The F-35A variant of Lockheed Martin's F-35 has completed its first night flight (Photo: Lockheed Martin)
Despite criticism in the U.S. regarding escalating costs, which has
seen the Pentagon's bill for a planned 2,443 F-35s going from US$233
billion to $385 billion, Lockheed Martin is pressing ahead with tests of
the world's only fifth generation jet fighter. It's been over six years
since the first F-35 took to the air for the first time and one and a half years since the F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) variant broke the sound barrier
for the first time. Now the F-35A conventional takeoff and landing
(CTOL) variant has completed the first night flight in the
history of
the F-35 program.
The maiden night flight took place on Wednesday at Edwards Air Force
Base in California with Lockheed Martin Test Pilot Mark Ward at the
controls. Ward took off at 5:05 p.m. PST, took in the sunset which
occurred at 5:23 p.m., before landing the aircraft at 6:22 p.m. During
the flight, Ward performed a series of straight in approaches in
twilight and darkness and performed an evaluation of the F-35's cockpit
lighting - which he described as the best he's ever seen. Lockheed
Martin says the maiden night flight paves the way for night refueling
and formation testing later this year.
Video of the F-35A's first night flight appears below.
Source: Lockheed Martin
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