F-35

News

Trillion-Dollar Plane Grounded Once Again

7:30AM February 1, 2012 | Jesus Diaz

I’ve lost count on the many times the F-35 has been grounded already. It feels like a $US1 trillion joke that is not funny at all. Now, 15 brand new F-35s are dead because of a stupid mistake. More »

Geek Out

The Most Expensive Plane Of All Time Takes Its First Gorgeous Night Flight

11:00AM January 20, 2012 | Sam Biddle

The F-35 may be a lot of dubious things (overpriced, underused, occasionally broken) — but it sure is beautiful. Enjoy the eye candy American tax dollars bought in all its splendour — the F-35 just took its first flight into darkness. More »

News

Marines Get The First Two Short Take Off/Vertical Landing F-35 Jets

5:00AM January 13, 2012 | Jesus Diaz

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. More »

News

Trillion-Dollar Jet Has Thirteen Expensive Flaws

1:15PM December 14, 2011 | David Axe - Danger Room

The most expensive weapons program in U.S. history is about to get a lot pricier. More »

Science

New Night Vision Helmets For F-35 Pilots Are Insane-Looking

3:30PM October 14, 2011 | Sam Biddle

What happens when the extremely expensive helmet you cooked up for the extremely expensive F-35 doesn’t, uh, work? You strap together a new one in a hurry. This wicked looking replacement was gutted and filled with crazy killer optics. More »

Geek Out

The F-35 Is Cleared To Fly Again (And Still Not Fixed)

12:52AM August 19, 2011 | Sam Biddle

American’s trillion-dollar fighter system is officially not too detective to be used! After electrical problems grounded the entire fleet, Lockheed’s announced they’ll take off again from Edwards AFB and Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md. But they’re still broken. More »

News

America’s Super-Expensive F-35 Fleet Is Grounded (Again)

11:00AM August 5, 2011 | Andrew Tarantola

The Pentagon’s brand-spankin-new fleet of F-35 jets did not come cheap — costing an estimated $US1 trillion to build and operate. So why are they sitting on tarmac instead of patrolling the skies, blowing shit up to defend my freedoms? More »

Mobile

Aeroplane Porn: The First F-35 Arrives At Its First Home

10:41PM July 19, 2011 | Jesus Diaz

You are watching aviation history. This is the first US Air Force F-35 Lightning II ever, the first step towards a new fleet full of stealth strike fighters. It’s fully operative and combat ready. Bee-ooh-tee-ful. More »

Cars

First View At The F-35 Hidden Weapon Bays

11:20PM September 27, 2010 | Jesus Diaz

This is the first declassified view of the weapon bays hidden inside the belly of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II, carrying a standard load: It shows two AMRAAM missiles and two 907kg JDAM bombs. Here’s an even closer look: More »

Cars

Ferocious Chickens Attack F-35 Fighter (And By Ferocious I Really Mean Dead)

10:09PM August 2, 2010 | Jesus Diaz

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Lockheed Martin designed the F-35 canopy to withstand the impact of of a 1.8kg bird at 480 knots on the “reinforced windscreen and 350 knots on the canopy crown” without breaking. In other words: Chicken squadron vs F-35, fight! More »