Watch U.S. Navy F-35C Demo in Battle Creek, Michigan – Video footage shared online in July of last year demonstrates the extraordinary agility of the United States Navy’s F-35C fighter planes, as well as the expertise and skill of the pilots. The video offers a close-up view of the F-35C demo at the Battle Creek, Michigan, airshow held this summer.
(Subscribe to Our YouTube Channel Here. Check out More 19FortyFive Videos Here)
The six-minute video shows the pilot performing a number of different maneuvers before landing at the airstrip.
The video was also published in honor of Chris Darnell, a Shockwave Jet Truck driver who died as a result of an accident that occurred during the event.
“On a more serious note, today was day one for the airshow, and was cut short by a major accident from the Shockwave Jet Truck. Sadly, the driver Chris Darnell passed away. Sending all the love and prayers to the Darnell family for such a tragic loss. Let’s give him some good ole’ American fighter power in his honor. Rest in Peace, Chris..” the Lepp Aviation YouTube account said in the video description.
More on the F-35C
The F-35C Lightning II is a fighter plane used by the United States Navy and designed for catapult-assisted take-off. The variant of the F-35 Lightning II has larger wings with foldable wingtips as well as large control surfaces that allow for improved control at lower speeds.
The larger wings also make it possible for the plane to land at lower speeds, ideal for landing on aircraft carriers.
Manufacturer Lockheed Martin describes it as the “first and world’s only long-range stealth strike fighter designed and built explicitly for Navy carrier operations.”
Lockheed says that the configuration of the aircraft, its embedded sensors, weapons capacity, and internal fuel capacity mean that it has improved Very Low Observable stealth performance. The aircraft makes it easier for pilots to evade enemy detection and operate more effectively in “contested environments.”
Lockheed Promises Lower Costs for F-35 Development
In August of last year, Lockheed Martin announced that their portion of the F-35 cost per flying hour had fallen by 50% over the last seven years and that the costs are expected to go down by another 35% over the next five years.
In a briefing to defense reporters at the company’s Virginia office, vice president for F-35 sustainment Audrey Brady explained that the cost reductions only affect everything within Lockheed’s control and are a result of the company striking new long-term deals with parts suppliers.
Some of the cost reductions, Brady said, were also the result of improving materials used and reducing repair times.
MORE: Putin Will Flip – Ukraine Is Getting Patriot Missiles
MORE: Could India and China Be Headed for War?
A Lockheed Martin Corp’s F-35C Joint Strike Fighter is shown on the deck of the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier after making the plane’s first ever carrier landing using its tailhook system, off the coast of California, November 3, 2014. REUTERS/Mike Blake (UNITED STATES – Tags: TRANSPORT MILITARY)/File Photo
US F-35C. Image Credit: Lockheed Martin.
SOUTH CHINA SEA (Oct. 25, 2021) Lt. Nicholas Eppler, from Exeter, Calif., directs flight operations as an F-35C Lightning II assigned to the “Argonauts” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147 launches from the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), Oct. 25, 2021. The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability through alliances and partnerships while serving as a ready-response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Emily Claire Bennett) 211025-N-TY704-1241
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.
