Designed for agile front-line air defense, the Fulcrum combined high thrust, robust field operation, and formidable close-combat performance. Large leading-edge root extensions, helmet-cued weapons, and intake protections supported maneuverability and dispersed operations, while limited early avionics and range reflected its original short-range mission.
INTERACTIVE MODEL LOADS WHEN NEARBY
2016 / ModernAirframe B
F-35A Lightning II
Lockheed Martin · Conventional multirole fighter
HISTORICAL FIELD NOTE
The conventional-runway F-35A combines low-observable shaping, sensor fusion, and internal weapons carriage with the lightest airframe and largest internal fuel load of the three F-35 variants. It entered U.S. Air Force operational service in 2016 and is designed for both air-to-air and precision-strike missions.
PERFORMANCE
SPECIFICATION BREAKDOWN
METRICMiG-29 (9-13)F-35A Lightning II
Top speed
Mach 2.25REFERENCE VALUE
Mach 1.6REFERENCE VALUE
Ceiling
59,100 ftREFERENCE VALUE
50,000 ftREFERENCE VALUE
Range
890 miREFERENCE VALUE
1,200+ nmiAPPROXIMATE / PUBLISHED
Archive milestone
Service entry · 1983REFERENCE VALUE
Service entry · 2016REFERENCE VALUE
Nation
Soviet UnionDESCRIPTIVE VALUE
United StatesDESCRIPTIVE VALUE
Primary role
Air-superiority fighterDESCRIPTIVE VALUE
Conventional multirole fighterDESCRIPTIVE VALUE
Values are concise archive references and can vary by variant, payload, configuration, altitude, operating conditions, and source. Range may describe different published measures where a directly comparable figure is unavailable.
