Friday Fly-by
Today’s “fly-by” shows the new Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. The first production flight was December 15, 2006 and it is expected to be in full deployment by 2014. Its huge engine produces 43,000 pounds of thrust giving it supersonic capability, yet it’s capable of a short takeoff using only 400 feet of runway at a take off speed of just 80 m.p.h. If that’s not enough, it’s a hover craft capable of vertical takeoff and landing! All that and stealth, too!
You might also enjoy this video report on the progress of the F-35 program for the first quarter of 2007. These are exciting times in military aviation history!
Doug
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Reader Comments (3)
That is freakin awesome! I thought the F-22 was our latest and greatest! I never even heard of this. The VTOL is really cool.
Boys and their toys.
That is amazing. Let me see if I understand this. We partnered with Britain and other countries to develop this? Or did we get a little contribution aling with orders to buy some of them. I'm pretty sure that Uncle Sam paid the biggest portion, kind of like the U.N. In any event, it is one awesome aircraft IF it will handle dogfights as well as the Raptor. And we needed it because...?