Lockheed Martin has unveiled a full-scale mock-up of the X-35 design for the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) project at the Fort Worth, Texas, plant.
The unveiling follows a Final Design Review with government project managers in August at the Skunk Works in California, where the first real X-35 is under construction. According to Lockheed Martin, this stage "-marks the transition between engineering design definition and integration testing of the X-35".
The company is completing the final windtunnel tests on the X-35 flight envelope at the US Air Force's Arnold engineering development centre. The mass properties team claims to have kept weight 900kg below target, and the propulsion team has completed an initial series of tests of the JSF119-611 engine at Pratt & Whitney's West Palm, Florida, plant.
The X-35's vehicle management system (VHS) has been tested in the VISTA F-16 research aircraft, and short take-off and landing (STOVL) modes have been evaluated. Future STOVL work will include NASA simulations and the use of the UK's Vectoring Aircraft Advanced Control Harrier.
The only major adjustment to the development plan has been the replacement of the vehicle management computer with a higher speed processor, to cope with a predicted increase in computer throughput.
Lockheed Martin is teamed with British Aerospace and Northrop Grumman on the JSF project.
Source: Flight International
