Hill Air Force Base, Utah – Aviators from the 388th Fighter Wing have completed a groundbreaking project to restore an F-35A Lightning II from two damaged aircraft, marking an unprecedented achievement in military aviation history.
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The restoration project, dubbed “Franken-bird,” combined parts from an F-35A that suffered a landing gear collapse in 2020 with another aircraft that sustained significant damage from an engine fire in 2014. The reconstruction was an interagency effort involving the F-35 Joint Program Office, the Ogden Air Logistics Complex, the 388th Fighter Wing, and Lockheed Martin.
During the reconstruction, the Hill Air Force Base team developed custom tools and specialized equipment to merge the sections of the damaged aircraft. This work was conducted at the Ogden Air Logistics Complex before the jet was returned to the 388th FW in November 2023.
According to Scott Taylor, lead mechanical engineer at Lockheed Martin, the pioneering techniques applied in this project could be used in the future to repair battle-damaged aircraft in advanced operations.
In the final stages of restoration, the aircraft was assigned to the 4th Fighter Generation Squadron, where maintainers worked on complex tasks such as reinstalling the landing gear, reconfiguring the center of gravity, and rebuilding avionics and cockpit systems.
Senior Airman Jaguar Arnold, dedicated crew chief of the 4th FGS, stated that the project presented new challenges for the team: “When we received the aircraft, it was basically an empty shell. There were many tasks we had never performed before at the unit level.”
Impact on the Air Force and Cost Savings
In addition to the technical expertise gained by maintainers, the “Franken-bird” project resulted in significant cost savings for the Air Force. According to 1st Lt. Ryan Bare, Sortie Generation Flight commander for the 4th FGS, the F-35A reconstruction cost less than $6 million, while a new aircraft costs more than $80 million.
The success of the project also led to improvements in the F-35 joint technical documentation, benefiting future maintenance processes.
Next Steps
After a successful functional check flight at Hill Air Force Base, the aircraft was sent to Lockheed Martin facilities in Fort Worth, Texas, for final certifications. Once these steps are completed, the F-35A “Franken-bird” will return to the 388th Fighter Wing and be operated by the 4th Fighter Squadron.
Source and images: hill.af.mil. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.