Lockheed Martin has announced that its final F-35 Joint Strike Fighter development aircraft has completed its first flight, taking off from NAS Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base on May 21.
The F-35C, designated CF-3, is the final US Navy prototype carrier variant, and will join two CF-1 and CF-2 along with four US Marine F-35Bs at NAS Patuxent River later this year. Once there, all seven aircraft will take part in the US Navy and Marine Corps flight test program.
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The recent announcement follows the arrival of a second production, USAF-bound F-35A (AF-6) at Edwards AFB on May 13.