"Flawless" second flight for the F-35 Lightning II

Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.A: The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II achieved another successful test flight on 8 January from the company's Fort Worth, Texas, facility. The aircraft successfully retracted its landing gear, even as it displayed minimal time to get ready for its flight.

F-35 chief test pilot, John Beesley, described the flight as "dazzling," as he put the highly integrated aircraft through a battery of handling and propulsion tests.

The F-35 is a supersonic, multi-role, 5th generation stealth fighter designed to replace a wide range of existing aircraft, including AV-8B Harriers, A-10s, F-16s, F/A-18 Hornets and United Kingdom Harrier GR.7s and Sea Harriers.

The F-35 Lightning II is being developed by Lockheed Martin along with its principal industrial partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. Two separate, interchangeable F-35 engines are also under development: the Pratt & Whitney F135 and the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team F136.

The handling tests, on the 8 January flight, included rolls, turns, angle-of-attack changes and engine throttle changes. The flight lasted 62 minutes and followed the F-35's successful first flight on December 15, 2006 when, according to company officials, it demonstrated "unprecedented engine performance and handling qualities."