Bogdan says F-35C nose gear issue not that serious

U.S. Navy F-35C test pilots are concern over violent vertical oscillations that they experience when being catapulted off an aircraft carrier.

By U.S. Navy photo byMass Communication Specialist Seaman Anderson W. Branch [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) wrote in its most recent annual report that navy pilots felt that problem is serious enough to be a safety issue.

F-35 program manager Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan said the nose gear was not damping out the oscillations as the jets were accelerated done the catapult. It only occurs when the aircraft is at very light gross takeoff weight.

“At medium weights and heavy weights you don’t see this problem at all,” Bogdan was quoted as saying.

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