The U.S. Air Force has acquired a new type of fighter, unique in the world. The reason is the so-called “Frankenjet”, a F-35A stealth fighter assembled from the salvaged parts of two destroyed aircraft.

The project, which was described as historic by Lockheed Martin itself, cost $11.7 million and, according to the Pentagon, saved $63 million compared to building a new aircraft.

The first “half” of the fighter came from the AF-27 aircraft, which suffered a catastrophic engine failure in 2014 on a training mission in Florida. The explosion caused severe damage to the rear of the F-35A and a fire that burned two-thirds of the aircraft.

The second “half” belonged to the AF-211, while landing in Utah in June 2020, causing severe damage to the forward section.

Rather than retire both, the Air Force chose to weld the front of the AF-27 to the rear of the AF-211. The ambitious project began in 2022 at Hill Air Force Base and required special tools and equipment, as no such F-35 assembly had ever been attempted before.

Scott Taylor, Lockheed Martin’s chief engineer, said: “All the modules of the aircraft can theoretically be disassembled and reassembled, but this had never been attempted before. It is the first Franken-bird in history.”
They are the first Franken-bird in history.

The “Frankenjet” made its maiden flight in January and traveled from Hill to Lockheed Martin’s facility in Texas. Chief engineer Jeffrey Jensen commented that the aircraft “flew like it just came off the production line.”

It has now returned to Hill Air Force Base and has joined the 338th Fighter Wing, to which the AF-211 originally belonged.

The F-35A is one of three versions of the US fifth-generation stealth fighter – the other two are the Marine Corps’ F-35B and the Navy’s F-35C. Lockheed Martin notes that 17 countries have either acquired or plan to integrate the F-35 into their fleets.

The “Frankenjet,” in addition to being a technical feat, is an impressive example of innovation, cost savings, and engineering ingenuity for the U.S. military.