The US Air Force has introduced the ‘Frankenjet,’ a stealth fighter crafted from the parts of two F-35s that were destroyed in accidents and is now operational and combat-ready.
The ‘Frankenjet’ is described by the military’s F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) as fully operational and prepared to support the warfighter.
This innovative aircraft’s journey began in 2014 at Florida’s Eglin Air Force Base, where an F-35A, designated as AF-27, experienced a catastrophic engine failure right before a training mission.
According to an Air Force report, the incident caused significant damage to the aircraft’s rear.
Pieces of a fractured engine rotor arm cut through various components, including the engine’s fan case, engine bay, internal fuel tank, and hydraulic and fuel lines, before exiting through the upper fuselage of the aircraft.
The resulting fire severely compromised the aft two-thirds of the jet.
Years later, on June 8, 2020, another F-35A, known as AF-211, encountered a nose landing gear failure during landing at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, leading to extensive damage to that aircraft as well.
This left the Air Force with two partially usable sections of these $75 million fighter jets: the nose of AF-27 and the rear of AF-211.
In 2022, rather than declaring both jets a total loss, Air Force teams made a bold decision to integrate the nose from AF-27 onto the rear of AF-211, aiming to save costs and restore operational capability to the fleet.
Scott Taylor, the lead mechanical engineer from Lockheed Martin, emphasized the significance of this endeavor in a 2023 news release, stating, “All of the aircraft sections can be de-mated and re-mated theoretically, but it’s just never been done before.
This is the first F-35 ‘Franken-bird’ to date. This is history.”
The project was carried out at Hill AFB, using entirely new and specialized tooling, fixtures, and equipment, as noted in a 2023 Air Force press release.
After nearly two and a half years of extensive repairs, the Frankenjet completed its inaugural flight in January, flying from Hill AFB to Lockheed Martin’s F-35 facility in Fort Worth, Texas.
Jeffrey Jensen, the F-35A variant lead engineer, remarked that the rebuilt aircraft’s first flight tested the edges of its performance envelope, and it functioned as though it was newly manufactured.
By late last month, the Frankenjet made its return flight to Hill AFB, where it was assigned to the 338th Fighter Wing, the same unit originally associated with AF-211.
The military announced that the total cost of the Frankenjet project amounted to $11.7 million, which translates to a substantial savings of $63 million compared to the expense of acquiring a new replacement jet.
The US Air Force currently operates 383 F-35As, as reported by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
The F-35A represents one of the three variants of the US military’s stealth fighter platform, with the Marine Corps utilizing the F-35B, designed for short take-off and vertical landings, while the Navy operates the F-35C, which is tailored for aircraft carrier operations.
Additionally, the F-35s have gained popularity among U.S. allies and partners, with 17 other nations either currently operating or in the process of acquiring the jets, as reported by Lockheed Martin.
image source from：https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/10/us/frankenjet-f35-stealth-fighter-us-air-force-intl-hnk-ml/index.html
