FORT WORTH, Texas, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- An F-35 Joint Strike Fighter under development by U.S. company Lockheed Martin successfully flew supersonic speeds during a recent test.
Lockheed Martin says the F-35 Lightning II flew faster than the speed of sound for the first time, traveling Mach 1.05 (about 680 miles per hour) during a one-hour test flight in Texas.
Officials say the milestone achievement was accomplished with a full payload of dummy weapons simulating the weight the aircraft will be when it is ready for combat operations.
"The F-35 transitioned from subsonic to supersonic just as our engineers and our computer modeling had predicted," Jon Beesley, Lockheed Martin chief F-35 test pilot, said in a statement.
"I continue to be impressed with the aircraft's power and strong acceleration, and I'm pleased that its precise handling qualities are retained in supersonic flight, even with a payload of 5,400 pounds in the weapons bays."
Lockheed Martin says the F-35 is expected to reach speeds of Mach 1.6 with a load of weapons before development goals are achieved.
