@ Andrews AFB, MD
May 2011
I was fortunate to be on hand for the first airshow appearance of any F-35 during the Andrews AFB Joint Services Open House. First flown only a few weeks prior, this was the second carrier-capable F-35C variant to be delivered for flight testing and evaluation. The F-35C variant is designed for catapult takeoff and arrested recovery operations from aircraft carriers. Compared to the F-35A, the F-35C features larger wings with foldable wingtip sections, larger wing and tail control surfaces for improved low-speed control, stronger landing gear for the stresses of carrier arrested landings, a twin-wheel nose gear, and a stronger tailhook. The F-35C entered service with the U.S. Navy in February 2019 with 275 planned for the fleet. The U.S. plans to buy 2,456 F-35s through 2044. Nikon D300 w/300mm.
