FORT WORTH, Texas, Jan. 9 (UPI) -- The second test flight of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter was described as "dazzling" after it touched down in Texas.
Lockheed Martin put the Lightning II through its paces for a little more than an hour Monday, performing a series of rolls and turns while cruising at Mach 0.6.
"The maturity of this highly integrated aircraft for its second flight is dazzling," Chief Test Pilot Jon Beesley cheered in a news release. "When it's time to fly it is always ready and takes minimal time to get out of the chocks."
Lockheed said Monday's sortie went perfectly and met all objectives. Beesely retracted the Lightning's landing gear for the first time about 10 minutes into the flight and climbed from 15,000 feet to 20,000 feet. The test also included a series of throttle changes and angle-of-attack changes.
"I continue to be impressed by this marvelous airplane's performance and handling characteristics," Beesely said.
Beesely and the Lockheed team will continue flight-testing the plane through the year while waiting for carrier-based and the short-takeoff, vertical landing variants to come off the assembly line.
The Joint Strike Fighter is slated to become the primary supersonic multi-role warplane for the United States and will be used by Great Britain and other allied air forces.
