As the F-35 Lightning II Pax River Integrated Test Force prepares for the second phase of F-35C sea trials in late 2015, aircraft CF-05 conducts land-based MK-7 arrestment testing during flight 134 on July 21. Completed in 1961, Air Test and Evaluation Squadron operates and maintains the MK-7 arresting gear facility aboard Naval Air Station Patuxent River. Despite its age, the MK-7 has undergone continuous upgrades and is representative of the arresting gear used on today's aircraft carriers. The underground installation accommodates structural tests and aircraft/arresting gear compatibility studies with all models of U.S. Navy carrier aircraft. Due to limited deck space aboard an aircraft carrier, recovery equipment is required to shorten the aircraft landing distance. The MK-7 arresting gear is a hydraulic-mechanical engine used to arrest airplanes up to 50,000 pounds gross weight and at engaging speeds of 175 mph. The primary use of the MK-7 arresting gear is to ensure the aircraft systems remain functional and the aircraft structure can withstand the loads imparted during the arrested landing.
VX 23
Taken on 21 July 2015
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