Went with my wife and son this AM to see this guy's maiden. It looks like a bat wing. That wing is huge!!!

On a side note, the chase F-16 got really close to the F-35 on takeoff, at one point I thought it was going to be hit by the engine wash and kaboom!! Wonder if the chase pilot was trying to get a closer look at a freakin skin rivet! Anyway........could have been the perspective of where I was standing.

(not my picture, F-35C + F-18 Chase)

best one of the 3 IMO

amazing bird, YOU need to get one of the new kits to Fort Worth!!

Agree man. This one's the neatest. Cant wait for the first carrier landings.

I like the helmet

Nice pic .. must have been awesome to have been there in person!

Re: the F-18 .. Impressive aileron droop with flaps, and impressive AOA on the stab!

Dave

Buck
With your insight , do you feel this bird will be our last maned fighter ?
Joe

I believe that will be the case amigo. []

I'm just glad i got to see the AA-1 and BF-1 make their first flights. super cool!!!!

Buck are you DRIVING the Bug ? [8D]

haaaaaaaaaaa.......you know the old saying, "never let the truth get in the way of a good story"

dude.............. how 'bout sharing the info next time? Ilive about 2 minutes from the east gate now!

Man I had no idea!! Your not in NRH anynore? Sure thing.......I'll call you next time.

And that he did! Thanks to RonS and FW, today's action:

man that green scheme is unreal. I don't know if I like it but its certainly striking!

that is certainly a good looking bird....oh yea the F35 looks nice too

not a green scheme amigo, it's unpainted composite material. that wing is HUUUUUUUUUUGGGGEEEEE. i bet she's gonna be a dream to bend around the sky.

nice pix Jiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimmmmmmmmmmyyyyy yyy

Nice pics, mister Smithers!

Man that's got a lot of wing area.. What kind of speeds are they talking about coming aboard the boat?

Ron and David, thanks for your help spottin' the batwing - a little patience and a whole lotta fun. Let me know when she gets painted - or something new is gonna go up. This was on my "bucket list" of things to do while off this summer.

Anyone else intrigued by the absence of much "up" elevator in the high AoA? Pretty interesting vs. the huge deflections you're used to seeing on 16's, 18's etc. in approach config. No doubt a product of the wing design.

Ron, did you forget to check the CG of that thing again?


[8D]

the insignia looks like they had something laying around from pro-mark or something..

i'd love to be on that call list too! could you all post to the tx email list or something? i used to depend on my bro but new assignment has him in MD too much.

so is the black or gray parts we see carbon fiber? Very cool pics. Kinda like the poperotsy catching the latest Mercedes comming off the testing labs.