It looks like a special effect, but it’s not. What you’re watching is an F-35B supersonic stealth jet spend 30 seconds suspended 150ft in the air, for the very first time.
The first successful hover test was piloted at the Patuxent River naval base by British pilot Graham Tomlinson. This isn’t the first aircraft that can take off and land vertically, of course. But it’s the first of its kind with the capability. The plan is for the F-35B to replace the Harrier fleets of the US Marine Corps, Royal Navy, and RAF as soon as budget and production constraints allow. But the technology is clearly ready for action now. What I wouldn’t give to get in a review unit. [The Register via Dvice]
