F-35 Test Team Completes First External Stores Testing

Over an Atlantic test range, Lockheed Martin test pilot Dan Levin flew the F-35B test aircraft BF-2 with external weapons pylons for the first time on Feb. 22.

The test measured flying qualities with external pylons, inert AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and centerline 25 mm gun pod. Significant weapons testing for the F-35B and F-35C variants is scheduled for 2012, including fit checks, captive carriage, pit drop and aerial drop tests.

The F-35B is the variant of the Joint Strike Fighter for the U.S. Marine Corps, capable of short take-offs and vertical landings for use on amphibious ships or expeditionary airfields to provide air power to the Marine Air-Ground Task Force. The F-35B is undergoing test and evaluation at NAS Patuxent River prior to delivery to the fleet.

Lockheed Martin’s Marietta site handles the F-35 center wing assembly. The center wing is the core of the fighter jet, where the wings attach. A company facility in Fort Worth, TX, handles final assembly of all F-35 components.

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