My own take on the situation is, when ever I've seen the F-35A at an air show, and that was very recently at Volkel, the display has been very punchy with plenty of vertical energy climbs. The Volkel aircraft didn't display as such, like the UK F-35B, it did a couple of passes. However, the first was straight from the take off, the jet disappeared out of sight into the stratosphere in full burner. It later returned for a high speed run and break away from the crowd line to repeat the Saturn V impersonation. This was one of two jets which the Dutch currently have at Leeuwarden. Whenever I've seen the 'B', its always been a couple of times round followed by a spot of thrust vectoring then serenely away, as if he doesn't have fuel for anything else?
FB
PS and always with that Bloody lid sticking up like someone's left the hood of the car up at one end or the other!