F-35 First Flight by Military Pilot (Verdict: Kicks ass)

Lt. Col. James "Flipper" Kromberg of the United States Air Force was the first military pilot to fly the F-35 Lightning II. His verdict was just released: "The aircraft flew very well, exceeding my expectations," Kromberg said. "I was surprised by the amount of power on the takeoff roll. And the handling, particularly with the gear up, was phenomenal. The aircraft was very stable flying in formation with another airplane. It was really a joy to fly."



The F-35 is nicknamed the Lightning II after the WWII era aircraft the P-38 Lightning. It has flown only 28 times, and all flight but this one have been piloted by one of two test flight pilots from Lockheed Martin. The last test flight was only days ago on March 12 for an aerial refueling test seen below:


The F-35 is scheduled to make its debut in 2011 as the world's most advanced fighter aircraft. It is supposed to be the numero uno strike fighter in the world until it is usurped by another beast in 2040.

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