The F-35 isn't a total failure, but it faces significant criticism for low readiness rates, cost overruns, maintenance nightmares, software bugs, and deferred capabilities, leading to issues like parts cannibalization and a failure to meet performance targets, despite its advanced stealth and sensor fusion capabilities. Recent Pentagon reports highlight the gap between promised performance and reality, with availability rates often around 50% and ongoing challenges in sustainment and reliability.
The lack of flyable aircraft led to cases where tests were deemed invalid and sometimes needed to be redesigned and re-flown. These kinds of do-overs are generally not available in the real world. Overall, the F-35 failed to meet all but one of its availability, reliability, and maintainability requirements.
The aircraft was destroyed upon impact with a total loss valued at $196.5 million. The board concluded the mishap was caused by hydraulic fluid contaminated by water that froze in the nose landing gear and main landing gear struts.
The US Air Force's accident investigation board concluded that a lack of oversight for the distribution of the hydraulic fluid, inadequate aircraft hydraulics servicing procedures, and the crew's decision-making, including the engineers on the call, all contributed to the crash.
Neither the F-22 nor the F-35 is universally "better"; they are designed for different primary roles, with the F-22 excelling at air superiority (dogfighting, speed, climb) and the F-35 shining as a versatile, multi-role strike fighter with superior sensors, electronic warfare, and data fusion for ground attack and broader missions, though the F-35 is also capable in air-to-air combat. Think of the F-22 as a pure air-to-air hunter and the F-35 as a networked battlefield commander that can also hunt.
Tactical stealth fighter aircraft The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is an American single-seat, twin-engine, supersonic all-weather tactical stealth fighter aircraft. It was developed for the United States Air Force and first flew in 1990.
What many critics complain about with the F-35 is that it has too small wings (in order to be stored compactly on an aircraft carrier), which gives the aircraft little lift. The critics say that small wings give the F-35 bad lift because the wing area is crucial for an aircraft to achieve a good lift.
The list was topped by the H-60 helicopter, which was involved in 23 total incidents per four years worth of flight hours. It was followed by the F-18 fighter jet and C-17 transport plane, both with 21 total incidents per four years worth of flight hours.
It was found that Boeing had more accidents than expected, while Airbus had fewer (p 0.015). In terms of fatalities, Boeing had more than expected, with Airbus fewer (p < 0.001). Looking at accidents alone, only the number of fatalities was statistically significantly different.
Billie Flynn spent years as a pilot in the testing program for the F-35 stealth fighter jet. He said the aircraft was very easy to fly and compared operating it to playing a video game. The fighter jet, he said, is incredibly capable and changed the understanding of what's possible in aerial warfare.
A number of years elapsed following this accident before most of the wreckage was removed from the canyon. Some pieces of the aircraft still remain at the crash sites.
Crews working at the site of the deadliest aviation disaster in a generation have recovered all 67 victims of the collision between two aircraft over the Potomac River in Washington, DC, officials said Tuesday.
The Christmas Bullet, later known as the Cantilever Aero Bullet (sometimes referred to as the Christmas Strutless Biplane), was an American single-seat cantilever wing biplane. It is considered by many to be among the worst aircraft ever constructed for its time.
Musk said in part, “The F-35 design was broken at the requirements level… manned fighter jets are obsolete in the age of drones…” In another post, he said, “… some idiots are still building manned fighter jets like the F-35.”
As for why they didn't film with F-35s: others have already mentioned that the F-35's single seat makes it impossible to put actors in the cockpit. Other issues are that the F-35 has a lower thrust-to-weight ratio than the F-18, so maneuvers wouldn't look quite as cool.
There's no single "most dangerous" fighter jet, but the F-22 Raptor is often cited for air superiority due to its unmatched stealth, speed (Mach 2.25), supercruise, and maneuverability, making it dominant in air-to-air combat. Other contenders include the multirole F-35 Lightning II, known for connectivity and versatility; the agile Sukhoi Su-57, Russia's stealth fighter; and the powerful F-15EX Eagle II, the most heavily armed.
Regardless, here are ten aircraft you probably should avoid flying:
On the evening of Monday, August 12, 1985, the Boeing 747 flying the route suffered a severe structural failure and explosive decompression 12 minutes after takeoff. After flying under minimal control for 32 minutes, the plane crashed in the area of Mount Takamagahara, 100 kilometres (62 mi; 54 nmi) from Tokyo.
Their answer was the Yakovlev Yak-38, a VTOL aircraft that performed relatively well. But the integration of the Yak-38's rear thrust engine and two lift turbofans made the jet deathly difficult to handle. If either of the lift fans failed, the Yak-38 would spin out of control.
In conclusion, while the F-35 boasts cutting-edge technology and advanced stealth capabilities, its high cost, maintenance challenges, and reliability issues make it a controversial piece of military hardware.
A US Navy F-35C jet with the “Rough Raiders” squadron crashed near Naval Air Station Lemoore on 30 July 2025, marking the 12th major crash of an F-35 since records began. The pilot ejected safely, and no injuries were reported.
Su-57 excels in speed, manoeuvrability, and cost-effectiveness, better-suited for air superiority and defensive roles. The F-35 is superior in stealth, sensor integration, and combat-proven reliability, making it ideal for offensive operations and networked warfare.
Lockheed YO-3A Exhibit. Lockheed's Missile and Space Division designed the YO-3A as a nearly silent observation aircraft. The United States Army used the plane to spot nighttime enemy activity and direct artillery fire during the war in Vietnam.