The US Air Force has purchased a new type of fighter jet, unique in the world. It is the so-called "Frankenjet", an F-35A stealth fighter assembled with salvaged parts from two damaged aircraft.
The project, which was described as historic by Lockheed Martin itself, cost $11.7 million and, according to the Pentagon, saved $63 million compared to building a new aircraft.
The first “half” of the fighter jet came from the AF-27, which suffered a catastrophic engine failure in 2014 on a training mission in Florida. The explosion caused severe damage to the rear of the F-35A and a fire that burned two-thirds of the aircraft.
The second "half" belonged to AF-211, which suffered a landing gear collapse during its landing in Utah in June 2020, causing severe damage to the front end.
The Air Force chose to join the front of the AF-27 to the rear of the AF-211. The ambitious project began in 2022 at Hill Base and required special tools and equipment, as such an F-35 assembly had never been attempted before.
Scott Taylor, chief engineer at Lockheed Martin, said: "All the modules of the aircraft could theoretically be disassembled and reassembled, but that has never been tried. It's the first 'Franken-bird' in history."
The "Frankenjet" made its first flight in January and traveled from Hill to Lockheed Martin's facility in Texas. Chief engineer Jeffrey Jensen commented that the plane "flew like it had just come off the assembly line."
He has now returned to Hill Air Force Base and joined the 338th Fighter Wing, to which AF-211 originally belonged.
The F-35A is one of three versions of the U.S. fifth-generation stealth fighter, the other two being the Marine Corps' F-35B and the Navy's F-35C. Lockheed Martin notes that 17 countries have either purchased or are planning to add the F-35 to their fleets.
The "Frankenjet," beyond a technical achievement, is also an impressive example of innovation, resource conservation, and engineering ingenuity for the U.S. military. (A2 Televizion)
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