Fighter Jet News
F-35 Lightning II News
F-35B STOVL achieves successful first flight
June 11, 2008 (by
Asif Shamim) -
The Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II made its first flight with BAE test pilot Graham Tomlinson at the controls from Lockheeds Martin's Fort Worth facility.
Tomlinson, a former Royal Air Force Harrier pilot performed a conventional takeoff at 10.17h local time. All initial F-35B flights will be conventional takeoffs and landings, with transitions to short takeoffs, hovers and vertical landings beginning early next year.
The F-35B climbed to 15,000 feet and performed several handling related tests, engine power variations and handling checks before returning to Fort Worth at 11.01h.
"A great team effort led to a relaxed first flight, with the aircraft handling and performing just as we predicted based on STOVL simulator testing and flying the F-35A," Tomlinson said.
The F-35B, also known as BF-1, became the second Lightning II to enter flight test, preceded by the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) F-35A, which first flew in December 2006 and has completed 43 flights to date. The F-35B that flew today is the second of 19 System Development and Demonstration aircraft and the first to incorporate new weight-saving design features that will apply to all future airframes.
"This is truly an historic day for aviation and the JSF program," said Maj. Gen. C.R. Davis, F-35 program executive officer. "It caps a commitment we made in August 2006 to the Department of Defense and the U.S. Marine Corps when we said we would fly a production-representative STOVL F-35 by June of 2008 – and the team did it. This flight is also a milestone in a 5,000-sortie flight test program that spans five years but continuously rolls out incremental F-35 war fighting capability. It’s a proud day and proud beginning."
Three versions of the F-35 will be produced:
All 19 F-35 flight-test and ground-test aircraft are either in production or on the flightline, and assembly has begun on the first two production-model F-35s.
The F-35B climbed to 15,000 feet and performed several handling related tests, engine power variations and handling checks before returning to Fort Worth at 11.01h.
"A great team effort led to a relaxed first flight, with the aircraft handling and performing just as we predicted based on STOVL simulator testing and flying the F-35A," Tomlinson said.
The F-35B, also known as BF-1, became the second Lightning II to enter flight test, preceded by the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) F-35A, which first flew in December 2006 and has completed 43 flights to date. The F-35B that flew today is the second of 19 System Development and Demonstration aircraft and the first to incorporate new weight-saving design features that will apply to all future airframes.
"This is truly an historic day for aviation and the JSF program," said Maj. Gen. C.R. Davis, F-35 program executive officer. "It caps a commitment we made in August 2006 to the Department of Defense and the U.S. Marine Corps when we said we would fly a production-representative STOVL F-35 by June of 2008 – and the team did it. This flight is also a milestone in a 5,000-sortie flight test program that spans five years but continuously rolls out incremental F-35 war fighting capability. It’s a proud day and proud beginning."
Three versions of the F-35 will be produced:
- F-35A CTOL variant for conventional runways
- STOVL F-35B for operating off small ships and near front-line combat zones
- And the F-35C carrier variant (CV) for catapult launches and arrested recoveries aboard the U.S. Navy's large aircraft carriers
All 19 F-35 flight-test and ground-test aircraft are either in production or on the flightline, and assembly has begun on the first two production-model F-35s.
Related articles:
Forum discussion:
Tags
- F-35B completes STOVL propulsion ground test ( 2008-05-29)
- F-35 STOVL engine powered up in preparation of first flight ( 2008-04-27)
- First F-35 STOVL unveiled at Lockheed Martin ( 2007-12-19)
- First STOVL F-35 Joint Strike Fighter takes shape at BAE Systems ( 2006-07-06)
- F-35 Lightning II news archive
Forum discussion:
- BF-1 First Flight ( 51 replies)
Tags