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British pilot first to take off in F35 using ‘ski jump’

BAE Systems test pilot Peter Wilson flies F-35B from land based ski jump ramp for the first time. It is designed for vertical landing but not take-off.

The F-35 Lightning II – also known as the Joint Strike Fighter or JSF–  is a multirole aircraft project conceived and developed by the Pentagon since 1996 by manufacturer Lockheed Martin, with the principal partners Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems.

Below is a video taken early in June of the aircraft landing on an aircraft carrier flight deck during Marine Corps tests.

Bill Condie

Bill Condie

Bill Condie is a science journalist based in Adelaide, Australia.

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