LIGHTNING IITHE FIGHTER EVOLUTION - F-35

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“The F-35 flight test programme
represents the most comprehensive,
rigorous and the safest developmental
flight test programme in aviation
history,” said Greg Ulmer, Lockheed
Martin’s vice president and general
manager of the F-35 programme.

Lt Col Tucker Hamilton, commander of

the 461st Flight Test Squadron and F-35

Integrated Test Flight director at Edwards

AFB, commented on a recent eight-ship

test mission. “It proved to me that the

F-35 was indeed the aircraft we needed it

to be. It’s come a long way. I don’t know

if I would’ve said that a few years ago,

but the jet is really capable right now.”

For Lockheed Martin test pilot Billie

Flynn, the most surreal experience

working on the F-35 was taking the aircraft

into the climactic chamber to see

how it fared in the most extreme

“It’s come a long way. I

don’t know if I would’ve

said that a few years

ago, but the jet is really

capable right now.”

Lt Col Tucker Hamilton,

commander, 461st Flight

Test Squadron

The  rst ever weapon separation test for

the Joint Strike Fighter fell to the F-35B.

Lockheed Martin test pilot Dan Levin

dropped a GBU-32 JDAM from BF-03 on

August 8, 2012. Lockheed Martin/Andy Wolfe

F-35A AF-01 completed the  rst

weapons separation for the variant on

October 16, 2012, when Maj Eric Schultz

dropped a 2,000lb GBU-31 during a

mission from Edwards AFB. The F-35A

is designed to carry a payload of up

to 18,000lb on ten weapon stations.

Lockheed Martin/Matthew Short

Maj Matthew Phillips completed the

 rst aerial weapon release of an

AIM-120 AMRAAM from F-35A AF-

01 on October 19, 2012. Lockheed

Martin/Matthew Short

High angle-of-attack testing was conducted

at Edwards AFB. F-35A AF-04 is seen  tted

with a spin recovery parachute. Lockheed

Martin/Matthew Short