Aircraft
The F-35B Is Vertically Challenged
The vertical landing restrictions that are emerging cast doubt on an important part of the operational utility of the F-35B.
This F-35B performed the first public flying display of the Lockheed Martin Lightning II at MCAS Yuma, AZ last March. But unlike the AV-8B that it will replace (inset), the stealth jet did not perform a vertical takeoff or landing. (Photos: Chris Pocock)
This F-35B performed the first public flying display of the Lockheed Martin Lightning II at MCAS Yuma, AZ last March. But unlike the AV-8B that it will replace (inset), the stealth jet did not perform a vertical takeoff or landing. (Photos: Chris Pocock)

The F-35B V/STOL version of the Lockheed Martin Joint Strike Fighter will not perform vertical landings during its international debut in the UK next month. The maneuver cannot be performed without risk of damage to runway surfaces, unless they have been constructed with high-temperature-resistant concrete. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed last week that three specially built vertical landing pads will be provided at RAF Marham, the planned UK base for the F-35B, at a cost of more than $12 million.


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