Earlier this year, on 7 January, Graham Tomlinson, after taking off from NAS Patuxent River in aircraft BF1, performed the first F-35B in-flight conversion to the STOVL mode. Following a progressive flight test programme the first hover was achieved on 17 March, followed by a slow landing.
   The next day Graham, after a short take-off, set up a one minute hover at 150 ft from which he carried out the type’s first vertical landing. On 16 June the F-35B achieved supersonic speed for the first time. The programme is being managed by Member Mark Gerrard, once a flight test engineer at Dunsfold.