-170 Sentinel,
and other operational systems to provide intelligence,
surveillance, and reconnaissance mission capability. The flying
wing design allows for growth in capabilities to enable operations in any threat environment, from counter-terrorism to
anti-access or area denial.
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N+2
The NASA N+2 concept is being used to explore the future of
commercial aviation with the goal of reducing air and noise pollution.
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NGAD
The Next Generation Air Dominance, or NGAD, concept is
a multidomain, net-enabled system-of-systems fighter with
revolutionary capabilities.
SACD
The Speed Agile Concept Demonstrator, or SACD, is a US
Air Force Research Laboratory program to mature specific
technologies needed for developing an advanced airlift solution that meets the needs of the services in the future.
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Hybrid Airship
The Hybrid Airship uses both buoyant lift (from a helium-filled
envelope) and aerodynamic lift (from the airfoil shape of the envelope) to lift payloads. The P-791, a 123-foot-long, fifty-three-footwide, and thirty-foot-high demonstrator, was flown in 2006.
Heather Kelso is a communicator for the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works.
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F 35
Flight Test
updAte 11
by eric hehs
The F-35 Flight Test Updatein the Volume 28, Number 1

issue of Code One concluded with the first aerial release of an
AIM-120 AMRAAM from an F-35B on 26 March 2013. This eleventh
installment in the series of flight test updates on the F-35 program
covers the AIM-120 launch as well as other achievements of the
F-35 Integrated Test Force located at Edwards AFB, California, and
at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland.
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PHOTO BY ANDY WOLFE
Photo by Dane Wiedmann
2 April 2013
First Night Vertical Landing
Marine Corps Maj. C. R. Clift completed

the first vertical landing at night in an
F-35. The mission, at NAS Patuxent River,
Maryland, was performed in F-35B BF-4.

3 April 2013
F-35C Maximum Mach
Marine Corps Capt. Mike Kingen took

an F-35C to Mach 1.6 for the first time
during a flight from NAS Patuxent River,
Maryland. Mach 1.6 is the top design
speed for the F-35C.
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Photo by Darin Russell
9 April 2013
First F-35A GBU-12 Separation
Air Force Lt. Col. Jon Ohman performed the first GBU-12 separation test
in an F-35A. The weapon was released
from the left weapon bay of F-35A AF-1
flying over the Naval Air Warfare Center
Weapons Division ranges.
Photo by Paul Weatherman
Photo by Tom Reynolds
Photo by Matthew Short
10 April 2013
10 April 2013
11 April 2013
Air Force Lt. Col. Peter Vitt flew F-35A

AF-1 on its 300th flight. The mission
involved a successful GBU-31 separation
test over the Naval Air Warfare Center
Weapons Division ranges.
Air Force C apt . Eric Schult z f lew

F-35A AF-7 in the first night Instrument
Meteorological Conditions flight test.
The IMC mission, from Edwards AFB,
California, also included the first hot pit
refueling for an F-35 at night.
Air Force Lt. Col. Jon Ohman flew BF-17

for the first F-35 link with an AWACS aircraft, successfully exchanging Link 16
messages during a multiship flight that
included an E-3 Sentry, multiple F-16s,
and multiple F/A-18E/Fs.
300 Flights For AF-1
Two Firsts At Night
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Link 16 Connectivity
Photo by Michael D. Jackson
18 April 2013
500 Flights For F-35C
The F-35C fleet completed the 500th

System Design and Development (SDD)
flight during a mission that included formation flying with Navy Lt. Cdr. Michael
Burks flying CF-5 and Lockheed Martin
test pilot Dan Canin flying CF-2.
26 April 2013
BF-18 Arrives At Edwards
RAF Sqn. Ldr. James Schofield delivered F-35B BF-18 to the F-35 Integrated
Test Force at Edwards AFB, California.
The aircraft is to be used at the ITF for
Mission System testing. BF-18 was ferried from NAS Patuxent River, Maryland,
by way of Fort Worth, Texas.
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29 April 2013
First High Asymmetric Load
Lockheed Martin test pilot Mark Ward

flew F-35A AF-2 for the first high asymmetric load flight test on an F-35. The
load consisted of an AIM-120 on Station7;
a GBU-31 on Station 8; an AIM-9X on
Station 11; and weapon pylons on Stations
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, and 10. The load equated
to 15,000 foot-pounds asymmetry.
Photo by Paul Weatherman
Photo by ToM Reynolds
2 May 2013
3 May 2013
10 May 2013
The F-35 test program flew eleven

flights in one day to set a new program
record. The flights consisted of five for
F-35A, four for F-35B, and two for F-35C.
Air Force Lt. Col. Peter Vitt flew F-35A

AF-6 for the first mission that included
two AIM-120 missiles. The flight occurred
from Edwards AFB, California.
The F-35 SDD fleet surpassed 5,000

flight hours.
Most SDD Flights In One Day
First Dual AIM-120 Carriage
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5k Flight Hours
Photo by Michael D. Jackson
13 May 2013
400th Vertical Landing
Marine Corps Maj. C. R. Clift flew BF-4

in a test that marked the 400th vertical
landing of an F-35B during SDD. The
flight occurred at NAS Patuxent River,
Maryland.
16 May 2013
Photo by Layne Laughter
Three-Ship MADL Connection

F-35As AF-3, AF-6, and AF-7 demonstrated the first three-ship connectivity
fo r t h e M u l t i - Fu n c t i o n a l A d v a n ce d
Datalink, or MADL, during ground operations at Edwards AFB, California.
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20 May 2013
100 Flights For CF-3

Marine Corps Lt. Col. Patrick Moran
was at the controls for Flight 100 of
F-35C CF-3.
28 May 2013
First RAF Vertical Landing
Sqn. Ldr. James Schofield, flying F-35B

BF-1 on Flight 296, performed the first
vertical landing for an RAF pilot at NAS
Patuxent River, Maryland.
Photo by Andy Wolfe
31 May 2013
200 Flights For CF-2

Lockheed Martin test pilot Dan Canin
was at the controls for Flight 200 of
F-35C CF-2.
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4 June 2013
300 Flights For BF-1

BAE test pilot Peter Wilson was at the
controls for Flight 300 of F-35B BF-1.
5 June 2013
Photo by Arnel Parker
AIM-120 Launch
6 June 2013
Test Tow
14 June 2013
Air Force Lt. Col. George Schwartz

flew F-35A AF-1 for the first powered
AIM-120 air-to-air missile launch from an
F-35. The missile was released from the
internal weapon bay of the F-35. The
flight originated from the Air Force Test
Center at Edwards AFB, California. The
launch occurred over the Point Mugu
Sea Test Range off the California coast.
F-35C CF-3 was used for a heav yweight ground tow test at the Naval Air
Warfare Center Aircraft Division test
facility at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland.
The aircraft was fitted with four 2,000pound GBU -31 guided bombs on its
external pylons. Nav y Lt. Cmdr. Tony
Wilson was in the cockpit during the test.
AF-6, AF-7, BF-17, and BF-18 were used

to complete the first F-35 airborne fourship MADL connection at Edwards AFB,
California. The airborne four-ship also
achieved MADL connectivity with AF-3
during its ground test, marking the first
five-ship MADL connection.
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Four- And Five-Ship

MADL Connection
Photo by Carl Richards
20 June 2013
F-35C CF-8 First Flight
Lockheed Martin test pilot Bill Gigliotti

flew the first flight of F-35C CF-8 (US
Navy Bureau Number 168735). Takeoff
and landing occurred at NAS Fort Worth
JRB, Texas. CF-8 is scheduled to join the
test fleet at Edwards AFB, California, later
in 2013.
9 July 2013
GBU-31 Milestone Completed
Air Force Maj. Mark Massaro completed the last GBU-31 separation test
required as par t of the process for
releasing 2B software for the F-35A fleet.
The flight occurred with AF-1 at Edwards
AFB, California.
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11 July 2013
First F-35B Night

Aerial Refueling
Marine Corps Lt. Col. Patrick Moran

f lew the f irst night aerial refueling
mission in an F-35B. The mission, from
NAS Patuxent River, Mar yland, was
Flight 265 for BF-2.

Photo by Andy Wolfe
16 July 2013
Supersonic AIM-120 Launch
A ir F orce M aj. M at t Phillip s f lew

AF-1 to complete an AIM-120 launch at
Mach 1.2. This flight was the first supersonic and second overall AIM-120 launch
for the F-35 program.
22 July 2013
200 Flights For BF-4

Navy Lt. Cdr. Michael Wilson was at
the controls for Flight 200 of F-35B BF-4.
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24 July 2013
AIM-120 Milestone
Marine Corps Maj. Richard Rusnok was

at the controls of F-35A AF-1 to complete
the third and final AIM-120 launch required
as part of the process for releasing 2B
software to the F-35A fleet.
24 July 2013
First KC-135 Aerial Refuel

For F-35B
The first strategic tanking test with an

F-35B and a KC-135 with wingtip hose
and drogue refueling capability was
carried out on the range near NAS
Patuxent River, Maryland. The test was
strictly a contact test in which no fuel
was transferred. Marine Corps Lt. Col.
Patrick Moran was at the controls of F-35
BF-2 on Flight 266. The KC-135 came
from McConnell AFB, Kansas.
31 July 2013
200 Flights For AF-3

Air Force Maj. Matt Phillips was at the
controls for Flight 200 of F-35A AF-3.
3 August 2013
500th Vertical Landing
Navy Capt. Michael Kingen completed

the 500th vertical landing of an F-35B
when he landed F-35B BF-1 on Flight 315
at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland.
Eric Hehs is the editor of Code One.
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Ten
Questions
For
Turbo
Tomassetti
USMC Col. Art Turbo Tomassetti

began his career with the F-35 in 1998
when he joined the Joint Strike Fighter
Test Force, where he became the lead
government test pilot for the X-35, the
Lockheed Martin demonstrator for
the Concept Development phase of the
program. Interview By Eric Hehs
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and USMC tactical jet aircraft including F-35 testing. At Patuxent

River, he also served a follow-on tour as the Commanding Officer
of the Marine detachment.
Throughout all of his follow-on assignments, Tomassetti continued to be part of test events, working groups, and design
reviews for the F-35. His final assignment in the USMC, completed in 2013, was to serve as Vice Wing commander for the
33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin AFB, Florida. His primary mission over
the past four years has been to stand up the first F-35 training
center for pilots and maintainers.
His early experience with the X-35 set him on a path to Eglin
as part of the team that is ushering the F-35 into fleet operations. Code One interviewed Tomassetti in Florida shortly after
his USMC retirement.
fter Lockheed Martin won the downselect and the

X-35 became the F-35, Tomassetti followed the program to Fort Worth, Texas, where he represented the
US Marines during the System Development and Demonstration
phase of the program. In Fort Worth, Tomassetti worked on
developing the cockpit, flight controls, flight gear, and operation manuals and on planning initial flight test. He was then
selected to command the Test Squadron at Patuxent River,
Maryland, where he was responsible for flight test of all USN
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1. How were you selected to work on the X-35 flight

test program?
I was at Friday night happy hour at the Flight Deck lounge at
NAS Patuxent River when I was approached by friend and fellow
Harrier pilot Maj. Jeff Karnes about the JSF program. Karnes,
who was assigned to the JSF, told me the program was interested in bringing on another pilot with Harrier experience.
He mentioned that the assignment involved a lot of meetings,
a lot of travel, and potentially no opportunity to ever fly any
of the JSF demonstrators. At that point, I was about halfway
through the yearlong Navy test pilot school. While Karnes sales
pitch wasnt the greatest, the chance to work on a brand new
aircraft was too good to pass up. So I said yes.
Karnes went on to become the USMC test pilot for the X-32.
2. What are some of your memorable moments from your
X-35 test days?
I have way too many memorable moments to recount just
some here. What stands out the most about the X-35 is just how
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cool I felt to be part of the teamthe government and contractor

engineers, managers, and other test pilots. Everybody was
engaged and committed to making the program successful.
I was very fortunate to have been able to fly all three of the
Lockheed Martin variants. I got to fly the X-35A on its thirteenth
flight on 10 November 2000. 10 November just happens to be
the Marine Corps birthday. On landing, my wife and then twoyear-old daughter were the first to greet me after I received the
traditional wetting down at the bottom of the ladder.
I got to fly the X-35C on the second leg of its cross-country
journey from Edwards AFB to NAS Pax River. Even though I
landed in a mass of people and reporters, I will never forget my
boss, Col. Joe Mortensen, greeting me. He grabbed my hand
and said, Nice job, Turbo. Shake a few more hands and then
get back to work.
But the highlight of flying the X-35 was completing Mission X.
This mission was the first time that the X-35Bor any other
aircraftcompleted a short takeoff, level supersonic dash, and

vertical landing all in the same flight. I remember exhaling after
the engine was shut down and the battery was turned off.
I paused for a minute or so before opening the canopy and said
to myself: That was awesome.
The team in the control room, the folks who prepped the
airplane, the chase pilotsall performed their piece of that
mission to make it a huge success. I consider myself unbelievably fortunate to have been part of that accomplishment.
3. E xplain the impor tance of STOVL operations for
the USMC.
I could give a long disser tation on the impor tance of
STOVL, but I think the simplest answer is to respond that STOVL
provides options. In combat, options are important. We want to
have options, and we want to take options away from our
opponents. The flexibility for basing that a STOVL capability
provides gives us those options and thereby complicates things
for our opponents.
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4. What impact will the F-35 have on US Marine Corps

operations?
The F-35 will have a significant impact on the Marine AirGround Task Force in bringing fifth generation capabilities and
flexibility. It will be an important node in a networked battlespace
by gathering and disseminating information, which can increase
the overall situational awareness for Marines on the ground as
well as for Marines and other friendly forces in the air.
5. What are some of the less-appreciated, or less-understood, characteristics of the F-35?
The most often overlooked quality of the F-35 is how easy it
is to fly. While we would always strive to develop aircraft that
are easy to fly, we cant achieve that goal easily.
The challenge is even greater for the F-35, which has to accommodate three variations that enable a wide range of basing
options. Developing such an aircraft is not easy, especially one
that can operate from expeditionary air strips, carrier decks,
and normal runways and at the same time also be supersonic,
maneuverable, and able to hover. Making an aircraft that can
do all those things and still be easy to fly is an even larger challenge. But the folks developing the aircraft have met that
challenge. The F-35 is easy to fly.
This overlooked characteristic of the F-35 will play a major
role in reducing accident rates and in eliminating training requirements. Furthermore, this ease of flying will allow pilots to focus
more on tactics rather than on takeoffs and landings.
6. How do you see pilot training evolving as the US Marines,
other services, and other countries gain more experience with
the F-35?
First and foremost, I would hope pilot training will be based
on the F-35s capabilities and not on the capabilities of legacy
aircraft. Focusing on the capabilities of the F-35 means taking
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advantage of how easy the aircraft is to fly. As a result, some

of the repetition in the training
syllabus can be reduced. That
is, repetition needed for previous aircraft that are not as
easy to fly can be reduced.
Taking ad vantage of the
F-35s capabilities in groundbased training both in the classroom and in the simulators
means exposing pilots to a
wider variety of missions and
scenarios t han t hey migh t
meet in legacy aircraft, in part
because legacy simulators cannot provide realistic training in
all tasks and environments.
Second, I would hope that everyone will see that commonality across the F-35 variants enables us not only in day-to-day
operations but also in training exercises. Imagine the benefits
to coalition forces whose pilots and maintainers trained together
on the F-35.
8. Fourth- and previous-generation fighter tactics relied

on energy management to gain advantages over potential
adversaries. What do fifth-generation capabilities do to
these assumptions?
We all tend to measure aircraft using previous metrics. We
have become used to speed, turn rate, turn radius, etc. I wont
say these metrics arent still important, but I will say they are no
longer the only metrics that are important. Other factors may
be just as important.
We want a combat aircraft to be ready to fly when we need
it and to be able to fly more reliably than our opponents aircraft. We want it to be able to locate, identify, and engage
targets successfully. We want it to be able to get off the first
shot in a head-to-head engagement with a threat. We want it
7. Commonality is not often used in describing the program

these days because of its early association with parts content across the three variants. Will the term take on a new
meaning as the aircraft becomes operational?
Commonality used to refer to parts, almost exclusively. But
inherent in the F-35 design is a commonality in how we fly
and in how we fight in the aircraft and, to some extent, in how
we maintain the aircraft. One of the biggest challenges is capitalizing on that new sense of commonality because each service and each international partner has unique ways of operating
and maintaining their own fighter aircraft.
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to be able to increase the situational awareness of the pilot and

of the others in the battlespace. Fifth generation brings all these
additional measures to the tablemeasures beyond aircraft
maneuverability. And these additional capabilities should come
into account when assessing the F-35.
time in the ready room with a bunch of Marines sharing lessons

learned, ideas, and pride. I cant imagine a better final assignment than being an instructor pilot at Eglin and having the chance
to watch the F-35 come into its own.
Eric Hehs is the editor of Code One.
9. How do fifth-generation capabilities affect the way you

train new fighter pilots, particularly Marine fighter pilots?
Teaching all of those capabilities, I noted, is a new challenge
for the F-35. We need to introduce and explain those capabilities to pilots. Then we need to make sure pilots understand
what the capabilities mean and how those capabilities affect
them and their mission. Then we give pilots the time to become
comfortable with these capabilities both in ground training and
in flight.
We then let them perform as tacticians in employing the aircraft. Not just in their aircraft, but also within the group of
aircraft they are flying. I think honing those tactical skills in
training is going to be a big difference from how we train today.
The F-35s strength is derived not so much from an individual
aircraft as from a group of two or four aircraft flying, or operating, together. Capitalizing on that strength requires a different
approach to training.
10. What will you miss most about the job you are leaving
at Eglin?
I will miss a lot of things. At the top of the list, I will miss taking
new students out on their first flights in the F-35. Seeing their
reaction to the aircraft after the flight makes worthwhile all the
time spent on this programthe countless hours in engineering
simulators, meetings, working groups, planning, and testing
and on building the training center at Eglin.
Members of VMFAT-501, the USMC training unit at Eglin, took
me in as one of their own and allowed me to end my active duty
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R OYA L T H A I A I R F O R C E
Centennial
Falcon
BY AANLAYO KORSAKUL
hailand traces its aviation history all the

way back to 1912 when three of its militar y
officersMaj. Luang Sakdi Sanlayawut, Capt. Luang

Arwut Likitkam, and Capt. Tip Ketuthatearned their wings
after successfully completing flight training in France. Their
achievements made Thailandthen called Siamthe first country
in Southeast Asia with a military flying unit.
Photo by K atsuhiko Tokunaga
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One hundred years later, the Royal

Thai Air Force, or RTAF, celebrated
it s centennial by establishing a
special flight demonstration team in
2012. Centennial Falcon, as the team
is called, commemorated the anniversary with two F-16s painted in
unique schemes.
The paint scheme is the work of
Sukasom Hiranphan, a civilian who
is credited with the designs of several RTAF aircraft special markings
and squadron patches. He created
several initial designs for the
Centennial Falcon for RTAF officials
to consider before the current design
was chosen.
Photo by Suk asom Hiranphan

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Photos by K atsuhiko Tokunaga
The chosen design combines the power and speed of lightning with the
three colors of the Thai national flag that represent the three institutions of
Thailandnation, religion, and monarchy, Hiranphan explained. Lightning
also happens to be the insignia of 103 Squadron, the first Royal Thai Air
Force F-16 unit and the home unit of the two demonstration aircraft.
To signify the origins of flight in Thailand, the undersides of the aircraft
feature a drawing of a Nieuport IIthe first RTAF fighter aircraft. In this
location, the underside faces the crowd when the demonstration pilot makes
several low-level, knife-edge passes during aerial performances.
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The aerial routine also underscores the

excellent handling and thrust-to-weight
characteristics of the F-16 with high-g
turns, rapid rolls, and vertical climbs.
S i d e w i n d e r m i s s i l e - s h a p e d s m o ke
generators (known as Smokewinders) on
the wingtips emphasize these maneuvers.
Two pilot s were chosen to f ly the
demonstration f lights for Centennial
Falcon. Both were from 103 Squadron
of Wing 1 at Korat AB in the northeast
section of Thailand. The first pilot selected
was Grp. Capt. Rawin Thanomsingha, a
veteran F-16 pilot who has logged more
than 3,000 hours. The second pilot
selected was Sqd. Ldr. Pasin Sombattawee.
The team also included three ground
maintenance personnel from 103 Squadron.
Photo by Suk asom Hiranphan
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The 2012 show season consisted

of performances at three locations,
including Royal Thai Air Force Flying
School at Nakhon Pathom RTAFB,
Wing 41 at Chiang Mai, and Wing 23
at Udon Thani.
The main centennial celebration
was held at the historic base of Wing
6, Don Mueang International Airport
in Bangkok in June 2012. The show
was attended by the Prime Minister
of Thailand, Mrs. Yingluck Shinawatra.
Commanders from various branches
of the Thai Armed Forces, VIP guests,
international visitors, and the general
public also attended.
Photos by Suk asom Hiranphan
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The celebration at Don Mueang was such a success that RTAF officials
decided to extend the Centennial Falcon team for 2013. Grp. Capt.
Polawat Intrawiseth, the deputy commander of Wing 1, assumed the
responsibilities for the demonstration pilots. The team will continue to
fly at special events in Thailand in 2013 and beyond to honor people
who contributed to Thai aviation and to inspire new generations to pick
up this mission and carry Thai aviation into the future.
Aanlayo Korsakul is a freelance writer based in Thailand.
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By J ef f R hodes
The worldwide community of C-130J Super Hercules

operators surpassed the one million flight hour
milestone in late April 2013. The million hour mark
came slightly more than seventeen years after
Lockheed Martin test pilots Lyle Schaefer and
Bob Price took the first J-model aloft for the first
time on 5 April 1996 from Dobbins ARB in Marietta,
Georgia. That aircraft, an extended fuselage length
Super Hercules, was delivered to the Royal Air Force
after testing was completed.
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he million hours came from crews deliver y schedules have not required The 300th C-130J is scheduled for delivery
flying in the 290 C-130J aircraft manufac ture of more than thir t y-four in the fourth quarter of calendar year 2013.
delivered or in test at the time C -1 3 0J s in any o n e yea r. Tha t p ea k Deliveries to Kuwait and the Republic
to thirteen countries in North America, production mark came in 2012. Assembly of Koreathe fourteenth and fifteenth
Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Middle of about twenty-four aircraf t per year countries to fly the C-130Jare scheduled
to begin in 2014.
East. The milestone represents flight test, is optimum.
Countries with C-130Js contributing
The C-130 will mark its sixth decade of
production readiness, and operational
flight hours. Roughly eighty percent of production in 2014, the longest continuous, t o t h e o n e m i l l i o n f l i g h t h o u r s a r e
those hours are operational and include active military aircraft line in history. That (in order of deliver y) United Kingdom,
combat flight hours in Iraq and Afghanistan. span covers more than half of the history United States, Australia, Italy, Denmark,
They also include worldwide humanitarian of powered f light. Over that time, the Norway, Canada, India, Qatar, Oman, Iraq,
relief f lights af ter Hurricanes Katrina Hercules has been produced in four major Tunisia, and Israel. In the US, C-130Js are
(2005) and Sandy (2012) in the US and variantsC-130A, B, H, and J. A total of flown by Air Force, Air Force Reserve
after tsunamis in the Indian Ocean (2004) 231 C-130A s, 491 C-130Es, and 1, 202 Command, Air National Guard, Marine
C-130Hs have come off the line in Marietta. Corps, and Coast Guard units.
and in Japan (2011).
Hours were tracked from the first flight,
but the ac tual aircraf t to record the
millionth hour and the date it was flown
is dif f icult to determine, as multiple
aircraft are airborne at any given time
every day and flight hour totals arent
always reported in real time.
Production of the C-130J continues at
the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta,
Georgia, which has been the home of
the Hercules since 1954. The production
line, located in the plants 3.8-millionsquare-foot main assembly hall (known
as Building B-1), was extensively renovated
in 1995 specifically to build the C-130J
more efficiently.
The production line is sized to accommodate produc tion of up to thir t y-six
C-130J first flight, 1996
aircraf t annually, although sales and
Photo by JOHN ROSSINO
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a dual inertial GPS/INS system, and the need for a flight engineer
The Super Hercules
The C-130J Super Hercules is produced in two basic fuse- is alleviated through a sophisticated computer system. Tanker and
lage versions, standard and extended length. The standard Special Operations variants operate with additional crewmembers.
The Super Hercules is powered by 4,591 pshp Rolls-Royce
fuselage aircraft is ninety-seven feet nine inches long and is
used primarily for aerial tankers, personnel recovery/search and AE2100D3 engines mated with a six-bladed Dow t y R391
rescue, and Special Operations aircraft, although there are a propeller with aerodynamically efficient scimitar-shaped blades.
few exceptions. The extended fuselage aircraft, also known as The combination of powerplant and propeller enables Super
a stretch, has an additional fuselage segment forward and one Hercules crews to fly longer range and carry more cargo, plus
aft of the wing and is 112 feet nine inches long. This version, provides significantly reduced fuel burn.
Nearly 2,450 C-130s of all models have been delivered to
sometimes referred to as a C-130J-30, can accommodate up to
eight standard eighty-eight inch by 108 inch 463L pallets. The sixty-three countries around the world since 1955, but the C-130
stretch version is used primarily for cargo delivery, airdrop, per- has flown under the flags of more than seventy countries when
secondary sales, transfers, and commercial ownership are consonnel transport, and paratroop missions.
All C-130Js are equipped with a fully digital flight deck, including sidered. The Hercules is currently flown under the flags of
head-up displays. The combat delivery C-130Js can operate sixty-nine nations.
with a crew of threepilot, copilot, and loadmaster. Depending
on the mission, a second loadmaster is sometimes carried. The The J Family
Since its service introduction in 1999, seven variants of the
navigator in the legacy C-130s (C-130B, E, and H) is replaced by
C-130J have come off the assembly line, with five versions in
production as of September 2013. Two additional C-130J variants are the result of modifications. The production line has
been set up to allow concurrent production of multiple variants.
The following are the C-130J variants that have been built, are
currently in production, or are in development.
C-130J Super Hercules
This is the basic combat delivery/paratroop airlifter. Most of
the combat delivery aircraft are the extended fuselage length
aircraft. Many worldwide operators have opted for the Enhanced
Cargo Handling System, or ECHS, which allows for rapid conversion from palletized loads to tie-down loads such as vehicles.
This version also features an embedded tow winch in the cargo
compartment and a ramp and cargo door outfitted for airdrops
at 250 knots.
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Royal Danish Air Force C-130J
Photo by Lance Cpl . Henning Jespersen-Skree
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combat deployment came in 2005. The Marines currently have

forty-six KC-130Js. Operational aircraft are assigned to Marine
Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 252 (VMGR-252) at MCAS
Cherry Point, North Carolina; VMGR-352 at MCAS Miramar,
California; and VMGR-152 at MCAS Futenma, Japan.
The Marine Corps also operates four KC-130Js that have been
modified to the Harvest HAWK, or Hercules Airborne Weapons
Kit, configuration. This roll-on, roll-off modification (EO/IR sensor,
quad-mount AGM-114 Hellfire missile launcher, internal AGM-175
Griffin missile launch tubes with ten missiles, and an internal
computer control console) has been used to great effect in the
armed surveillance, intelligence, and reconnaissance, or ISR, role
in Afghanistan. Harvest HAWK-equipped aircraft are based at
Cherry Point and Miramar. The Marines will eventually operate
six Harvest HAWK aircraft with an additional four KC-130Js to
be modified to accept the mission kit.
Photo by DAVE SILVA
HC-130J Super Hercules

This HC-130J (trailing underneath) is the long-range search
and rescue variant flown by the US Coast Guard. The aircrafts
system includes automatic identification and direction-finding
capabilities; long-range, multimode radar electro-optical and
infrared, or EO/IR, sensor turret that provides both imagery and
target data; advanced open architec ture mission system
processor; and an extensive communications suite. The six
HC-130Js are based at CGAS Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The
Coast Guard HC130Js were declared operational in 2008. Three
additional HC130Js are on order.
KC-130J Harvest HAWK
KC-130J Super Hercules

The standard J-model tanker is the KC-130J for the US Marine
Corps and for the Italian Air Force. These tankers, which have
replaced the KC-130F/R/T in the active-duty Marine inventory,
have a 57,500 pound fuel offload capacity. The first KC-130J
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EC-130J Commando Solo II

Commando Solo is a specialized J-model variant flown by the 193rd
Special Operations Squadron, the US Air National Guard unit at
Harrisburg International Airport, Pennsylvania. Recognizable by its
tail-mounted and underwing antennas, the EC-130J contains highpowered AM/FM radio and TV broadcast equipment for psychological
warfare operations. Seven aircraft were modified with five aircraft
receiving the psyops mission equipment. Operations with the
Commando Solo II began in 2004.
Photo by Staff Sgt. Tia Schroeder
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HC-130J Combat King II personnel recovery aircraft
WC-130J Weatherbird
Ten C-130Js were modified on the assembly line to the WC130J
configuration. These aircraft, assigned to the 53rd Weather
Reconnaissance Squadron at Keesler AFB, Mississippi, are
designed to fly into hurricanes and tropical storms to track and
monitor storm conditions and movement on missions lasting
twelve hours or longer. The Hurricane Hunters began operations
with the WC-130J in 2003.
HC/MC-130J Special Mission Tanker
The HC-130J Combat King II and MC-130J Commando II are
currently built as a common configuration, although the MC-130J,
through upgrades and modifications, will eventually become a
separate configuration. These aircraft currently support US Air
Force mission requirements as they come off of the production
line with no post-production modifications required.
The HC-130J Combat King II is Air Combat Commands
dedicated fixed wing personnel recovery platform. It is deployed
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to austere airfields and denied

territory for expeditionary, allweather personnel recovery
operations to include airdrop,
airland, helicopter air-to -air
refueling, and for ward area
ground refueling missions.
Deliveries began in 2011 .
Operational Combat King II
aircraft are currently assigned
to the 79th Rescue Squadron
at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona,
and the 71st RQS at Moody AFB,
Georgia. The 415th Special
Operations Squadron at Kirtland
Photo by Staff Sgt. Tim Chacon
AFB, New Mexico, the US Air
Forces Special Operations training unit, also operates HC-130Js.
The MC-130J Commando II version will replace the US Air
Force Special Operations Commands older MC-130N/P Combat
Shadow fleet. The MC-130J is flown on clandestine, or low
visibility, single and multi-ship low-level air refueling missions
supporting special operations helicopters and tilt-rotor aircraft,
as well as inf iltration, exf iltration, and resupply of Special
Operations Forces by airdrop or airland in politically sensitive
or hostile territories. Delivery to the f irst operational unit,
the 522nd Special Operations Squadron at Cannon AFB, New
Mexico, occurred in 2011. The 415th SOS at Kir tland AFB,
New Mexico, the US Air Forces Special Operations training unit,
also operates MC-130Js.
Some MC-130Js will be modified off the assembly line to
the AC-130J Ghostrider gunship configuration. The AC-130J
will inherit the precision strike package from the AC-130W
Stinger II. The precision strike package, developed to support
ground forces in overseas contingency operations, includes
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dual electro-optical infrared sensors, 30mm cannon,

AGM-175 Griffin missiles, and all-weather synthetic
aperture radar. The package also gives the AC-130J
the capability to release Small Diameter Bombs. The
sensors allow the gunship crew to visually or electronically identif y targets at any time, including in
adverse weather. Current service plans call for sixteen MC-130Js to be converted into gunships.
Advanced Development
The C-130XJa new version that is not yet in productionis a base model aircraft with J-model performance, but with lower
a cqu i si t io n cos t , p r i m a r i l y
t hrou g h s u b s t i t u t i n g l e s s
sophisticated equipment such
as top - of- t he line satellite
communications. However,
the XJ is designed to allow
combat delivery, mission-specific equipment to be installed
later as needed. The X J is
aimed at the export market.
The SC-130J Sea Hercules
is a maritime patrol and longrange search and rescue aircraft. This J-model, currently
under study, can be equipped
with a range of equipment to
allow crews to carry out such
relatively straightforward missions as monitoring a coastline, firing standoff missiles,
or launching torpedoes.
Photo by Staff Sgt. Brendan Stephens
Photo by Airman 1st Class Damon K asberg
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Operators
The United States is the largest operator of C-130Js, with
nearly 190 aircraft of all types.
US Air National Guard units flying the combat delivery C-130J
variant are the 143rd Airlift Squadron, the Rhode Island Air
National Guard unit at Quonset Point, and the 146th AS, the
California Air National Guard squadron at Channel Islands ANGS.
When activated by the US Forest Service, the 146th AW uses its
C-130Js for aerial firefighting with the second generation Modular Aerial Firefighting System, or MAFFS 2.
The extended fuselage C-130J is also flown by the active duty
37th Airlift Squadron at Ramstein AB, Germany; 41st AS at Little
Rock AFB, Arkansas; and 39th AS and 40th AS at Dyess AFB,
Texas. Dyess, with twenty-eight assigned aircraft, operates the
largest C-130J fleet in the world. The 815th AS, the Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force C-130J
Reserve Command unit at Keesler AFB, Mississippi, flies the
Photo by LAC David Said
short fuselage C-130J.
Training for nearly all US and international C-130J aircrews and and 30 Squadron now at RAF Brize Norton near Cambridge. One
maintainers takes place at Little Rock AFB, Arkansas. Instruc- RAF aircraft was destroyed on the ground after a landing mishap
tors with the 48th Airlift Squadron at Little Rock are responsible in 2007.
Italy received the first of twenty-two (now twenty-one) extended,
for C-130J aircrew training.
Other US operators, such as the Coast Guard, Marine Corps, short fuselage, and tanker J-models in 2000. Italy received the
and US Special Operations Command, fly other specific C-130J first C-130J receiver-tanker built, a tanker that can take on fuel
itself. The Aeronautica Militare was the first air force to take the
variants as noted above.
One US Air Force C-130J was destroyed on the ground after C-130J into combat in 2001. The Italian aircraft are assigned to
a hard landing in Afghanistan in 2013.
the 46th Air Brigade at Pisa AB. One aircraft was lost in a training
The United Kingdom was the launch customer for the C-130J. accident in 2009.
The first Royal Air Force aircraft was the first J-model to come
Denmark has four stretch combat delivery C-130Js assigned
off the assembly line (October 1995) and the first to get airborne to Eskadrille 721 at Aalborg AB in northern Jutland. Royal Danish
(5 April 1996). The first RAF aircraft was delivered in 1998. The Air Force operations with the C-130J began in 2004.
last of twenty-five (now twenty-four) stretch and short fuselage
Australia has a fleet of twelve long fuselage combat delivery
aircraft (called Hercules C. Mk. 4 and C. Mk. 5, officially) was C-130Js flown by 37 Squadron at RAAF Richmond, near Sydney.
delivered in 2000. The RAF C-130Js, used for combat delivery The Royal Australian Air Force, which had flown the C-130B, E,
and special operations, are flown by crews from XXIV Squadron and H models, began operations with the C-130J in 1999.
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Israeli Air Force C-130J

Royal Canadian Air Force C-130J

Photo by Damien Guarnieri
Norway has a fleet of four long fuselage combat delivery

C-130Js flown by 335 Squadron at Gardermoen AS, outside Oslo.
Operations with the C-130J began in 2008. The Royal Norwegian Air Force named its C-130Js after Norse goddesses Frigg,
Idunn, Nanna, and Siv (which was lost in a mishap in 2012). A
C-130J intended for delivery to the US Air Force was transferred
to RNoAF in 2012. That aircraft is named Frya.
Canada has a fleet of seventeen long fuselage combat delivery
C-130Jsdesignated CC-130J by the Royal Canadian Air Force
flown by 436 Squadron at 8 Wing Trenton, Ontario. Operations
began in 2010. The C-130J is a contender in the RCAFs upcoming
replacement search and rescue aircraft competition.
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Oman Royal Flight C-130J

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India has a fleet of six combat delivery C-130Js operated by

77 Squadron at Hindan AFS, near Delhi. These aircraft are also
fitted with an EO/IR sensor and can be used on Special Operations
missions. The Indian Air Force began C-130J operations in 2011.
Among Middle East countries, Qatar has a fleet of four combat
delivery C-130Js operated from Doha International Airport. Operations with the C-130J began in 2012; Oman received one C-130J
for its Royal Flight in 2012, and that aircraft is based in Muscat;
two additional combat delivery support aircraft are on order for
the Royal Air Force of Oman. Iraq received six combat delivery
C-130Js in 2013 that are flown by the 23rd Transport Squadron
at New Al Muthana AB; and Kuwait has three KC-130J tanker
aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2014. In Africa, Tunisia received
the first of two combat delivery C-130Js in 2013, and operations
by 21 Squadron at El-Aouina in Tunis have begun.
Tunisian Air Force C-130J
Israel formally received its first extended length C-130J in

2013, and after Israeli-specific modifications, will be delivered
in-country in 2014. The Israeli aircraft, which features an EO/IR
turret under the nose, in addition to other special equipment,
will be flown by 103 Squadron at Nevatim AB. The Israeli Air
Force currently has three C-130Js on order.
South Korea has four combat delivery C-130Js on order.
Deliveries to the Republic of Korea Air Force are scheduled to
begin in 2014.
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Jeff Rhodes is the associate editor of Code One.
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Photo by KENNETH E. ULBRICH
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X-56 First Flight

The f irst f light of the X-56A Multi- Utilit y
Technology Testbed, or MUTT, was successfully
carried out on 26 July 2013 at the NASA Dryden
Fligh t Research C en ter at Ed ward s A FB ,
California. The X-56 is a modular, unmanned
flight research vehicle that will allow investigation
of active aeroelastic control technologies such
as active flutter suppression and gust load
alleviation. During the flight, the X-56A was
flown at low altitude for fourteen minutes while
crews evaluated the aircrafts handling qualities
at seventy knots. Landing handling qualities at
sixty knots were also evaluated. The X-56 is
designed to allow the testing of a wide range
of a d v a n ce d a e ro d y n a m i c co n ce p t s a n d
technologies. Following initial flight testing, the
X-56 will be flown by NASA.
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First C-130J For Israel

The first C-130J for Israel was ceremonially
delivered at the Lockheed Martin facility in
Marietta, Georgia, on 26 June 2013. This is first
of three C-130Js currently on order for the Israeli
Air Force through a Foreign Militar y Sales
contract with the US government. This aircraft
will now move into a modification program and
receive Israeli-specific systems. The in-country
delivery for this C-130J is scheduled for spring
2014. The IAF, which has operated C-130E/Hs
s i n ce 1 97 1 , h a s b e s to w e d t h e n i c k n a m e
Shimshon the Hebrew word for Samsonon
its C-130Js. The Israeli C-130Js will be flown by
103 Squadron, known as The Elephants.
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Photo by Andy Wolfe
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First F-35C Arrives At Eglin

The first production F-35C for the US Navy
was delivered to Strike Fighter Squadron 101
(VFA-101) at Eglin AFB, Florida, on 22 June 2013.
VFA-101 will serve as the F-35C Fleet Replacement
Squadron, training both pilots and maintainers.
The aircraft (Nav y Bureau Number 168733)
joined a fleet of twelve F-35A and thirteen
F-35B aircraft already stationed at Eglin. Four
additional F-35Cs are scheduled to ferry to
Eglin later this year. US Navy test pilot Lt. Cdr.
Chris Tabert, who became the first military pilot
to fly all three F-35 variants, flew the aircraft
on the ferry flight.
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Photo by DAVID HENRY
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Raptor Milestone
The F-22 Combined Test Force, or CTF, at the
Air Force Test Center at Edwards AFB, California,
celebrated a milestone on 19 April 2013, when
the oldest flying Raptor successfully completed
its 1,000th sortie. The landmark flight, made by
Boeing test pilot Steve Rainey, was one of the
f irst flight tests of the Increment 3.2A software upgrade. The aircraft, US Air Force serial
number 91-4007, was delivered to Edwards in
October 2001. This Raptor was used to carry
out the first guided AIM-9 Sidewinder missile
launch. This F-22 has been flown on a number
of missile launch and satellite-guided weapons
release tests over its career.
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Photo by JET FABARA
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Testing 3.5.2
Follow-on testing of the Block 3.5.2 software
upgrade for the C-5M Super Galaxy transport
b e g a n o n 9 M a y 20 1 3 a t E d w a r d s A F B ,
California. Initial testing of the revised software
was conducted at Dover AFB, Delaware, and
the aircraft was ferried to Edwards where the
remaining flight test sorties were completed.
Block 3.5.2 is designed to correct deficiencies
documented during previous C-5M test programs.
According to the C-5M test team, the systems
affected by this software upgrade include the
automatic flight control system, autothrottle,
display services, embedded diagnostic system,
and the flight management system. The 418th
Flight Test Squadron at Edwards conducted
the tests.
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Photo by TSGT. KENYA SHILOH
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Lask Falcon
A Polish Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot
taxis to the runway at Lask AB, Poland, on
15 May 2013 prior to the start of a training
mission with US Air Force F-16s from the 115th
Fighter Wing, the Wisconsin Air National Guard
unit at Madison. Nearly 100 US Airmen traveled
to Lask for a two-week deployment as part of
the newly established Detachment 1, 52nd
Operations Group. The first permanent US military presence in Poland, Det. 1, 52nd OG, was
established recently to support Polands continued defense modernization and standardization with the US and NATO.
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Photo by DAVID KEY
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First Combat King II To Moody

The first HC-130J Combat King II personnel
recovery aircraft for the 71st Rescue Squadron
at Moody AFB, Georgia, was delivered on 19
July 2013. The aircraft (Air Force serial number
11-5725) was flown from the Lockheed Martin
facility in Marietta, Georgia, to the base near
Valdosta, Georgia, by US Air Force Maj. Gen.
H. D. Polumbo, Jr., Ninth Air Force commander.
The HC-130J replaces the HC-130N/P as the
US Air Forces only dedicated f ixed -wing
personnel recovery platform. It is designed for
expeditionary, all-weather personnel recovery
operations to include airdrop, airland, helicopter
air-to-air refueling, and forward area ground
refueling missions. Six HC-130Js will be assigned
to Moody.
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Tight Squeeze
US Air Force SrA Nate Hall conducts a postflight inspection on an F-16 Fighting Falcon
on 5 July 2013 at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan.
Maintainers inspect the aircraftand, in this
case, the enginefor leaks, cracks, or loose
fasteners or panels. Hall is an aircraft maintainer deployed with the 451st Expeditionary
Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.
Photo by SRA SCOTT SALDUKAS
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IRIS Launched
Orbital Sciences Corporation carried out the
successful launch of the Interface Region Imaging
Spectrograph, or IRIS, satellite for NASA on
27 June 2013. The IRIS spacecraft was deployed
into its targeted orbit approximately 400 miles
above the Earth. The Orbital L-1011 TriStar carrier aircraft crew took off from Vandenberg AFB,
California, and following a one-hour preplanned
positioning f light, released the underslung
Pegasus rocket at approximately 40,000 feet
over the Pacific Ocean. After a thirteen-minute
powered flight, the 440-pound IRIS satellite
separated from the Pegasus booster and moved
into its polar, sun-synchronous Earth orbit. The
Orbital L-1011, known as Stargazer, has now
been used to successfully launch thirty-six
Pegasus rockets.
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Photo by TODD R. MCQUEEN
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Final C-130J For Dyess

The twenty-eighth and f inal C-130J Super
Hercules for the 317th Airlift Group at Dyess
AFB, Texas, was delivered on 25 July 2013. The
aircraft (Air Force serial number 08-5726) was
f lown from the Lockheed Mar tin facilit y in
Marietta, Georgia, to the base in Abilene by
Gen. Paul Selva, the commander of Air Mobility
Command. With two flying units, the 39th and
40th Airlift Squadrons, the 317th AW operates
the largest C-130J fleet in the world.
NEXT
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Final Pakistan P-3 Delivered

The Pakistan Navy received its seventh and final
P-3 Orion in ceremonies at the Lockheed Martin
facility in Greenville, South Carolina, on 12 July
2013. The P-3s were delivered to the Pakistan
Navy as part of an eight-year aircraft reactivation
and upgrade program. Pakistan ordered its P-3s
through the US Foreign Military Sales program.
More than 800,000 hours were invested in this
program to return these P-3 aircraft to service
af ter being reclaimed from the Aerospace
Maintenance and Regeneration Group at DavisMonthan AFB, Arizona. In addition to the Greenville
operations, Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and
Training was also involved in the program. After
upgrades, the Pakistan aircraft are now comparable
to the P-3C Anti-Surface Warfare Improvement
Program, or AIP, configuration.
NEXT
Photo by SAMUEL KING JR.
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First Responder
Firefighters with the US Air Forces 96th Test
Wing at Eglin AFB, Florida, climb a ladder to
extract a simulated injured F-35 Lightning II
pilot during a major accident response exercise, or MARE, on 9 May 2013 at Eglin AFB,
Florida. This was the first MARE at the base
in For t Walton Beach involving the F-35A .
The exercise scenario called for first responders
to put out a fire after the F-35 pilot made a
hard landing and extract him for immediate
medical attention.
NEXT
Photo by A1C ZACHIAH ROBERSON
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Mosquito Mission
US Air Force Reser ve Command C-130H
Hercules crews from 757th Airlift Squadron at
Youngstown ARS, Ohio, carried out aerial spray
missions over areas of North Dakota during
missions from 28 May to 7 June 2013. The crews
applied larvicide, designed to kill mosquitoes
before they are able to fly, in order to improve
working conditions and lower the risk of vectorborne illness to individuals living and working
in and around the Williston Army Corps of
Engineers property in Williston, North Dakota,
and at Grand Forks AFB. The aerial spray
crews flew 56.3 operational hours covering
8,024 acres. The Youngstown squadron is the
US Department of Defenses only fixed wing
aerial spray unit.
NEXT
Photo by SSGT. JOSHUA J. GARCIA
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2K U-2 Pilot
Maj. Patrick Hudson became the thirty-first
pilot in the U -2 Dragon Lady high-altitude
reconnaissance aircraft programs fifty-eight
year history to record 2,000 flight hours on
17 May 2013 during the final combat mission
of his twenty-year military career. A native of
Fayette, Mississippi, and an Air Force Academy
graduate, Hudson accomplished the feat in only
seven years and five days after he flew the
U-2 solo for the first time, the second fastest in
program history. Hudson, who began his career
as KC-135 tanker pilot, flew 146 combat missions
in the U-2, said to be the fourth highest number
of combat sorties in the history of the Dragon Lady.
NEXT
Photo by TSGT. DANA ROSSO
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Raptor Blast Off

An F-22 Raptor pilot assigned to the 302nd
Fighter Squadron, the Air Force Reser ve
Command associate unit at JB Elmendor fRichardson, Alaska, takes off after being hot
pit refueled during the monthly Unit Training
Assembly weekend on 13 July 2013. During the
week, the 302nds parent unit, the 477th Fighter
Group, integrates with the active dut y 3rd
Wing at the base in Anchorage. The 477th FG
is Alaskas only Reserve unit.
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Drop On The Spot

A C-130J Super Hercules crew assigned to
the 146th Airlift Wing, the California Air National
Guard unit at Channel Islands ANGS, releases
fire retardant over the trees in the mountains
above Palm Springs, California, on 19 July 2013.
The 146th AW, one of three ANG and one Air
Force Reserve Command units equipped with
the Modular Airborne Firefighting System, or
MAFFS, was activated to assist commercial air
tankers in fighting wildfires.
Photo by SRA NICHOLAS CARZIS
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Photo by MSGT. DONALD R. ALLEN
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Line Up At The Pump

US Air Force F-35A Lightning II pilots from
the 58th Fighter Wing at Eglin AFB, Florida,
form up off the wing of a KC-135 Stratotanker
near the base in northwest Florida on 13 May
2013. The 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin is the joint
graduate flying and maintenance training wing
that trains Air Force, Marine, Navy, and international partner operators and maintainers on
the F-35. The KC-135 crew is from the 336th
Air Refueling Squadron, the Air Force Reserve
Command unit at March ARB, California.
NEXT
Photo by SSGT. DEVIN DOSKEY
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Milestone Rescue
The 129th Rescue Wing, the California Air
National Guard unit at Moffett Federal Airfield
in Sunnyvale, recorded its 1,000th career rescue
on 18 May 2013, when deployed wing aircrews
and pararescuemen evacuated an Afghan
national policeman who had suffered a gunshot
wound. Since its conversion to a rescue wing
in 1975, the 129th RQW, which currently flies
both the HC-130P Combat King and the HH-60G
Pave Hawk helicopter, is credited with more
than 400 combat saves and nearly 600 civilian
saves. A save is defined as a recovered individual
in danger of losing his/her life, limb, or eyesight.
The 129th RQW was originally established as
an air resupply group in 1955.
NEXT
Photo by JOHN WILSON
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100th F-35 In Production

The 100th F-35 Lightning II, an F-35A and the
first aircraft destined for Luke AFB in Glendale,
Arizona, entered the last stage of final assembly
at the Lockheed Martin facility in Fort Worth,
Texas, in late July 2013. This aircraft, designated
AF-41, is scheduled for delivery in 2014. The
US Air Force recently announced its decision
to increase the number of squadrons at Luke
AFB to six with 144 assigned aircraft, which will
make it the largest F-35 base worldwide. In
addition to training US pilots, Luke will also
serve as an F-35A international operator training
site. As of 25 July, there are now 126 F-35s in
various stages of production worldwide.
NEXT
Photo by LESLEY FARMER
PREV
Back On The Beat Early

The Mid-Life Upgrade, or MLU, modifications
on the latest P-3 Orion for US Customs and
Border Protection was completed seventy-eight
days early on 18 July 2013 at the Lockheed Martin
facility in Greenville, South Carolina. This is the
eighth of fourteen Customs aircraft currently on
contract to receive the MLU modifications and
phased depot maintenance. It is the sixth Airborne
Warning and Control variant to receive replacement wings and other structures. This aircrafts
distinctive radar rotodome was reinstalled, and
it then rejoined the Customs P-3 fleet. During
FY2012, the CBP P-3 fleet contributed to the seizure or disruption of more than 117,765 pounds
of cocaine valued at over $8.8 billion.
NEXT
Photo by Michael D. Leister
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Museum Piece
The first C-5A Galaxy transport for permanent
public display was delivered to the Air Mobility
Command Museum at Dover AFB, Delaware,
on 7 August 2013. A crew from the 164th Airlift
Wing, the Tennessee Air National Guard unit in
Memphis, flew the now-retired aircraft (US Air
Force serial number 69-0014) to the museum.
In 1971, this aircraft was the first C-5A delivered
direct from the then-Lockheed-Georgia Company
facility to Dover, as the initial group of C-5s
there had been transferred from Charleston
AFB, South Carolina. In 1974, this aircraft was
used to carry out an air launch test of an LGM-30
Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile. The
aircraft, which recorded approximately 19,750
flight hours, will go on display in the fall.
NEXT
Photo by CPL. AMANDA CAMPBELL
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37 Squadron Celebrates
70th Anniversary
The Royal Australian Air Forces C-130J unit,
37 Squadron, celebrated the seventieth anniversary of its founding in ceremonies at RAAF
Richmond, near Sydney on 15 Jul y 20 13.
Established at RAAF Laverton, near Melbourne,
flying the Lockheed C-60A Lodestar in 1943,
3 7 S q u a d ro n c rew s h ave s u p p o r te d key
Australian Defence operations around the world.
Deactivated in 1948, the squadron was reformed
in 19 66 to f ly the new C-130 E . Today, 37
Squadron flies tactical airlift missions with a
fleet of twelve C-130Js. Recent squadron missions have ranged from providing relief supplies following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake
and flying search and rescue missions during
the 1998 Sydney-to-Hobart Yacht Race. Two
37 Squadron aircraft are currently deployed to
the Middle East.
NEXT
Photo by MCS2 ELISHA DAWKINS
PREV
Hercules Help
A US Navy C-130 crew from Fleet Logistics
Support Squadron 62 (VR-62) helped rescue five
people adrift on a small boat on 25 May 2013.
The crew was on a scheduled transport mission when they were contacted by the US Coast
Guard Sector Guam office and asked to assist
on a rescue mission off Chuuk Island, Micronesia.
After a three-hour search, the aircraft commander noticed a flash of light reflected from
a soda can about five miles ahead. The crew
flew to the area and located the disabled vessel.
The transport ship Zeus Leade r later rescued
the vessels occupants. Based at NAS Jacksonville,
Florida, and known as the Nomads, VR-62 is
one of five Navy Reserve C-130 squadrons.
NEXT
Photo by SMSGT. GEORGE THOMPSON
PREV
No Ordinary Shredder
US Airmen from the 9th Airlift Squadron at
Dover AFB, Delaware, teamed with contractors
from the Central Command Deployment &
Distribution Operation Center and the Defense
Logistics Agency to move a large Granutech
Mobile Roto-Grind Shredder from Southwest
Asia aboard a C-5M Super Galaxy on 10 May
2013. This 87,000-pound machine, which has
a 525-horsepower motor, is used to shred everything from paper and electronics to body armor
and ballistic glass in a matter of seconds. The
shredder was moved to Kandahar Air f ield,
Afghanistan, to support the US reduction of
forces in Afghanistan. This was the first time
this shredder had been moved on a C-5.
NEXT
Photo by SRA SCOTT SALDUKAS
PREV
New, Faster Airdrop

The 772nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, the
deployed C-130J unit at Kandahar Airf ield,
Afghanistan, executed the first combat Extracted
Container Delivery System, or XCDS, airdrop
on 29 April 2013. The new airdrop method is
designed to pull the bundles out of the aircraft
at a faster rate than the current airdrop process, which improves the overall accuracy of
the drop itself. With XCDS, an additional parachute attached to a group of bundles pulls them
out of the aircraft together and at a faster speed,
resulting in about a two-thirds smaller dispersion area on the ground. The first mission was
carried out by a joint Air National Guard and
active duty crew flying a C-130J deployed from
Little Rock AFB, Arkansas.
NEXT
Photo by A1C CLIFFTON DOLEZAL
PREV
Hustler For The Rock

US Air Force Col. Tom Crimmins, vice commander of the 19th Airlift Wing at Little Rock
AFB, Arkansas, speaks during the dedication
ceremony for the newly restored TB-58A Hustler
Mach 2 jet bomber at the bases air park on
3 May 2013. Convair built 116 B-58s in Fort Worth,
Texas, from 1959 to 1961. This aircraft is one
of eight Hustlers converted into operational
trainers with dual controls for student and
instructor in tandem. Crews from the 43rd
Bombardment Wing flew B-58s at Little Rock
from 1964 through 1969.
NEXT
In Memoriam
Retired Col. George E. Bud Day, the most
decorated Airman in US Air Force history, passed
away in Shalimar, Florida, on 27 July 2013.
He was eighty-eight. Day, who was awarded
the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry
as a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam, received
close to seventy medalsfifty of them combatrelatedduring a career that spanned from
World War II to 1976. Day logged more than
8,000 flying hours in a dozen fighter types. But
when asked at a 2006 POW reunion what his
favorite aircraft were, he named a bomber and
a transport. He said: The B-52 because it forced
the North Vietnamese to the negotiating table
and the C-141 because it brought me home.
PREV
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LOCKHEED MARTIN AERONAUTICS COMPANY

Skunk Works: 70 Years & FOrWARD | Col. Art Tomassetti Interview

VOLUME 28 | NUMBER 2 | 2013

Charles Armstrong | Steve Hall

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION

Joseph LaMarca, Jr.

VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNICATIONS

3 Skunk Works Celebrates seventy years

24 F-35 Flight Test Update 11

Lightning II Testing Highlights From April To August 2013

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, AERONAUTICS

35 ten questions for Turbo tomassetti

41 royal thai air force centennial falcon

Send correspondence to Code One Magazine,

From X-35 To F-35, This Marine Has About Seen It All

F-16 Demonstration Commemorates Anniversary Of Aviation In Thailand

C-130J Program Soars Past One Million Flight Hour Milestone

BACK: A US Coast Guard HC-130H Hercules long-range search and

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First, invest in independent research and development to explore

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Early Skunk Works In Burbank

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A-12, forerunner of the SR-71

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never became operational, its technologies were eventually

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The F-35 Flight Test Updatein the Volume 28, Number 1

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PHOTO BY ANDY WOLFE

Photo by Dane Wiedmann

First Night Vertical Landing

Marine Corps Maj. C. R. Clift completed

F-35C Maximum Mach

Marine Corps Capt. Mike Kingen took

Photo by Darin Russell

First F-35A GBU-12 Separation

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Photo by Paul Weatherman

Photo by Tom Reynolds

Photo by Matthew Short

Air Force Lt. Col. Peter Vitt flew F-35A

Air Force C apt . Eric Schult z f lew

Air Force Lt. Col. Jon Ohman flew BF-17

300 Flights For AF-1

Two Firsts At Night

CODE ONE VOL. 28 NO. 2