F-35 Lightning II (Wallpaper 2) aircraft photo gallery | AirSkyBuster

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F-35 Lightning II (Picture 2). F-35 Lightning II aircraft images wallpaper gallery 2. F-35 Lightning II aircraft pictures collection 2. On 7 July 2006, the US Air Force officially announced the name of the F-35: Lightning II, in honor of Lockheed's World War II-era twin-prop P-38 Lightning and the Cold War-era jet, the English Electric Lightning. English Electric Company's aircraft division was a predecessor of F-35 partner BAE Systems. Lightning II was also an early company name for its fighter that was later named F-22 Raptor. On 19 December 2008, Lockheed Martin rolled out the first weight-optimized F-35A (designated AF-1). It is the first F-35 to be produced at a full-rate production speed and is structurally identical to the production F-35As that will be delivered starting in 2010. F-35 Lightning II (Picture 2). F-35 Lightning II aircraft images wallpaper gallery 2. F-35 Lightning II aircraft pictures collection 2. As of 5 January 2009, six F-35s were complete, including AF-1 and AG-1, and 17 were in production. "Thirteen of the 17 in production are pre-production test aircraft, and all of those will be finished in 2009," said John R. Kent, acting manager of F-35 Lightning II Communications at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company. "The other four are the first production-model planes, and the first of those will be delivered in 2010 to the U.S. Air Force, and will go to Eglin Air Force Base." On 6 April 2009, US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates proposed speeding up production for the US to buy 2,443 F-35s. In August 2010, Lockheed Martin announced delays in resolving a "wing-at-mate overlap" production problem, which would slow initial production. F-35 Lightning II (Picture 2). F-35 Lightning II aircraft images wallpaper gallery 2. F-35 Lightning II aircraft pictures collection 2.