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The 5th generation stealth F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) accomplished its first flight in Fort Worth, Texas, Friday December 15, 2006. "The Lightning II performed beautifully," said F-35 Chief Pilot Jon Beesley following the flight.
The milestone was accomplished by the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) version of the F-35. The airplane launched at 12:44 p.m. CST, from the Lockheed Martin site in Fort Worth, Texas.
After take-off the stealthy fighter climbed to 15,000 feet.
According to Lockheed, Beesley then performed a series of maneuvers to test aircraft handling and the operation of the engine and subsystems. The flight ended at 1:19 p.m CST. Some published reports indicate the test flight was cut short. Two F-16s and an F/A-18 served as safety chase.
The F-35 is being built as a stealthy, supersonic, multi-role, 5th generation fighter intended to replace AV-8B Harriers, A-10s, F-16s, F/A-18 Hornets and United Kingdom Harrier GR.7s and Sea Harriers.
The United States and eight international partners are involved in the F-35’s development. The U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, and the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force and Royal Navy plan to acquire the F-35. Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Denmark and Norway also are partners in the program and are expected to operate F-35s.
Three versions of the F-35 are under development: a conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant for conventional runways, a short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) variant for operating off small ships and near front-line combat zones, and a carrier variant (CV) for catapult launches and arrested recoveries on board the U.S. Navy’s large aircraft carriers.
Lockheed Martin is developing the Lightning II with BAE Systems and others. Two separate, interchangeable F-35 engines are under development: the Pratt & Whitney F135 and the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team F136.
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