F-35B hovers for first time - Marine Corps News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Marine Corps Times

F-35B hovers for first time

Hanging about 150 feet in the air, the F-35B short-takeoff, vertical-landing (STOVL) stealth fighter hovered at zero airspeed for the first time Wednesday.

“The aircraft hovered for about 96 seconds,” said Chris Geisel, a spokesman for Lockheed Martin. “It then went up and down and turned right and left to check maneuverability before coming in for a slow 70 knot landing.”

Graham Tomlinson, F-35 lead STOVL pilot, slowed the aircraft in flight from 200 knots, first to 60 knots, then to zero.

The tests are being conducted at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. The hover flight took place on the second of four flights, or sorties, on Wednesday, each flight demonstrating different aspects of the jet’s maneuverability, vertical thrust, stability and control. The fourth sortie featured a short takeoff in STOVL mode, Geisel said, where the aircraft took off at 100 knots while using less than 1,000 feet of runway.

Next up in the test program, Geisel said, is a vertical landing.

The F-35B is being developed for use by the Marine Corps, where it will replace the aging fleet of AV-8B Harrier II jump jets. The aircraft is intended to operate from ships and unimproved or short airfields on land.