
The Marine Corps version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has completed its first ever vertical takeoff, prime contractor Lockheed Martin [LMT] said Monday. The F-35B short-takeoff and vertical-landing (STOVL) aircraft opened its fan doors and lifted off the ground at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., on May 10. The F-35B then transitioned into level flight before performing a vertical landing. The F-35B lift off at Patuxent River, Md. Photo by Lockheed Martin The vertical take-off function gives the…