The US Air Force got their first regular F-35 Lightning II on July 2011. Now it’s the US Marine’s turn: they just got the first two production models of the F-35B, the variant that allows for short takeoff and vertical landing.
The two planes — BF-6 and BF-8 — have joined the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing’s Marine Fighter/Attack Training Squadron 501, which is located with the host 33d Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. The SVTOL F-35B will progressively substitute their current Harriers.
The 5th generation combat jets arrive to the base after Lockheed Martin and the US Navy performed extensive testing on the USS Wasp off the coast of Virginia. They used two test F-35Bs, named BF-2 and BF-4, which successfully completed 72 short takeoffs and 72 vertical landings during three weeks of trials.
The production BF-6 and BF-8 may never see combat, however, as they “will be used for pilot and maintainer training at the new F-35 Integrated Training Center”. [Lockheed Martin]
Splintex
Friday, January 13, 2012 at 9:20 AMSo pretty.
Jaezass
Friday, January 13, 2012 at 9:35 AMI tell you what, these F35′s are pretty little vixens but I’ll bet that one of Vertical take of jobbies ends up splattered on the ground or sea somewhere in the first few month of operations!
Jamie
Friday, January 13, 2012 at 10:55 AMYou may be right. But if we were at war, they would be blown out of the sky long before that would happen.
They’re just like a super model. Gorgeous. Guys dream about riding one. But at the end of the day they’re completely useless.
Jester
Friday, January 13, 2012 at 11:47 AMCare to elaborate? On the planes that is, I understand the supermodel bit!
Jaezass
Friday, January 13, 2012 at 1:18 PMYeah, somehow I doubt that they will get blown up on the ground, they’d have to using pretty advanced shit to get that close! As for being useless, if they have the same capabilities as the Harrier, they will make a mess of anyone that decides to chase them. They just slow right down wait for the aggressor to shoot past and shove a rocket up there asses!
MotorMouth
Friday, January 13, 2012 at 10:38 AMWow! Its interesting to see how they take off, rotating the exhaust nozzle as they “rotate”. The huge door for the front fan must produce massive drag.
AAron
Friday, January 13, 2012 at 3:51 PMShame they can’t VIFF, that was my favourite feature of the AV8s after the Americans took the Harriers and hotted em up
miguel sanchez
Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 2:44 AMbah. the f-16 looks nicer.