Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II
Lockheed Martin · United States · first flew 2010 · fighter
The F-35C is the carrier-based variant of the F-35 Lightning II, designed for catapult-assisted take-off and arrested recovery on aircraft carriers.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × turbofan, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 15.7 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Twin fin |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Larger wing of 43 ft (13.1 m) span with foldable wingtips
- Enlarged control surfaces and a more robust tailhook for carrier arrested landings
- Twin-wheel nose gear and reinforced landing gear
The much larger, longer-span wing with folding tips is the obvious difference from the A and B. The top speed is the F-35 family figure of Mach 1.6.
Specifications
- The Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II has a length of 15.7 m (52 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 13.1 m (43 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 1976 km/h (1228 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The first weight-optimised F-35C, CF-1, first flew on 6 June 2010. The Navy declared it in service on 28 February 2019 after problems with the arrestor hook design had to be solved.
Variants
Its wing area is 668 sq ft against 460 sq ft on the A and B, and it is limited to 7.5 g. The F-35A and F-35B are the land-based and short take-off variants.
Where you'll see it
It is operated by the US Navy and Marine Corps, and first saw combat in 2024 in US strikes in Yemen.
Related aircraft
- Lockheed Martin HC-130J Combat King II
- Lockheed Martin MC-130J Commando II
- Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II
- Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel
- Su-57
- Shenyang J-15
- Sukhoi Su-35
- Boeing EA-18G Growler
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 5,266 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.