F35B – First Night Time Vertical Landing

April 5, 2013 By Think Defence

Small steps forward, small steps

An F-35B Lightning II completes the first short takeoff and vertical landing during a test mission at night on April 2, 2013, at NAS Patuxent River, Md.

Meanwhile

The third United Kingdom Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II speeds down the runway at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, embarking on its first flight, April 1, 2013.

The aircraft, known as ZM137, will complete a series of company and government checkout flights prior to its acceptance by the U.K. Ministry of Defence. ZM137 will join U.K. aircraft ZM135 and ZM136 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., later this year where it will be used for pilot and maintainer training.