AF-3, the
third Air Force F-35A test aircraft, has arrived at Edwards AFB, Calif., for flight testing, Lockheed Martin announced Tuesday. It joins AF-1 and AF-2, the first two F-35A test platforms, there. “AF-3 will focus on testing advanced technologies and mission systems,” states Lockheed’s release. In fact, it is the first F-35A test aircraft fitted with the mission systems that operational F-35s will carry, reports the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Overall, it is the second such-equipped F-35 test aircraft, following BF-4, a Marine Corps F-35B airframe. AF-3 flew in to Edwards from Lockheed’s aircraft assembly plant in Fort Worth, Tex. Along with its arrival, Lockheed also declared that it has conducted 400 F-35 flight tests so far in 2010, as of Monday. On Dec. 9, the test program reached 394 flights, the goal that the company had set out for the entire year.
We looked back on the past 12 months to find the stories that resonated the most with you, our audience, and these 10 topped the list. Maybe you missed one the first time around, or perhaps you’d like to revisit a favorite.