Pictures: Exclusive first photos of Lockheed Martin F-35 JSF ahead of official roll-out

Flight International ^ | 06/07/06

[nametrader]

Pictures: Exclusive first photos of Lockheed Martin F-35 JSF ahead of official roll-out flightglobal.com has obtained exclusive photographs of Lockheed Martin's first F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) as it emerged from the paint shop at Fort Worth, Texas ready for its formal roll-out and naming on 7 July.

Aircraft AA-1 (pictured below), an F-35A conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) variant of the JSF, is expected to fly by late October. As a result of a redesign to reduce the weight of the F-35B short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant, AA-1 is a one-off and not fully representive of the production JSF. It is being used to validate design, manufacturing, assembly and test processes for the 14 development flight-test aircraft that will follow.

Powered by a Pratt & Whitney F135 engine, AA-1 is equipped with most of the vehicle systems planned for later F-35s, including the fly-by-wire/power-by-wire flight controls and flat-panel cockpit displays. The mission systems, incuding active-array radar and 360deg infrared sensors, will be tested in later aircraft.

Assembly of the next flight-test aircraft, the first optimised-airframe STOVL F-35B, is already under way at Lockheed and partners Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems, with the aircraft scheduled to fly in February 2008. The first optimised-airframe F-35A is to fly in August 2008 and the first F-35C carrier variant in Januray 2009.

AA-1 carries the flags of the eight international nations involved in development the JSF (pictured below): Australia, Canada, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Turkey and the UK, which is the only Level 1 partner. Lockheed and the US government are hoping the eight nations will sign a memorandum of understanding on the JSF production, sustainment and follow-on development phase in December.

[Figment]

"ONE of the 3 versions is VTOL"

Nope. It's Short Take Off Verticle Landing STOVL. No verticle take off like the Harrier

[appeal2]

Sounds like an A380, only cheaper.

[Not A Snowbird]

That is the sexiest aircraft ever.

I was going to say, "nice bird", but I think you said it better.

[barker]

Something else you might want to see.

[Vroomfondel]

I was calibrating a Milstar test set a few years ago at A TRW facility. I had to walk through a computer lab to get to the room I need to get to. I had to be let into the room and escorted through. There were about 25 computer guys working in there. They all had to turn off their monitors even though the monitors were facing away from me. Then they all had to turn their chairs and face away from me as I walked through.

Hmm. I had a run-in with Milstar a few years ago at a TRW facility; mine wasn't quite so bad. I did have to be locked into the room with an escort, but don't recall folks having to turn away from me as I walked through the work area. I did, however, lose any media I brought in (I brought plenty for just that reason; I'd bring a new version of my code in in the morning and figured I wouldn't get the tape back later).

My escort did, however, have to turn the monitor away from me when he gave my new code a try...

[USNBandit]

The internal bay can carry two 2,000 lb JDAM. The concept is to use it in the low observable configuration until air superiority is achieved. After that you add wing pylons and turn it into a bomb truck.

[sheik yerbouty]

A fine example of aeronautical pulchritude!

[jblair]

I do not agree. Up to this point, the 14s, 15s, 16s, and 18s have not been overly burdened. Their missions have been clear. The A-10 is mission-specific. The F-15 was air superiority, exclusively, for a number of years before later models were designed for air-to-mud. It was also looked to for nuke deliver interception. 'Multi-role' sells when the brass goes to the Hill, but much of the U.S. inventory has been mission-specific for a long time.

A lot was learned from the 50's through Viet Nam. In 1964, the USAF had tactical nuclear fighter-bombers with which to execute the air war in SEA. The F-100 and F-105 were designed to deliver a single nuclear device to a Soviet/Warsaw Pact target, then go like hell and try to survive. These aircraft were certainly capable in SEA, but a lot of adaptation had to occur. More mission flexibility in the design process would have yeilded more well-rounded aircraft.

The F-4 escaped some of the 'LeMay' vision for tactical fighter, and was a successful joint-service aircraft, just as I anticipate the F-35 will be.

[Chaguito]

You might also check the angle on the engine exhaust.

Frankly not the prettiest aircraft IMO.

[Paleo Conservative]

You might also check the angle on the engine exhaust.

Frankly not the prettiest aircraft IMO.

That is the version for the Marines that replaces the Harrier VTOL aircraft. That's why the exhaused is vectored 90 degrees.

[Paleo Conservative]

If this is a VTOL or STOL a/c, then I personally think the West has made another mistake. The West always tries to load many mission capabilities onto one airframe. The Enemy assigns one, maybe two, mission capabilities to a given airframe.

There are three different versions. One is an airforce version that replaces the F-16 with stealth and superior flight characteristics. The second is the navy version that is designed to make tailhook landings on US carriers. The third is the marine version with STOVL capabilities to replace the Harrier. They aren't all desinged to do all missions.

[Ancesthntr]

I heard a very true story about a field engineer who accidentally saw the Stealth Fighter while walking past a hanger on a classified section of an Airport in Southern California. Apparently a door was left part way open.

My father was a dentist at Lakehurst NAS from 1959-1961. One day Dad, camera in hand (the Navy was a vacation for him - go figure) was just walking around and passed by a hanger with "a hot looking jet" in it. No security, but he knew he was in a secure area, because he didn't recognize the plane (and he knew all of the then-current aircraft). And then he took a picture...and brings the film to the local drug store to have it developed!!!. 3 days later, the Navy announced the existence of the A-5 Vigilante, a Mach 2 carrier-based, nuke-capable aircraft.

The best part is that my grandfather immigrated from Russia in 1923. The same guy who still had living siblings in the Soviet Union. Great, the son of a Russian immigrant is walking around a Naval Air Station with camera in tow, taking pics of still non-public aircraft and getting the film developed at a public place. It is truly a wonder that he's not still locked up in some military prison.

[IYellAtMyTV]

Reminded me of this...

[Cobra64]

F22 is my favorite.

[justa-hairyape]

It is truly a wonder that he's not still locked up in some military prison.

Wow. He got lucky. Once they make the info public, it is no longer a secret. They must have been getting ready to make that information public soon. When I talked to the person who had been debriefed, that information (existence of Stealth Fighter) was already public. Therefore he was able to tell the story. I used to worry about ever getting caught in the following situation, while working near classified material, all of a sudden a military office with a loaded weapon walks up to you and says, 'What exactly have you seen ?'. At least that is probably how it happens. What would you do in that situation ? Pull a Colonial Schultz ?

[Peanut Gallery]

Just Beautiful!

[Tennessee_Bob]

Try getting off the helicopter that just brought you back to Nellis after doing a crash recovery up range and having everyone on the helicopters getting taken in for a debriefing and a secrecy agreement. That's exciting.

[Vectorian]

'When these dogs get into service, every other country in the world - you are behind, dudes. This bird will kick your best in the hinie and not break a sweat.'

Haven't you heard? Every other nation is building it as well!

Britain is the only tier 1 partner, but Italy, Holland, Autralia, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Singapore and Israel are part of the deal. Oh, and of course Islamic Turkey, which I nearly forgot!

[GBA]

After years of making pilot's reward visibility a priority, it looks as though the ptb have switched directions with the F-35.

[justa-hairyape]

That's exciting

Ahh, The stories some people could tell. Not too many stories from Area 51 and other places though. The real secure places on Permission-to-Shoot no mans lands.

Funny thing is I am just now starting to read the Dragons Fury Series. Just starting Vol 1 Chap 9. Looks like the 'Prophet's Sword' is about to be Executed. Talk about surreal. Forget making the movie. Watch it play out live on the teli.