F-35 completes first transatlantic crossing

AL-1, the first F-35A assembled outside the United States, landed at Pax River in Maryland on Friday. It's the first transatlantic crossing for the F-35 program. It was originally scheduled to arrive Wednesday but ran into maintenance and weather related delays. The flight departed Cameri Air Base in Italy on Tuesday, with two C-130s, a Typhoon, and two KC-767 tankers.

The first leg of the flight went from Cameri to Lajes Field in the Azores, and required three refuelings. The second leg required seven hours, and four refuelings, from Lajes to Pax River. The flight battled turbulence, and 120 knot (138 mph) headwinds. Major Gianmarco, who completed pilot training in the US in November, said the aircraft handled the flight beautifully. The aircraft will now undergo three months of E3 (electromagnetic environmental effects) testing before ferrying to Luke AFB to join 4 other Italian F-35As that have been committed to the program.

NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – An Italian Air Force F-35 completed the fighter jet’s first transatlantic crossing Friday, a historic event that kicks off a landmark year for the international program.

The aircraft, an Italian Air Force F-35A dubbed AL-1, touched down here Feb. 5 after a seven-hour flight from Lajes Air Base, Portugal. The plane, which began its journey from Cameri Air Base in Italy, on Tuesday, was scheduled to arrive here on Wednesday, but was delayed due to weather and maintenance issues.

Despite a turbulent flight with headwinds of 120 knots, the plane performed well during both legs of the journey, Major Gianmarco, whose call sign is “Ninja,” the first Italian Air Force F-35 pilot, told reporters. The F-35, which flew with two C-130s, a Eurofighter Typhoon and two Italian tankers, required three aerial refuelings on the trip from Cameri to Lajes, and another four on the final leg, he said.

AL-1 Arrival at NAS Patuxent River, MD on 5 February,

www.defensenews.com...

Seems the F-35 is working better than we thought. The pilot didn't have to get out and push it at all!


So, the F-35 is manufactured outside the US. Other than Italy, where else is the fighter built?

-dex

a reply to: Zaphod58

And it didn't even look like this:

a reply to: DexterRiley

Parts manufactured in the UK at BAE are rear fuselage, vertical and horizontal tails, BAE Warton are also involved in some of the classified sections of the project and to quote an old colleague there "we're also having fun wrestling with some of the stranger code that the yanks have included in the systems"

The guys at BAE working on the Typhoon experimental stuff and the black projects platforms have been seen wearing "F35, what doesn't work this month?" T-Shirts recently too

a reply to: DexterRiley

There are two FACO (Final Assembly and Check Out) facilities. One is in Japan, which has the first aircraft in assembly, the other is in Italy. They will also be used for depot level inspections of aircraft. Australia will also do work on aircraft after they're assembled.

Pictures are up on The Aviationist.









Taken from here

I can't imagine wearing that helmet and survival gear to do that trip. I've done it for 5 hours which sucks and my gear was half as heavy.

a reply to: buddah6

Once upon a time they allowed fighter drags to come out of the east coast, to Hickam non-stop. We had a Viper drag come in, and a couple of the pilots had to be helped out of the cockpit because they could barely move their legs. One of them had to be craned out of the cockpit.

a reply to: Zaphod58

When we deployed we tried to land every 3 hours or so. That was enough for me being an old bastard I needed a potty break periodically.

a reply to: Sammamishman

THATS Marine training...

a reply to: Zaphod58

shots 2 and 4 in your above post are gorgeous. the more I look at the f35 these days the more I like her looks.