Even if nothing has been decided yet, it looks like the F-35 could still be able to make its international debut at the Farnborough International Airshow in the United Kingdom later this month.
The fleet remains grounded by a flight ban announced on July 3 following the June 23 engine fire experienced by F-35A CTOL (Conventional Take Off and Landing), it may be possible that some F-35B STOVL (Short Take Off Vertical Landing) aircraft can be allowed to attend the season’s two most important airshows in the UK.
As many as four F-35s — three from the U.S. Marine Corps and one British plane — were scheduled to take part in Royal International Air Show and Farnborough Airshow near London. While it seems at least unlikely the aircraft can make it to RAF Fairford for the Royal Air Show, there is a chance that the aircraft could eventually attend Farnborough 2014, a major showcase which attracts aerospace companies and potential customers from all around the world.
While investigation into the cause of the engine fire continues and the rest of the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Royal Air Force F-35s remain grounded, the Marines may decide to allow their F-35B jets to cross the Pond. This will surely please aviation enthusiasts and producer Lockheed Martin, which is facing the umpteenth issue with the troubled fifth generation aircraft.
“As part of that, there is the possibility NAVAIR would allow for return to flight before the Air Force or the UK did depending how they analyze and accept that data and manage risk,” Kyra Hawn, a spokeswoman for the F-35 joint program office, told DefenseNews’s Aaron Mehta.
Even if U.S. Air Force and UK will not lift the flight ban in time for the airshows, the U.S. Marine Corps may decide it is OK for them to fly the jump jet aircraft overseas.
Nothing has been decided yet. Considering the Royal Air Show opens this weekend, the participation at Farnborough appears at least a bit more likely.
But, who’s going to accept the risk of allowing the aircraft to fly in spite of a fleet-wide grounding and investigation underway? Can you imagine the impact of an incident on the reputation of the much-debated aircraft?
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