AF-1 First Flight

Posted 14 November 2009

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Photo by Liz Kaszynski

First optimized conventional takeoff and landing variant, AF-1, completes its first flight. Piloted by Lockheed Martin test pilot David Nelson, AF-1 takes off from NAS Fort Worth JRB, Texas, and flies to an altitude of 20,000 feet and a speed of Mach 0.6. Nelson raises and lowers the landing gear, performs 360-degree rolls, and lifts the nose to twenty degrees angle of attack during the 1.6-hour mission.

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