The F-35 Lightning II has made its aerial demonstration debut at the Paris Air Show.
The Paris Air Show is the world’s premier aerospace trade show and is playing host to the F-35 over the course of the exhibition, from 19th June to 25th June 2017 at Le Bourget Parc des Expositions.
The world’s most advanced fifth generation fighter, wowed audiences with its aerial acrobatics in its first full acrobatic demonstration, ten years after it first took to the skies. The show started with the F-35 displaying its remarkable power, with 40,000 pounds of thrust soaring the aircraft vertically into the sky.
The Square Loop demonstrates the F-35’s instantaneous pitch rate, which allows it to turn aggressively at both high and low speeds. This was followed by a slow speed pass of the crowd, rising to a vertical climb, which is enabled by the flight control system that permits post-stall manoeuvrability. The F-35 continued to highlight its impressive manoeuvres with a pedal turn and a minimum radius turn.
As well as the demonstration, the show will host key program leadership and important customers, who will provide program updates and briefs.
The F-35’s visit to Paris Air Show, underlines the US’s commitment to the project and its NATO allies. Lockheed Martin’s test pilot, Billie Flynn, who flew the F-35 in Paris, told Aviation Week that “we are going to crush years of misinformation about what this aircraft is capable of doing.”
Brigadier General Select Todd Canterbury said the displays of the new jet are to ‘showcase the capability to all of our European partners and NATO allies’ and ‘to reassure them that we are committed to NATO 100% and that we have got the capability to respond to any action necessary.’
Watch the demonstration here.
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