BF-4 First Flight

Photo by Carl Richards

The first mission systems-equipped F-35, called BF-4, flew for the first time on 7 April 2010, ushering in what will be the most powerful and comprehensive sensor package ever to fly in a fighter. During the flight from Fort Worth, Texas, F-35 test pilot David Nelson climbed to 15,500 feet, verified engine response at varying throttle settings, performed a series of flight-qualities maneuvers and checked the operation of the aircraft's mission systems. The F-35’s avionics, or mission systems, process and apply data from a wide array of off-board sensors based on the land, in the air or at sea, enabling the jet to perform command-and-control functions while providing unprecedented situational awareness to air and surface forces.