The Aviationist Blog

Developed by a private Russian design bureau, the SR-10 (CP-10) is a single engine, all-composite jet trainer with a (moderate) forward-swept wing. The footage below shows the first flight of SR-10, a Russian subsonic, single engine, all-composite dual-pilot jet trainer aircraft developed by KB SAT. Developed by a private Russian design bureau called KB SAT, […]

B-2 Stealth Bomber at today’s Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game. On Jan. 1, 2016, a B-2 Spirit with 509th Bomb Wing from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, opened the Rose Bowl college football bowl game played at the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, California with a flyover that was filmed from a helicopter. Here below […]

RAF Eurofighter Typhoons have joined the service Tornados in air strikes against the Islamic State. Taken on Dec.22, 2015 from the boom position aboard a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker belonging to 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron (EARS), this interesting photo shows a fully armed Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 as it receives fuel […]

You don’t happen to see an aircraft carrying two dummy nuclear bombs. As we reported in July 2015, the U.S. Air Force is conducting a series of test drops, in Nevada, of the latest LEP (Life-Extention Program) upgrade to the B61 line of nuclear weapons: the B61-12. These tests involve F-15E Strike Eagles of the […]

Here’s the new version of the infographic about Russia’s air war in Syria. At the end of October we posted the first version of this infographic about the Russian Intervention in Syria, prepared by Louis Martin-Vézian of CIGeography. Many things have happened since then: the Russian Air Force has carried out raids using its Strike […]

The incredible story of how a paperclip avoided the loss of an XB-70 Valkyrie. On Apr. 30, 1966, the second XB-70 prototype, the Air Vehicle 2 (AV 2), suffered a short-circuit in the landing gear retraction system shortly after the take-off from Edwards Air Force Base. As a result of this malfunction the nose gear […]

Kalibr cruise missiles from submarine in the Med and bombs from Tu-22 Backfires have pounded targets in Syria. On Dec. 8, Russia launched a barrage of new air and missile strikes against ground targets in Syria. The attack was somehow spoiled by the NOTAM (Notice To Airmen) issued by the Iraq Civil Aviation Authority about […]

Boat delivery Air Force Special Operations Command-way. The picture in this post shows an MC-130J Commando II belonging to the 9th Special Operations Squadron airdropping a Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) Maritime Craft Aerial Delivery System over the Gulf of Mexico on Nov. 12, 2015. MCADS enable special operations forces members to rapidly deploy anywhere around […]

Here’s an interesting video showing an ejection from a different point of view…. On Oct. 27, 2015, a Royal Danish Air Force pilot was forced to eject from his F-16A block 20 MLU over the North Sea after jet suffered a landing gear problem that prevented it from safely landing back at Skrydstrup air base. […]

FBI aircraft have been particularly active over San Bernardino, California, during and after the mass shooting. As already highlighted on Twitter, several assets, including FBI planes and media helicopters, could be tracked online on Dec. 2, during the San Bernardino terrorist attack. The airspace over #SanBernadino is a bit crowded according to @flightradar24 pic.twitter.com/iyruJbcyqJ — […]

Interesting footage released by the Russian MoD. According to the Russian MoD, during the last few days the US-led coalition in Syria has deployed three times more drones than before with up to 50 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles often up in the air at the same time. #SYRIA During some periods of time, there are more […]

The first F-35 delivered outside the U.S. was taken on charge by the Italian Air Force. On Dec. 3, Lt. Gen. Pasquale Preziosa, Chief of the Italian Air Force, welcomed the first Italian F-35A at the F-35 Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO) facility at Cameri, in northwestern Italy. Not only is the AL-1 (as the […]

The next generation Il-80 airborne command post is about to enter active service with the Russian Air Force. The Russian Air Force will soon operate an upgraded Il-80 Maxdome airborne command post. In fact, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, a “new” version of the Russian “doomsday plane” has recently successfully completed the testing campaign […]

RAF Tornados, supported by Voyager tanker and a Reaper UAV, have extended the UK’s airstrikes to Syria. Hours after the UK parliament approved to extend the airstrikes to include Syria, Royal Air Force Tornado attack planes, deployed to Akrotiri, Cyprus, flew their first raid on terrorist targets inside Syria, early in the morning on Dec. […]

Watch these U-2 Dragon Ladies land at RAF Fairford. Taken on Jun. 9, 2015 this interesting footage shows why the Dragon Lady is one of the most difficult plane to land in the world. As we have already seen in the U-2 clips taken at Beale Air Force Base, this iconic reconnaissance aircraft requires some special […]

Following the downing of the Su-24 Fencer on Nov. 24, Russian attack planes fly with air-to-air missiles for self-protection. The Russian Air Force has decided to arm the Su-34 Fullback attack planes based at Latakia, in Syria, with air-to-air missiles to enhance the defensive capabilities of the aircraft conducting air strikes against terrorists across the […]

U.S. Navy Growlers jam High Value Targets/Individuals’ cell phones. The image in this post shows the nose of a VAQ-137 EA-18G Growler aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt, supporting Operation Inherent Resolve against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Interestingly, the aircraft sports a quite unique kill marking, showing a person “hit” by a lightning bolt. According […]

Area 51 airline is hiring. Janet airline is the name of a small fleet of passenger aircraft that serve the famous Area 51, the U.S. Air Force top-secret base in the Nevada desert, along with some key military airbases used for research and development, including the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, Air Force Plant […]

Here’s why Wild Weasel missions were among the most dangerous sorties flown in Southeast Asia. During the Vietnam War the main threat to the strike packages was the V-750 (S-75) Dvina, the first effective Soviet surface-to-air missile (SAM). Better known by the NATO designation SA-2 Guideline, the missile was developed in the mid 1950s and it was used […]

Designated AL-1, the first F-35A assembled internationally flew today from Cameri airbase, Italy.

On Sept. 7, the first F-35A assembled outside the US, made its very first flight from Cameri airbase.

The aircraft, designated AL-1, is the first of eight aircraft currently being assembled at the Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO) facility at Cameri, in northwestern Italy. As already explained in a previous post, the FACO will assemble the first Italian F-35As and the remaining F-35A and F-35B for the Italian Air Force and Navy, and build F-35A for the Royal Netherlands Air Force.

The 5th generation multirole aircraft was given the low-visibility roundel and markings of the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force), as well as the 32° Stormo (Wing) emblem and code “32-01.”

During the flight, that lasted about 1,5 hours, the F-35A was escorted by a Eurofighter Typhoon.

The Aviationist’s contributor Simone Bovi took the exclusive images that you can find in this post.

The first F-35A is expected to be delivered to the Italian Air Force by the end of the year.

 

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