HMS Queen Elizabeth: Slow-motion video shows first British F-35B take-off from Royal Navy warship

A SLOW-MOTION video has illustrated the exciting moment a British F-35B jet took off from HMS Queen Elizabeth’s flight deck for the first time.
By ron Melton
Published 16th Oct 2019, 18:30 BST
Four F-35B jets recently landed on the carrier - the first time an RAF plane has touched down on Queen Elizabeth. Photo: MoDFour F-35B jets recently landed on the carrier - the first time an RAF plane has touched down on Queen Elizabeth. Photo: MoD
Four F-35B jets recently landed on the carrier - the first time an RAF plane has touched down on Queen Elizabeth. Photo: MoD

The clip was released on the Portsmouth warship’s Twitter account this afternoon ‘due to popular demand’, according to admins.

Defence bosses celebrated on Sunday as the supersonic stealth jets took off and landed on HMS Queen Elizabeth as part of trials with the US. 

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It was Lieutenant Commander Matt Fooks-Bale in the cockpit of the F-35B as the seminal moment was captured on camera, above.

In a Tweet, personnel on the ship said of the clip: ‘Disclaimer: this video has been slowed down; F-35 moves significantly faster in real time!!’ 

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Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth arrives back in Florida

HMS Queen Elizabeth left Portsmouth in August to take part in advanced exercises off the east coast of the USA for her Westlant deployment. 

British defence secretary Ben Wallace has called the trials ‘another step towards’ the carrier strike capability becoming fully operational. 

HMS Queen Elizabeth's first operational deployment with the 617 Squadron and a squadron of US Marine Corps Lightning jets is pencilled to take place in 2021.

Related topics:HMS Queen ElizabethRoyal NavyBen WallacePortsmouthTwitter