Aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin’s latest technological wonder, the F-35B Lightning II fighter jet, is a short take-off and vertical-landing jet. On Monday, Lockheed Martin released a video of the first ever Vertical Take Off (VTO) conducted by an F-35B Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing (STOVL) Lightning II test aircraft.
The Lockheed Martin F-35B fighter jet is capable of vertical take-offs and landings, and appears to hover in the air during this process in a sort of meditative state. The jet can travel at speeds of up to 1,200 miles per hour. The F-35B can’t carry as much fuel or arms. That means it can only be used for relatively short trips. The F-35B’s advanced stealth allows it to engage ground enemies from a greater distance and rapidly clear the area. The jet also can carry a weapons payload of 16,000 pounds. According to the Lockheed Martin website, the F-35B is designed to land on both conventional runways and in remote areas. Here’s the video.
Lockheed Martin hails the new F-35B fighter jet as “the most flexible, technologically sophisticated multirole fighter ever.” The first vertical take-off and landing test of the production model was successfully conducted on May 10 at Naval Air Station Patuxen River, Md. This new development will open up landing spaces unavailable to many aircrafts.
Source: Lockheed Martin
Thanks To: The Daily Caller
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