The variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) intended for carrier operations flew for the first time on Feb. 11. The test pilot who took the new F-35 (CF-1) up for its two-hour maiden flight from Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md., Lt. Cmdr. Eric "Magic" Buus, said afterward that the flight went well. "It’s a really smooth, solid flying airplane and a joy to fly," Buus said. During the flight, Buus focused specifically on the aircraft’s flutter excitation system, designed to measure the airframe’s structural loads during flight maneuvers.
