The F-35 family made its debut at RIAT 2016 and, including the conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) ‘A’ model, destined for the United States Air Force (USAF). This was at the 2018 Air Tattoo with the aircraft coming from the 56th Fighter Wing, based at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona.
The F-35A is the smallest and lightest variant of the aircraft and is the only one to be equipped with an internal 25mm cannon. It is designed to operate from conventional air force bases, unlike its B and C model counterparts which are carrier-borne variants.
Few events can rival the intensity, drama and spectacle on offer at the world’s greatest airshow. The Air Tattoo, one of the UK’s premier outdoor events, returned for 2018 on 13-15 July to mark a very special occasion, the centenary of the Royal Air Force. As well as commemorating the past achievements, we also celebrated the present and helped to inspire the future of the RAF.
A record crowd of 185,000 people enjoyed a feast of flying at the 2018 Air Tattoo, marking the Royal Air Force’s Centenary at RAF Fairford.
In total, 302 aircraft, from 43 air arms representing 30 nations attended the airshow, of which 121 took part in the flying display.
Among the flying display highlights were a number of unique flypasts. A special tribute to the legendary 617 ‘Dambusters’ Squadron saw the iconic Lancaster bomber from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight fly in formation with the squadron’s current aircraft, the Tornado, and the RAF’s new state-of-the-art F-35B Lightning II.
Sources: YouTube; Website