F-35 Lightning II update - October 2009

Articles taken from Flight International magazine

F-35B logging final flights before moving to PAX River

The first F-35B short takeoff/ vertical landing (STOVL) variant completed its 19th flight on 29th September, the most recent in a final series of sorties before the aircraft flies to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md, USA, for further testing. Flights 18 (on Sept. 25th) and 19 included handling qualities tests with STOVL propulsion system doors open. At PAX river, flight testing will include short take offs, hovers and vertical landings.

Northrop Grumman delivers third center fuselage for LRIP 2
Northrop Grumman continued its unbroken streak of on-time center fuselage deliveries for the F-35 Lightning II program by delivering the center fuselage for AF-10, a conventional take off and landing variant, one day early.

Eglin AFB formally redesignated F-35 training base

The first formal step towards opening the F-35 Integrated Training Center was taken during the week of September 28th, when Eglin Air Force base, Fla, USA, 33rd Fighter Wing element of Air Combat Command was redesignated the 33rd Fighter Training Wing element of the Air Education and Training Command. The F-35 Integrated Training Center will be the worldwide hub for training Lightning II pilots and maintainers. F-35 aircraft deliveries to Eglin begin in 2010.