Given that there are three different variants of the JSF operating in the US alone, you may ask what makes the F-35C unique. The C-version is the carrier based variant. It is designed to take off from a catapult system and land using an arresting hook. The United States Navy will acquire almost 500 C’s to replace the aging F/A-18 fleet. The C-variant has enlarged wing flaps to allow for more precise adjustments during a carrier approach. The wings will be able to fold up so as not to take up as much space on a cramped ship deck. Re-enforced landing gear will be used to handle the load of a high angle landing. This version will have longer and thicker wings than its sister models to provide better stability at the low speeds required during a carrier landing. The larger wing also generates a greater range which allows the fighter to reach inland targets from a carrier without the need to re-fuel. The F-35C will carrier the greatest payload of all the variants to fit the huge multi-role demand on the aircraft. Carrier based aircraft often have to be able to take on several missions in a single flight due to the limitations of carriers. Large bomber aircraft cannot launch or be recovered from the deck of a carrier, so it is left to smaller aircraft, like the F-35, to take on the deep strike missions.
