BF-3 takes off for the first time. During the flight, from NAS Fort Worth JRB, Texas, Chief Test Pilot Jon Beesley tests the aircraft’s handling qualities, engine functionality, landing gear operation, and basic subsystem performance. BF-3 is instrumented for flight sciences test work and will be used primarily to evaluate vehicle systems and expand the aircraft’s aerodynamic and structural loads envelope. It will carry and release most of the weapons the F-35B is designed to employ.
