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F-35 Aircraft Database

Airframe Details for F-35 #BF-04




F-35 Aircraft Profile

Aircraft: : BF-04
LM Aero T/V BF-04
Plant LMTAS
Local C/N
Delivered USMC BF-04
F-35B
Current USMC BF-04
F-35B
Status [act]
This is the first mission systems aircraft in the F-35B test program. First flight on April 6th, 2010 from NAS Fort Worth, piloted by David Nelson.


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Aircraft History

Date Status Local S/N Airforce/Unit Version Name Info
Unknown [act] BF-04 F-35B
08 Jun 2010 [act] BF-04 USNavy VX-23 F-35B News Article

Sent to NAS Patuxent River to the Naval Air Systems Command. On November 18th, 2010 this aircraft completed the 500th F-35 flight. The three-hour sortie was mainly to evaluate avionics software. Took part in the initial sea trials on October 3rd, 2011 from the USS Wasp (LHD-1) along with BF-02. A major first for this aircraft on June 19th, 2015 when the aircraft was the first F-35 to take off from a Ski-Jump during testing at NAS Patuxent River.
25 Sep 2018 [act] BF-04 USNavy VX-23 F-35B

Lands on HMS Queen Elizabeth for first time.


Abbreviations and symbols:
[act] Active [i/a] Instructional Airframe [sto] Stored (e.g. at AMARG)
[cld] Cancelled Order [msh] Involved in Mishap [w/o] Write-off
[con] Converted [o/o] On Order
[des] Destroyed (drone) [pre] Preserved (museum, gateguard) T/V LM Aero Type/Version (Construction) number
[emb] Embargoed [scr] Scrapped Photo Available



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