Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning This plane is a Joint aircraft. The F-35 is an airplane that has problems. It has been tried to be developed, but it is not working out very well. The Lightning I meant for ground strike, like the A-6 Intruder. Lightning pilots wear specal helmets to help them fly in the dark. Also, it had a HUD built in to help them fly the airplanes all the time. The f-35 is a STOVL aircraft. That stands for Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing. It takes off from aircraft carriers, and then lands vertically back onto one. The F-35 will replace the F-15 when ready.