Meet ‘Frankenjet’: The Rebuilt Stealth Fighter Now Soaring with the U.S. Air Force

In a stunning feat of engineering and resourcefulness, the U.S. Air Force has introduced a combat-ready F-35A fighter jet crafted from the wreckage of two severely damaged aircraft — earning it the nickname “Frankenjet.”

Now fully operational and assigned to the 388th Fighter Wing, the Frankenjet not only flies — it performs like new.

The story begins nearly a decade ago.

• 2014: An F-35A, known as AF-27, suffered catastrophic engine failure during takeoff at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. The explosion tore through internal systems and sparked a fire that destroyed the rear two-thirds of the jet.
• 2020: Another F-35A, AF-211, experienced a landing gear failure at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, severely damaging the front section of the aircraft.

Instead of scrapping both $75 million jets, Air Force engineers and Lockheed Martin experts made a bold move in 2022: fuse the undamaged nose of AF-27 with the intact rear of AF-211.

Scott Taylor, lead mechanical engineer at Lockheed Martin, called it a historic achievement.

“All aircraft sections can be de-mated and re-mated theoretically, but it’s just never been done before. This is the first F-35 ‘Franken-bird.’”

To make it happen, engineers developed new tools, fixtures, and processes, working tirelessly for more than two years at Hill AFB.

In January 2025, the Frankenjet took to the skies for the first time — flying from Utah to Lockheed Martin’s F-35 facility in Fort Worth, Texas. It performed flawlessly, with engineers saying it handled “like it was fresh off the production line.”

Last month, the rebuilt fighter returned to Hill AFB and was assigned to active duty with the same unit AF-211 originally belonged to.

The total cost to rebuild the Frankenjet was $11.7 million, saving the Pentagon and U.S. taxpayers an estimated $63 million compared to the cost of building a brand-new F-35A.

The F-35A is one of three variants in the U.S. military’s stealth fighter fleet:

• F-35A: Used by the U.S. Air Force
• F-35B: Short take-off/vertical landing variant for the Marine Corps
• F-35C: Carrier-based version flown by the U.S. Navy

The aircraft is also a global force, with 17 allied nations flying or acquiring the jet, according to Lockheed Martin.

The Frankenjet is more than a clever nickname — it’s a symbol of innovation, resilience, and the power of rebuilding.