"BAT WING" LIGHTNING

The Charlie-Model F-35

- TED CARLSON

A U.S. Marine Corps VMFA-311 "Tomcats" Bat Wing Lightning approaches Mach. F-35 pilots must keep a watchful eye on their airspeed to avoid exceeding the speed of sound, since the aircraft flies so smooth and can hit the sound barrier with relative ease.

The F-35 Lightning II, originally known as the Joint Strike Fighter, has become the go-to fighter for the majority of western countries. Aside from politics and costs, it has become a widespread and ubiquitous aircraft, with at least 23 countries either now operating or in the process of procuring the stealth jet. There are four F-35 versions: the A-, B-, C-, and I- (Israeli) models. The A is by far the most common and is designed for typical inland runways; the I-model externally looks the same. The B-model is designed for hovering and has a large fan behind the cockpit, giving it a different look and allowing it to operate from LHA/LHD assault ships, specializing in littoral ops.

The C-model is only flown by the U.S. military and is equipped with a much larger wing (25 percent larger than the other variants). It includes a more robust landing gear system with a twin nose wheel and catapult launch bar (unlike the A- and B-models). It is specifically designed for aircraft carrier operations, but also can be used for the land-based expeditionary role. The U.S. Navy is planning on a total procurement of 273 examples and the U.S. Marine Corps wants to buy 67, making a grand total planned buy of 340 C-models. Let's delve into the C-model and examine the bells and whistles of this very capable bird. The VMFA311 "Tomcats" were the second USMC unit to receive the C-model and were kind enough to give me a firsthand look at this amazing aircraft.

Bat Wing