Archives for July, 2006
First STOVL F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Takes Shape at BAE Systems
Sunday, July 9th, 2006
BAE Systems has started assembling the aft fuselage of the first short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). BAE Systems will deliver the horizontal and vertical tails of the first STOVL aircraft to Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in Fort Worth, Texas. BAE Systems successfully delivered the aft fuselage, horizontal and vertical tails of the first F-35 JSF aircraft, a conventional take-off and landing variant (CTOL), in 2005.
Joint Strike Fighter officially named “Lightning II”
Friday, July 7th, 2006
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter was officially named Lightning II, in a ceremony held in Fort Worth, Texas. The name echoes those of two formidable fighters from the past: the World War II-era Lockheed P-38 Lightning and the mid-1950s Lightning supersonic jet, built by English Electric. “The F-35 Lightning II will carry on the legacy of two of the greatest and most capable fighter aircraft of all time,” said Ralph D. Heath, president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. “Just as the P-38 and the British Lightning were at the top of their class during their day, the F-35 will redefine multi-role fighter capability in the 21st century.”