HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah – Airmen from the 388th Fighter Wing completed a lengthy project to restore a single F-35A Lightning II from two separate, damaged aircraft, and begin its return to combat status.
This is the first time maintainers have successfully pieced together two F-35A structures to generate an operational aircraft.
One of the aircraft was damaged in a nose-gear collapse here in 2020, the other in an engine fire at Eglin AFB, Fla., in 2014.
Locally known as the “Franken-bird,” the project was an interagency effort between the F-35 Joint Program Office, Ogden Air Logistics Complex, 388th Fighter Wing and Lockheed Martin.
During the project, the team at Hill created unique tooling, stands and other equipment to support and join the aircraft sections. That work was done at the Ogden Air Logistics Complex before the jet was returned to the 388th FW in November 2023.
The resources and techniques pioneered during that stage of the project have potential for future use in aircraft battle damage repair at forward locations, said Scott Taylor, Lockheed Martin’s lead mechanical engineer on the project.
For the past year, the aircraft has been hangared in the 4th Fighter Generation Squadron, where maintainers worked on the final stages of its restoration.
“When we received the aircraft, it was pretty much a shell,” said Senior Airman Jaguar Arnold, the aircraft’s dedicated crew chief from the 4th FGS. “There were a lot of tasks to complete that we hadn’t done before at the unit level.”
From re-installing landing gear with the proper aircraft center of gravity, to procuring and installing “belly bands” and flight controls, Arnold said. The team, alongside Lockheed Martin engineers and technicians, rewired the aircraft, rebuilt the cockpit, avionics computers and installed a variety of components rarely seen in flight line maintenance shops.
Airmen also fabricated and installed components and coatings to refurbish the low-observable properties on various sections of the jet. There were long days, nights, and weekends by the entire team, said 1st Lt. Ryan Bare, Sortie Generation Flight commander for the 4th FGS.
Using parts and manpower to rebuild an aircraft while still meeting the maintenance needs of an operational fighter squadron often required a deft balance from squadron and group leadership, but the effort paid off.
“When we took responsibility for this project, we were taking on something unprecedented at the field level and it wasn’t easy. That can’t be overstated.” said Bare. “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. As a program, and as a unit, we’ve benefited greatly from this.”
Because Airmen completed so many first-time tasks at the field level, they were able to provide feedback to the JPO that will be used to update the Joint Technical Data used by all F-35 maintainers when installing and inspecting new components. This will protect aircraft, maintainers, and pilots.
In addition to the experience and proficiency gained, the cost savings for the Air Force in salvaging an aircraft was substantial. The project is estimated to have cost under $6 million dollars, Bare said. A new F-35A is more than $80 million.
After the successful functional check flight here, the aircraft headed to Lockheed Martin’s facility in Fort Worth, Texas, for final certifications, after which it will return to Hill and be flown by the 4th Fighter Squadron.
EDITORS NOTE: Information and quotes from a 2023 article by Todd Cromar were used in this story.