Lockheed Martin says the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) test fleet has now achieved its goal of 394 flights in 2010, with the 400th flight milestone passed on December 13.
“We exceeded our 394 flight goal and expect to meet out overall test point goal this year by reaching ahead and working 2011 test points,” said F-35 test and verification vice president J D McFarlan. “While we are still behind on our overall STOVL variant testing, we are working through a plan to get us back on track.”
Lockheed Martin says the F-35 test fleet flew 60 flights in November, against a planned 51, and that since the F-35’s first flight on December 15 2006 the program has logged 531 flights in total.
Meanwhile, F-35A flight test aircraft AF-3 has ferried form Fort Worth to Edwards Air Force Base, California. Pictured here taking on fuel from a KC-135 en route to Edwards on December 10, the avionics equipped AF-3 will focus on testing “advanced technologies” and mission systems.
