Second F-35A reaches 500 hours

AF1 — AF-1 joins the 500-hour club. (Lockheed Martin)

A second F-35A Joint Strike Fighter has achieved 500 hours of flight testing. AF-1 – the first conventional takeoff and landing test aircraft – reached in the milestone in 272 flights.

Lockheed Martin reports to date that the F-35A has completed 43 per cent of its overall test program.

Combined the three F-35 variants have achieved nearly 5,900 flight hours across 55 aircraft in the System Development and Demonstration and Low Rate Initial Production programs.