I could not see this elsewhere (did not look to hard I must admit), so as this is a JSF thread:
The first F-35 Lightning II aircraft - a Conventional Take Off and Landing variant – took to the skies above programme partner Lockheed Martin’s site in Fort Worth, Texas at 1845hrs UK time on Friday 15 december. The aircraft was in the air for around an hour, during which time it performed a variety of manoeuvres to test aircraft handling and the operation of the engine and subsystems, before landing back at its Fort Worth base.
Following first flight, Chief Test Pilot Jon Beesley commented: “F-35 Lightning II performed beautifully. It was a great start for the flight test programme, and a testimony to all of the people who have worked so hard to make this happen.”
The F-35 Lightning II is a supersonic, stealth fighter designed to replace a wide range of existing aircraft, including AV-8B Harriers, A-10s, F-16s, F/A-18 Hornets and United Kingdom’s Harrier GR7s and Sea Harriers. The F-35 will be the most powerful single-engine fighter ever produced.
Three versions of the F-35 JSF are in development: a conventional take-off and landing (CTOL), a short take off/vertical landing (STOVL) and a carrier variant (CV). Each is derived from a common design, and will ensure that the F-35 Lightning II meets the performance needs of the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy, the U.K. Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, and allied defence forces worldwide.