X-35A

The X-35A was the baseline Conventional Takeoff and Landing (CTOL) demonstrator aircraft developed by Lockheed Martin for the *Joint Strike Fighter *(JSF) competition.

Designed primarily to meet the requirements of the U.S. Air Force, it served as the primary proof-of-concept for the aircraft's aerodynamic design, stealth characteristics, and overall flight performance.

The X-35A successfully demonstrated the core capabilities required for a next-generation multirole fighter, including supersonic flight and advanced handling characteristics.
After successfully completing its initial flight testing program and proving the baseline design, the sole X-35A airframe was actually taken back into the factory and converted into the X-35B to demonstrate the vertical lift capabilities required for the Marine Corps variant.