Uploaded December 2022 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

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#F35 #USAF #Sanicole #Airshow #Airshow2022 #Aviation #Sunset #ISA2022

I came all the way from Spain to Belgium to finally be able to capture videos of the F-35 and Eurofighter flight displays (plus, the swiss Hornet and belgian Viper demo teams are a great hook too!). Funny story, back in 2020 I was planning to attend an airshow at Hill AFB where I would have been able to witness 'Beo' Wolfe fly her F-35, but you know what happened back then, so I haven't been able to attend the show until now. :')

Still, 2 years later I got this fantastic opportunity to capture the USAF F-35A Lightning II performing this savage flight!

On Saturday it rained heavily all day and we had problems with the wet camera but still managed to salvage part of the flight. Still, the conditions were ideal because thanks to the rain the air was cold and humid and we got plenty of water condensation trails, not to mention the incredible sunset lighting to top it off! :D

The pilot, Major Kristin "Beo" Wolfe from the USAF 388th Fighter Wing really did the F-35 justice at the International Sanicole Airshow 2022!

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft, intended to perform both air superiority and strike roles. It is also able to provide electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. The aircraft has three main variants: the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) F-35A, the short take-off and vertical-landing (STOVL) F-35B, and the carrier-based (CV/CATOBAR) F-35C. It is the second 5th gen fighter to enter US service and the first operational supersonic STOVL stealth fighter. The F-35 emphasizes low observability, advanced avionics and sensor data fusion that enable a high level of situational awareness and long range lethality. The USAF considers the aircraft its primary strike fighter for conducting suppression of enemy air defense (SEAD) missions, owing to the advanced sensors and mission systems.

While lacking the raw performance of the larger twin-engine F-22, the F-35 has kinematics competitive with fourth generation fighters such as the F-16 and F/A-18, especially with ordnance mounted because the F-35's internal weapons carriage eliminates parasitic drag from external stores. All variants have a top speed of Mach 1.6, attainable with full internal payload. The powerful F135 engine gives good subsonic acceleration and energy, with supersonic dash in afterburner. The large stabilitors, leading edge extensions and flaps, and canted rudders provide excellent high alpha characteristics, with a trimmed alpha of 50°. Relaxed stability and fly-by-wire controls provide excellent handling qualities and departure resistance. Having over double the F-16's internal fuel, the F-35 has a considerably greater combat radius, while stealth also enables a more efficient mission flight profile.

Stealth is a key aspect of the F-35's design, and radar cross-section (RCS) is minimized through careful shaping of the airframe and the use of radar-absorbent materials (RAM); visible measures to reduce RCS include alignment of edges, serration of skin panels, and the masking of the engine face and turbine. Additionally, the F-35's diverterless supersonic inlet (DSI) uses a compression bump and forward-swept cowl rather than a splitter gap or bleed system to divert the boundary layer away from the inlet duct, eliminating the diverter cavity and further reducing RCS. The F-35's stealth design took lessons learned from prior stealth aircraft; the F-35's radar-absorbent fibermat skin is more durable and requires less maintenance than older topcoats. The aircraft also has reduced infrared and visual signatures as well as strict controls of radio frequency emitters to prevent their detection. The F-35's stealth design is primarily focused on high-frequency X-band wavelengths; low-frequency radars can spot stealthy aircraft due to Rayleigh scattering, but such radars are also conspicuous, susceptible to clutter, and lack precision. To disguise its RCS, the aircraft can mount four Luneburg lens reflectors.

SPECS (F-35A)

Crew: 1
Length: 15.7 m
Wingspan: 11 m
Height: 4.4 m
Wing area: 43 m2
Aspect ratio: 2.66
Empty weight: 13290 kg
Gross weight: 22471 kg
MTOW: 31751 kg
Fuel capacity: 8,278 kg (internal)
Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 afterburning turbofan, 125 kN thrust dry, 191 kN w/ AB

PERFORMANCE

Maximum speed: Mach 1.6
Range: 2800 km
Service ceiling: 15000 m
G limits: +9.0
Wing loading: 526 kg/m2 at gross weight
Thrust/weight: 0.87 at gross weight (1.07 at loaded weight with 50% internal fuel)

Read more on the F-35 here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_F-35_Lightning_II

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