See the US Air Force's 'Franken-bird' F-35 made from wrecked stealth fighters take its first flight
The restoration began in 2023. The jet took its maiden flight in January less than two years later.
The "Franken-bird" cost about $6 million to repair, whereas a new F-35 costs over $80 million.
A one-of-a-kind F-35 stealth fighter built from two wrecked aircraft is set to make an unprecedented return to the US Air Force's operational fleet.
The so-called "Franken-bird" was restored through a collaboration between airmen from the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, the F-35A Lightning II Joint Program Office, and Lockheed Martin.
The F-35 JPO first assessed the feasibility of the restoration project in January 2020, and work on a pieced-together stealth fighter began in late 2023 at the Ogden Air Logistics Complex.
"All of the aircraft sections can be de-mated and re-mated theoretically, but it's just never been done before," Scott Taylor, Lockheed Martin's lead mechanical engineer on the project, said in a press release announcing the project in 2023. "This is the first F-35 'Frankin-bird' to date. This is history."
Less than two years later, the "Franken-bird" jet made its maiden flight on January 16. Following the successful functional check flight, the salvaged F-35 is set to undergo final tests and work before returning to combat status.
Scrap to salvage
In 2014, an F-35, tail number AF-27, was severely damaged at the Eglin Air Force Base in Florida after an engine fire burned the rear two-thirds of the aircraft. The cost of damage was estimated to be over $50 million, according to the Air Education and Training Command. The airframe was recycled as a damage and repair trainer for maintenance crews
In 2020, a landing gear malfunction caused an F-35, tail number AF-211, to crash, severely damaging its nose. The damaged airframe and its engine were preserved at Hill Air Force Base in Utah since the landing gear collapse.
Dave Myers, the lead engineer at the F-35 Joint Program Office Lightning Support Team, told Air & Space Forces Magazine that there was "no degradation" to the airframes, so splicing them together into the "Franken-bird" wouldn't impact its capabilities.
The first 'Franken-bird'
Hangared in the 4th Fighter Generation Squadron, maintainers created unique tools and equipment to support and join the nose section of the AF-27 and the rear section of the AF-211 since it was the first attempt at the ambitious repair job.
"When we received the aircraft, it was pretty much a shell," Senior Airman Jaguar Arnold, the aircraft's crew chief from the 4th FGS, said in a statement released last month. "There were a lot of tasks to complete that we hadn't done before at the unit level."
The repair process also incorporated some technical updates and new components, including reinforcement structures on its outer shell. Technicians reinstalled the landing gear, rewired the avionics systems, and rebuilt the cockpit.
"The F-35 program is still young compared to all legacy airframes," Myers said. "We are doing this for the first time, and organizationally for the future, we are creating a process we can move forward with."
A $6 million refurbished aircraft
The resounding success of the F-35 restoration efforts provided valuable technical experience for maintainers to improve installation and inspection processes.
"When we took responsibility for this project, we were taking on something unprecedented at the field level, and it wasn't easy," 1st Lt. Ryan Bare, Sortie Generation Flight commander for the 4th FGS, said. "That can't be overstated."
"But we were also taking on an opportunity for our maintainers to gain proficiency in this type of work and build experience at the unit level," Bare added. "As a program, and as a unit, we've benefited greatly from this."
The "Franken-bird" also had the added benefit of growing the Air Force's operational fleet — at a fraction of the cost. The aircraft restoration project cost an estimated $6 million, whereas a new F-35 jet costs over $80 million.
While the F-35 is the Defense Department's most advanced and costliest weapon system, Congress has questioned whether the stealth fighter's capabilities justify its steep price tag, especially as the program continues to be plagued by cost overruns, production delays, and maintenance and performance issues.
The DoD extended the F-35's projected operational life from 2077 to 2088, prompting the total estimated cost of the program to exceed $2 trillion. The US military operates about 630 F-35 variants with plans to procure over 1,800 more jets for the Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy by the mid-2040s.
Return to the fleet
After the "Franken-bird" completed its functional check flights in January, the aircraft was transported to a Lockheed Martin facility in Fort Worth, Texas, where it will complete final certifications to restore its combat-ready status.
The section behind the jet's nose, which is only covered with anti-corrosion primer, will also be finished by applying low-observable materials.
The aircraft is set to return to combat status with the 4th Fighter Squadron around March, though it could be fully operational well before then, according to Dan Santos, the F-35 JPO heavy maintenance manager.
"Not only will this project return a combat asset back to the warfighter," Santos said in a 2023 statement, "but it opens the door for repairing future mishap aircraft using tooling, equipment, techniques, and knowledge that has been developed."
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Buzz Feed
6 days ago
- Buzz Feed
36 Jaw-Dropping Stories About Impossible In-Laws
Reddit user u/fuzzyloulou recently posed the question: "Married people of Reddit, what's something you just hate about your in-laws?" "Hate" is a pretty strong word, but most people responded with some genuine grievances they have with their in-laws' behavior. BuzzFeed Community members also chimed in with some gripes of their own. Here's what people shared: "We have more money than my MIL, and she is so jealous of my husband's success. She'll make fun of our vacations, say she'd never live in a 'snobby' place, wouldn't work as a corporate exec, or drive cars that weren't made in America. We don't put anything on Facebook or anywhere else. I guess his sister tells her? But she always posts about how her son thinks he is so great. You know what? He fucking is. Sorry, he came from broke ass, miserable people and made a success of himself. You'd think she'd be proud of him. It's all envy disguised as disdain. What mother gets mad when her kid does well in life?" "My MIL? I love her; she's great. My FIL? He cheated on my MIL with her sister, and still sees said sister every week while somehow still remaining married to my MIL. He bought himself and the sister a new car while my MIL drives a 20-year-old F-150. When he's home, all he does is drink Budweiser from 11:00 a.m. on and watch TV. And, he complains about everyone else in the family. He doesn't come to his grandkids' birthday parties, and instead just hands us cash to go buy something and to say it's from him. On several occasions, he's been at nice dinners and gotten drunk and belligerent to the point of embarrassing everyone with him." "The way they travel. They constantly need to overpack, shop for stuff to take home, etc.. It always results in half a dozen overweight suitcases and carry-ons that they then ALWAYS have to reorganize to handle the weight. They ALWAYS expect everyone in the group to pack light to accommodate in case they have to dump their stuff on you. I hate it, and it ticks me off every time." "When we go to my in-laws, we never leave the house. We sit in the den, watch TV 12 hours a day, and listen to my FIL crap on anything and everything he sees on the idiot box. We finally told them that the condition for our coming was to turn off Fox News. It's not just because he's 84 and a grumpy old man. He's been doing this for the past 30 years. Everybody and everything is 'stupid,' except for him. It's just this constant stream of negativity. My MIL isn't much better. She will sit there and talk about everybody else under the sun and how foolish those people are. I've started leaving for a couple of hours for a sanity break. I have to demand that my children go visit them once a year." "My MIL treats her son like a baby. She also says things like, 'No one can love you like I love you,' and seems to assume I'm just using her son for money and childcare…because she was like that when raising her kids. Other than that, she's a super funny and charismatic person. I try to give her the benefit of the doubt, as she's just a protective mom, but I can say I will not be treating my children or in-laws like that." "My MIL asked my husband's whole family to wear crosses to our wedding so it wouldn't be 'godless and satanic.' Why? Because my mother was officiating. She stalks my 11-year-old stepdaughter, who is no contact with said MIL due to extreme panic attacks whenever she has to see her grandmother. gave me an individually wrapped dish sponge for Christmas last year." "My MIL isn't too nice to the kids. Granted, she has 15 grandkids, but you can tell which ones she likes which she likes less. My kids are in the middle." "My in-laws are terrible with money. They filed for bankruptcy and then decided not to make some payments. So my husband and I took over their finances and put them on a budget to make ends meet. Are they grateful? Nope!! When we tell them they don't have money to go out to eat, we get told that we don't care about them. It got so bad that we've told them not to talk to us anymore. We manage the finances, but any communication to us has to go through one of my husband's siblings." "Their concept of time. They're all always shamelessly late to everything. And, they act like it's a cardinal sin to be early. They think they're 'early' if they stroll in just in the nick of time. For example, I've told them, 'We have to be there at 7:00, and it's a 20-minute drive, so we should leave by 6:35 at the latest. So, you need to be at our house at 6:30 so we can load the car.' 'Why so early? I'll be at your house at 6:45.' Then, they show up at 6:55 and can't understand why I'm angry. And, we get to where we're supposed to be at 7:15, and they can't understand why everyone there is mad. At least my husband has gotten better about it. He still hates to be anywhere early, but he plans and takes steps to be on time, not late." "My former MIL was always on the selfish side and 100% had her favorites. She went out of her way to tell me she took a religious oath a long time ago to prevent her children from marrying people of MY religion, but she was okay with it since I'm not practicing. Fast forward many years, sadly, our only child passed away from childhood cancer, and my mother passed less than a year later. The upcoming Mother's Day was the first for me without either my child or my mother, so I was a wreck. I'm a motherless child and a childless mother, but she had to play it up that SHE was more distraught because of the loss of her grandchild than I was over both, so that she could get my husband's attention. She is a miserable woman who can't stand not being the center of attention." "They have four kids, and the only boy is their favorite. They ignore their daughters, which includes my wife. The heartbreak she feels every time they blow her off to go spend more time with their son is gut-wrenching. They took him to Vegas on her birthday two years in a row." "The way they come over to my house unannounced. They just show up, then get mad at me for being in the shower or not at home because I'm running errands. I know I'm a stay-at-home mom, but dang, I still have to go run errands outside the house. I also don't like the way they insist they can have our baby whenever they please, without our permission." "My in-laws are racist, and I'm Mexican. They've never made comments directed towards me specifically, but they have made comments about Mexican immigrants. My parents are immigrants, and my in-laws know this. I stopped going to any event with them, and thankfully, they moved out of state. My partner spends holidays with them, and I stay and enjoy the holidays with my family. I haven't seen them in two years." "My FIL called my wife and her three sisters 'whores' all while standing in MY house. Reason, you ask? They all got married outside of the Catholic faith. We haven't spoken in six years. Best six years of my life." "My MIL is the cheapest woman I have ever met. I have hundreds of stories and examples. Last Christmas, she gave me a can of nuts from Goodwill. She said she didn't feel comfortable getting us a wedding gift. She won a cruise to Alaska and took our son, which was very sweet, but she refused to pay for anything during the trip. They ate sandwiches in the room and spent most days walking around Juneau. He wanted to come home on day two. I have fixed things, helped her move, mowed her lawn, and done a dozen other things. She has never once bought dinner as a thank you or to celebrate a special event. Years ago, we had a bad time and asked if we could live in her house for two months. She insisted on charging us rent. She has missed funerals and weddings because she will not pay for travel or a hotel. I will stop now because I could go on forever." "I'm pretty sure my MIL has never heard the word 'no.' Apparently, I introduced it to her because she thinks she can just announce she wants to visit or say she wants this or that, and expects everyone to comply. Here I came along and was like, NOPE! Safe to say we don't have a great relationship and have moved away from her TWICE!" "The gossiping about us to anyone who will listen. And, the guilt trips. Every single guilt trip tactic to get us to drag our family of four across the country to go see them. Also, they were absolute trash parents to my husband. They both allowed physical, mental, and verbal abuse to run rampant, and now have the audacity to expect a relationship with their adult child." "Where to start? They are racist bigots who, despite only being Christmas Christians who haven't been to church in 40 years, didn't like their son marrying a Jew. We bought their house over 20 years ago, and my MIL has not said anything nice about anything we've changed, as though it should have been kept a shrine to her style. They moved away years ago and have only visited their son maybe three times. They made a trip to the state once without telling him because they were visiting his uncle and didn't visit their son. And when we first bought the house, I, a Jew, did my best to host a festive Christmas for them, only to be told they wouldn't return for Christmas ever again because it 'wasn't what they were expecting.' I could go on for hours with examples." "My MIL still blames me for moving her daughter away and can't believe we moved for better economic opportunities 11 years ago. She will call my wife and cry almost every other night about how she doesn't know how much time she has left, and she refuses to visit, even when we offer to pay the travel expenses. She puts on this poor-me sob story every time we visit. My GOD, just STFU!" "How critical they are of my partner. He is loving, kind, smart, and unique. Nothing he ever does will ever be enough for them. As a result, he has major anxiety and perfectionist issues. He's hard on himself and constantly apologizes for minor things. I wish he knew how awesome he is. For this reason, I've chewed out both his dad and mom, but they were clueless. What issues? If things were different, I'd love to be close to them, but I see how dysfunctional they are and am totally okay with zero contact." "Mine used my wedding as their own personal photoshoot, often taking their son/my groom away to snap family pictures. They then posted all the pictures of themselves in the group chat, and only one of me, which was just of my back at the altar. They also managed to get a photo of just the groom cutting the cake alone, without me in the photo, though we were obviously standing close together. I don't think they were malicious; they're just very self-centered people with zero social awareness." "The number one thing is that they are drama vampires. They can't live without it. Everything is about them; if it isn't, it will be soon. They are cartoonishly childish, and it's as ridiculous as it is sad. I feel terrible for my spouse and her siblings. Every family get-together is a mess. Number two is that they can't make a plan without overcomplicating the ever-loving crap out of it, which my wife has inherited." "I judge my step-MIL because she posts EVERYTHING on Facebook. I swear she can't take a poop without posting." "They are good people, but also the pickiest eaters I have ever met. It has to be genetic. Their entire diet consists of Rice-A-Roni, overcooked, baked chicken, and Ragu pasta. They will not venture out and try anything that they deem too 'exotic' or potentially mildly spicy. For example, chicken tacos sound too wild for them. It has to be Taco Bell-style ground beef." "I get along great with my MIL and FIL as individual people and have close relationships with both, but good god, they have a horrible relationship. It's really awkward sometimes. I have no idea how or why they are still together. They literally hate each other. Early in our relationship, I attempted to gently inquire about what I had observed after getting to know my wife's parents a bit. Before I even finished asking, she casually said, 'Yeah, they should have divorced a long, long time ago. We (her siblings) all think they need to give it up.'" "How fake they are. They just care about their image and how they appear to others. Very little, if anything, is genuine about them." "I absolutely love my in-laws, but compared to my family, they are REALLY loud. Like, instead of taking turns talking, they just talk louder over each other until someone listens. I leave with a headache, including when I sneak to an empty room for peace." "The constant criticism. I married their only son, and nothing I do is good enough. My house is never clean enough, my 1-year-old doesn't 'behave,' and my cooking sucks. The passive aggressiveness is so overwhelming." "My husband's mother and two sisters really went out of their way to make me feel unwanted and disliked early in our marriage. They judged me, gave me the cold shoulder, and criticized everything I did. Joke's on them. My husband and I have been married for 30 years. So, I learned a lesson: Screw the naysayers. Haters gonna hate." "They are terrible with money and have tried to drag my immediate family down with them. I've had to stop acting like an ATM for them, and they're resentful that we won't support their BS anymore." "My MIL refuses to discuss anything that bothers her. She just goes dead silent for a moment, then pivots to a different subject." "My step-MIL could definitely be represented here. She's a piece of work. She's a teacher but literally hates children; all she does is complain about her horrible students, who are kindergarten kids. And often she treats the grandkids like she would rather be anywhere else but with them. She also has some really bizarre hang-ups about my husband's mom. My FIL and MIL divorced almost 30 years ago, and yet, step-MIL felt it necessary to bring up during my recent baby shower that she and FIL had now been married longer than he and MIL. She did this out loud to other people while my saint of a MIL was no more than three feet away. Why would that even matter?! She's an odd bird." "My in-laws are very nice people, but they have two things that really bug me. They have never-ending visits, and they do this with their entire family. I don't want to have house guests for two weeks. Second, they don't help at all when they visit. You used a cup, and you just saw me load the dishwasher? Put the cup in the dishwasher, not the sink. My son is autistic and has been known to get out of the house. Just keep an eye on him if I step away for a minute. Don't tell me he left the house and just sit there. When he was a baby, no one ever offered to feed him, change a diaper, or even give me a break to nap and just play with him. It's exhausting." "My wife's dad is a very 'I'm right, you're wrong' kind of person. If he's not right, he refuses to admit it and will just leave and not speak to you for a long time. Then, he'll show back up and act like nothing happened." "I adore my FIL and step-MIL. They are supportive, welcoming, and fun. They are both really Type A and 'super planners,' which can sometimes be a little irritating, but we have a huge family, and their organization makes for seamless and enjoyable family gatherings. I love my MIL, but she is not the most pleasant person to be around. She is very passive-aggressive and is one of those people who always wants to be miserable. When we get together, she spends most of the time complaining about how her sons never want to see her. She also recruits them to do things for her (which they would happily do) by implying that they owe her because 'I gave birth to you!' It's just exhausting." And: "There's nothing I really hate about my in-laws, but my MIL occasionally says some things that give me pause when she's in the room. For example, she wished me a happy birthday recently, to which I casually replied, 'Just another trip around the sun.' My comment resulted in a 20-minute lecture about how the sun actually orbits the Earth, based on her visual observation of it rising in the east and setting in the west every day. I often wonder how much of my partner's childhood trauma is a direct result of her mother's 'unusual' beliefs." What's the most frustrating thing your in-laws do? Tell us in the comments or share anonymously using this form. Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Business Insider
7 days ago
- Business Insider
Investigation finds $13 million US military Reaper drone crashed into the sea after an unexplained failure saw its propeller fall off
The US military lost one of its Reaper drones after a part failed, causing the propeller to fall off on a mission last year and forcing the $13 million combat aircraft to make a crash landing in the Mediterranean Sea, a recently released investigation revealed. A US Air Force investigation report released last month determined that the costly mishap, which occurred in December 2024, was caused by a failure in a mechanical part connecting the MQ-9A Reaper drone's engine with its propeller. The specific reason for that failure, however, was unclear as the drone wasn't retrieved. The Reaper drone, a combat and reconnaissance platform, belonged to the 432nd Wing of Nevada's Creech Air Force Base and was scheduled to carry out an operational mission on December 16 over or around the Mediterranean Sea. The remotely piloted aircraft took off at 1 pm Zulu time from an undisclosed location within the European Command area of responsibility. About four hours later, while the drone was flying at cruising air speed and altitude, its engine torque display dropped from normal levels to a complete loss of torque within a second. The MQ-9 "experienced a loss of air speed and began an uncommanded descent," the report said. As the drone descended, operators — members of the 20th Attack Squadron from Missouri's Whiteman Air Force Base — spent 16 minutes trying to maintain control and restore thrust to the MQ-9 falling out of the sky. The recently released Air Force investigation, first reported by Air & Space Forces Magazine, said that the operator eventually realized that the drone's engine had internal damage, and they shut it down. The crew then decided to make a forced landing in the Mediterranean — the last data received suggested came in just as the MQ-9 was about to impact the water. There were no injuries or damage to civilian property, the report said, sharing that the drone — valued at exactly $13,154,585 — was not recovered. Air Force investigators said that "the cause of the mishap was a failure within the Splined Coupling Assembly." This "led to a sudden and permanent mechanical decoupling of the propeller from the engine resulting in an unrecoverable loss of thrust." General Atomics, the US defense company that makes the MQ-9 Reaper, said that the Spiral Retaining Ring was the most likely cause of the failure, although it was impossible to determine with certainty because the wreckage — and, with it, evidence — could not be collected. The Reaper, the US military's drone of choice for combat and reconnaissance missions, has suffered a string of mishaps in recent years, including several "Class A" incidents, meaning that the incident resulted in damage greater than or equal to $2.5 million or a destroyed aircraft. Air Force safety data shows 5 in 2021 and just as many the year prior. More recent safety data wasn't immediately available. American Reaper drones have also been targeted by US foes. In 2023, for instance, a Russian Su-27 fighter jet clipped the propeller of an MQ-9 operating above the Black Sea, forcing the uncrewed aircraft to crash land in the water. That year, Russian aircraft also repeatedly harassed US Reaper drones operating over Syria, engaging in behaviors like flying in close proximity to the MQ-9s. In one incident, a Su-35 fighter jet released flares on a drone and damaged its propeller. The Iran-backed Houthis have also shot down several Reaper drones that the US had been using to support its military operations against the Yemeni rebels.
Yahoo
10-08-2025
- Yahoo
I visited the only B-2 stealth bomber on display in the world. Take a closer look.
The National Museum of the US Air Force has the world's only permanent public exhibition of a B-2. B-2 planes are known for their stealth technology, long flight range, and nuclear capability. The plane exhibited at the museum features remnants of the ground-based testing it endured. I never thought I'd get to see a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber in person. The advanced warplanes, which cost around $2 billion each, can evade radar detection and drop tens of thousands of pounds of nuclear or conventional weapons. They were most recently deployed in Operation Midnight Hammer in June, dropping 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on Iran's nuclear facilities. All 19 of the US Air Force's operational B-2 planes are housed at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, where access is strictly limited. However, there is one place in the world where a B-2 is on permanent public display: the National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. I visited the museum in August to see the one-of-a-kind exhibit. Take a look. The B-2 Spirit stealth bomber is one of the most fearsome warplanes in the world. The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit entered development during the Cold War, and the first plane became operational in 1993. B-2s were used in Operation Allied Force in Serbia in 1999, as well as in Afghanistan and Iraq during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom in the early 2000s. With advanced stealth technologies that make it extremely difficult to detect by radar, a capacity to deploy nuclear and conventional weapons, and an ability to refuel midair for flight times that can exceed 30 hours, the B-2 is one of the most powerful warplanes in the world, and it has a very long reach. No other country operates anything comparable to the combat power and capability of the B-2 bomber. The National Museum of the US Air Force added a B-2 to its collection in 2003. The aircraft was shipped to the National Museum of the US Air Force in pieces in seven separate shipments. Reassembling it took restoration staff three years. At the 2003 dedication ceremony, then-museum director Charles D. Metcalf called it "one of the world's largest jigsaw puzzles." With a wingspan of 172 feet, it's one of the most prominent displays in the museum's Cold War gallery. Even with the wide-angle camera setting on my iPhone, I could barely capture the entire plane in frame. The B-2 housed at the museum never flew — it was one of two that Northrop Grumman built for ground-based testing. Northrop Grumman built two test planes with the exact same specifications as the operational B-2s but without engines or instruments. A museum volunteer showed me metal patches on the aircraft, which were used to repair one of the wings after it snapped during fatigue testing. Fatigue testing uses hydraulic plates to simulate flying conditions and test an aircraft's durability. "Whatever the maximum load is, the plane has to take 150% of that to pass the test," he said. "This one actually passed, though, at 161%, but you can see where it failed." A nose landing gear panel featured artwork added by the service members who conducted temperature testing. Technicians conducted over 1,000 hours of temperature testing at McKinley Climatic Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida and found that the B-2 could withstand temperatures ranging from -65 degrees to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. To commemorate their work, the technicians painted a decorative "Fire & Ice" decal on the nose landing gear panel and signed their names. Nose art was popular during World War II, when pilots and crew members would often personalize their planes with cartoons, pinups, or tallies of their missions. It's not as common on bombers in active service today. The plane's exterior featured the emblem of the Air Combat Command. Air Combat Command prepares and equips Air Force teams to provide fighter power, intelligence, cyber operations, and support for combat missions around the world. The shield-shaped emblem shows a downward-facing sword with wings spread on either side. Wording on one of the landing gear doors indicated the plane's name: "Spirit of Freedom." The "509th" and "Follow us" reference the origins of the modern 509th Bomb Wing, which operates B-2 planes. During World War II, the historic 509th Composite Group was responsible for deploying nuclear weapons. The B-29 Superfortress bombers that dropped the first atomic bombs on Japan were part of this unit. Their motto was "Follow Us, Follow Us, as we usher in the Nuclear Age," according to the US Air Force's official website. The 509th was instrumental in the formation of Strategic Air Command and continues to support US nuclear deterrence. I found the B-2 to be one of the most memorable exhibits at the museum. The National Museum of the US Air Force features around 350 planes and missiles over 19 acres of exhibit space — among which were an Air Force One used by eight US presidents, Titan and Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles, and the B-29 that dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki but seeing one of the world's most advanced warplanes up close was a memorable experience. Read the original article on Business Insider
