Watch an F-35 land on an aircraft carrier in slow motion

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On October 9, an F-35C carried out a successful landing aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. 

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US Naval Institute News editor Sam LaGrone who managed to film the landing in HD and slow motion. The footage highlights one of the more notable successes of the often-troubled F-35 - namely the advanced fighter jet's ability to operate from a carrier. 

The object dangling in the back of the F-35C is the tailhook, which snags hold of a cable on the carrier deck. The cable slows the aircraft down, allowing it to land efficiently and safely on the otherwise-dangerously short runways that aircraft carriers offer. 

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The technical requirements of taking off and landing from a carrier means that the F-35C is significantly heavier than the F-35A and F-35B variants. The C has an extra 208 square feet of wing to help create drag. Overall, the plane weighs over 6,000 pounds more than the other variants. 

In November 2014, the F-35C conducted its first ever successful carrier landing. The landing came after nearly three years of delays due to tailhook design issues. 

You can watch the slow motion landing below: 

 

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