Semper Lightning 01: F-35 Flight Control System, Part One

The F-35C Carrier Suitability Test Team deployed aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) for Developmental Test Phase Two (DT-II) in October 2015. Trials with F-35C test aircraft CF-03 and CF-05 spanned nine days in operating areas near the Atlantic coast between Florida and Virginia. DT-II followed a successful round of initial sea trials in 2014.

The Royal Air Force's No 17(Reserve) Test and Evaluation Squadron at Edwards AFB, California is focused on mission capabilities and tactics for the F-35 Lightning II.

My hope is that these articles, by giving some insight into how the F-35 works and why it was designed that way, will help pilots fly the airplane better, employ it more effectively, and handle emergencies more intuitively. The articles may also help dispel some myths. As Joe Bill put it, “as airplanes become more complex and more capable, the amount of misinformation seems to grow.” With your help, we can keep the mythology in check.

A thorough, albeit not exhaustive, list of identification tricks and tips may help sharpen everyone’s F-35 spotting skills. So next time you see a photo of an F-35, you can impress your friends by correctly naming the variant.

The 56th FW at Luke AFB, Arizona, has been designated as the primary F-35A training base for the US Air Force as well as for eight international partner air forces and several other countries purchasing F-35s under Foreign Military Sales, or FMS, programs.

The fifth generation of fighters, the Lockheed Martin F-22 and F-35, fundamentally changes the concept of operations for combat. A review of the first four generations of fighter aircraft around the world shows why.

F-35B test aircraft BF-17 was flown over Edwards AFB, California, during several aerial refueling missions behind KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-10 Extender tankers. The tests involved a drogue adapter attached to the centerline refueling boom on the KC-135 and the hose-and-drogue refueling system on the KC-10.

Every major US weapon system and its associated equipment make the trek to Eglin to undergo environmental testing at the lab. The F-35 is the latest to be frozen, baked, deluged, snowed, blown, fogged, and humidified.

Various images of F-35A Lightning II.

F-35B Lightning II photo collection.