F-35 VARIANTS

A Model

The generic land-based and primary variant, with an internal gun. The majority of foreign operators fly the A model (and a few a mix of As and Bs). The Israelis have a specially modified A model with their own gear which was assigned as an I model. The F-35A has the highest G-rating (9.0+) coupled with the best thrust-to-weight performance (1.07) of the three models.

B Model

The vertical takeoff and landing model with a large fan located mid-fuselage. It is not equipped with a tail hook. It does not have an internal gun and relies on an external gun pod when needed for particular air-toground missions. The easiest way to tell a B model is by the large wide fuselage fairing just aft of the canopy. The B model carries the least amount of fuel and thus has less range, the compromise for its large fan and vertical lift capability.

C Model

The carrier-based (CV) Navy version with an extra-large wing, beefier landing gear, and tail hook. The wingspan is 43 feet, compared to the A/B model 35-foot wingspan. It does not have an internal gun and relies on an external gun pod when needed for particular air-to-ground missions. It has the highest gross weight of the three variants, but it has the same long range as the A model as it carries more fuel.