A US Marine Corps F-35B Joint Strike Fighter has made its first night time short takeoff and vertical landing. (See video below).
Marine Corps test pilot Maj. C.R. Clift conducted the flight April 2 to gather data on the helmet and lighting conditions for night time operations.The test was one of a series of events being conducted to prepare for the second of three scheduled at-sea test periods during the development program.
The first F-35 ship trials occurred in 2011, when two F-35Bs performed 72 vertical landings and takeoffs aboard the USS Wasp, a large-deck amphibious ship.
The F-35B is the variant of the Lightning II designed for use by the U.S. Marine Corps, as well as F-35 international partners in the United Kingdom and Italy.
“The completion of this test event demonstrates the F-35B is one step closer to delivering a critical capability to the U.S. Marine Corps and F-35B partners in the United Kingdom and Italy” said Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan, F-35 Program Executive Officer. “There is plenty of work to be done and progress to be made, but we’re on a solid path forward.”
The F-35B has conducted approximately 700 short takeoffs and completed more than 380 vertical landings including the first operational vertical landing aboard Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz. March 21, 2013.
Dane
says:The thing must drink like a fish when it comes into land vertically
Raymond
says:Not as much as when taking off vertically… hence why it is preferable to do a short take-off instead and the acronym STOVL – Short Take-Off, Vertical Landing.