Nearly 200 Test Flights Completed Despite Mandatory Groundings

Statistics released Monday by Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II show that test jets made considerable flight test progress during the first quarter of 2011, conducting 199 test flights versus a plan of 142 flights. The company said the test program remained ahead of plan despite the grounding of various test fleet aircraft for 4-15 days during the period as officials investigated the cause of a dual generator/starter failure during a flight on March 9.

Among the highlights in the report released Monday:

• Conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL: F-35A) aircraft conducted 82 flights against the plan of 62.
• STOVL (F-35B) aircraft conducted 101 flights against a plan of 62, and logged six times more vertical landings in the first quarter than in all of 2010.
• Carrier variant aircraft accomplished 16 flights of 18 planned.
• Two production-model aircraft, AF-6 and AF-7, flew for the first time in preparation for delivery to the U.S. Air Force this year. AF-6 and AF-7 flew seven times in the first quarter.
• STOVL variant BF-1 performed the first touch-and-go maneuver in VL mode this quarter.
• From the start of flight testing in December 2006 through March 31, 2011, F-35s have flown 753 times, including production-model flights.

FMI: www.lockheedmartin.com