First Flights for Fourth and Fifth RAAF F-35s

31 Januari 2018

A35-004 wears 2OCU tail markings. (Photo : Caulun Belcher)

The RAAF’s fourth and fifth Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning IIs have made their first flights.

Photographer Caulun Belcher captured these images of A35-004 – above – and A35-005 – below – during their first flights, from Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas on December 14 and January 23, respectively.

A35-005 with an F-16 flying chase. (Photo : Caulun Belcher)

After test and acceptance flights from Forth Worth the aircraft were due to be delivered to Luke Air Force Base, Arizona to be used for pilot and maintainer training, before being permanently relocated to Australia.

Like the first two RAAF F-35As, A35-004 and A35-005 wear the tail markings of 2 Operational Conversion Unit (2COU), unlike F-35A A35-003, which wears the tail markings of 3 Squadron, which is standing up at Luke as the first RAAF F-35 operational unit.

(Australian Aviation)