BETHESDA, Md. — A spokesman for Lockheed Martin today denied that there is any reason to be alarmed about possible shortcomings of the military's newest and most expensive fighter plane after reports surfaced this weekend that an F-35, piloted by a crack Air Force fighter pilot, lost a mock dogfight with a Fokker Dr.I Triplane similar to the aircraft once piloted by World War I German Ace Manfred von Richtofen, the "Red Baron," piloted by a World War I reenactor.
"The F-35 isn't really meant for that kind of fighting," said Lance McCory, a Lockheed spokesman. "We intend it to be a first-rate mulitrole attack aircraft, and to excel at long-range fighting, what we call BVR, or 'Beyond Visual Range' air combat. Not to worry about some Hun who's been dead a hundred years. Frankly, the two aircraft involved in this battle represent two different philosophies of air combat."
The Fokker Dr.I Triplane, made of wood and doped linen, entered service with the German Army Air service in 1917. It was famous for its considerable maneuverability and its high rate of climb. The pilot sat in an open cockpit, exposed to the weather, and had primitive controls by today's standards.
