The only sight more impressive than the F-35B in the air (when it’s working) is the F-35 hovering in the sky and plopping down onto the ground. Watch it for the first time, ever.
Sure, the Harrier jet’s been making vertical maneuvers for decades, but not with this kind of grace—and not with this kind of fighting capability. One good question, which DefenseTech raises—will carriers like the USS Wasp (no, not from Caddyshack) be able to take the heat? The jet exhaust from the F-35 is immense, and having it all focused on one small part of the deck might cause serious, and unforeseen problems decades down. Basically, this thing might start scorching holes in aircraft carriers. The Wasp’s already installed a heat shield, but nobody knows if that’ll be enough.
Warning: turn the volume down (or off) on this one, unless you like generic crap heavy metal. Some have speculated this is masking ear-blowing noise during landings.
