The restoration of an operational F-35A Lightning II aircraft was achieved through the combination of damaged jet parts from two separate aircraft by Airmen from the 388th Fighter Wing. The F-35A restoration program represents the inaugural instance of constructing an operational aircraft by combining parts from multiple aircraft.
The F-35A restoration project started when Hill Air Force Base needed to recover the jet after its nose gear collapse in 2020 and combined this with parts from an Eglin Air Force Base aircraft damaged by an engine fire in 2014. The F-35 Joint Program Office, together with Ogden Air Logistics Complex, 388th Fighter Wing, and Lockheed Martin, formed a partnership to develop the “Franken-bird” project.
The restoration process required Hill AFB personnel to create specialized tools that would merge aircraft components together. The Ogden Air Logistics Complex completed most of the fundamental work before the aircraft moved to the 388th Fighter Wing in November 2023.
Scott Taylor from Lockheed Martin underlined that the repair techniques will serve as a beneficial template for upcoming combat maintenance operations. The maintainers of the 4th Fighter Generation Squadron dedicated their efforts throughout the previous year to finish the restoration project. Crew Chief Senior Airman Jaguar Arnold described the aircraft’s condition as a bare shell when the project began.
The aircraft rebuild entailed the installation of new landing gear and system rewiring and cockpit reconstruction and stealth coating restoration. The team members acquired essential practical experience through their work despite facing numerous logistical hurdles. The aircraft restoration project established a new standard for future maintenance work, which led to updates in F-35 Joint Technical Data to improve safety performance and maintenance procedures.