F-35 already pushing the envelope: pilot

Lockheed Martin's chief F-35 Joint Strike Fighter chief test pilot Al Norman says the F-35 brings an unprecedented amount of survivability and lethal potential - and that's what air forces like the RAAF really need.

Based at Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth factory in Texas, Alan Norman took over as joint strike fighter program chief test pilot two years ago and oversees pilots employed by the manufacturer of the fifth-generation multi-role fighters and by the US military.

He's spruiking F-35s at the Avalon Airshow, where aviation and defence companies show off their wares.

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