F-35 Lightning II nails first vertical landing

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The Lockheed Martin F-35B begins descending to its first vertical landing March 18, 2010. (Lockheed Martin Photo by Damien A. Guarnieri)

Article Summary

The F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter has completed its first vertical landing. The Short Take-Off Vertical Landing (STOVL) demonstration saw Lead Pilot Graham Tomlinson perform an 80-knot (93 miles per hour) short takeoff, a one minute hover and a vertical descent onto a 95-foot square pad riding more than 41,000 pounds of thrust provided by the Rolls-Royce LiftFan system.

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