Tuesday, August 07, 2012

F-35A AF-20 First Flight

Lockheed Martin test pilot Al Norman flew F-35A AF-20 (USAF serial number 09-5007) on its inaugural flight on 6 August 2012 from NAS Fort Worth JRB, Texas.
Production appears to be ramping up nicely.

But a quick question.  How do you fight in a fighter that has the aerodynamic performance of a Super Hornet but with the avionics suite of the most advanced fighter known to the public?  The dust up with the F-22 vs. Typhoon focused on the close in fight.  Wouldn't you have to be stupid as sin to let yourself get into that kind of fight in an F-35?  I mean seriously...launch your AIM-120D's at distance and then leave the fight.  If pursued then lob AIM-9X's over your shoulder....the fight that the Typhoon got into with the F-22 should be a thing of the past with stealth fighters.