Mighty F-35 Lightning 2 Engine Roars To Life by Staff Writers Fort Worth TX (SPX) Sep 21, 2006 The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II completed its first series of engine runs on Monday afternoon, culminating in a full-afterburner test that unleashed 40,000 pounds of thrust - the most ever from a jet-fighter engine. The testing began on Friday, Sept. 15, when Chief Pilot Jon Beesley moved a cockpit switch to the "run" position and brought the Pratt and Whitney [NYSE: UTX] F135 engine to life.