FORT WORTH, Texas, June 26, 2007 —
The U.S. Navy’s F-35C
Lightning II carrier variant has completed its Air System Critical
Design Review (CDR), a significant development milestone that verifies
the design maturity of the aircraft and its associated systems. The
review was conducted June 18-22 at Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] in Fort
Worth, and involved officials from Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR),
the Joint Strike Fighter Program Office, the F-35
international-participant nations and the F-35 contractor team.
Completion of the CDR is a prerequisite for the F-35C to move into Low
Rate Initial Production.
The Lockheed Martin F-35C, depicted here in an artist’s
concept, will be the Navy’s first stealth fighter. Designed for
catapult launches and arrested landings aboard aircraft carriers, the
supersonic F-35C features larger wings and a more stout internal
structure than the F-35A and F-35B.
“We’re pleased with the CDR results, which reinforce our confidence
in the F-35C’s design,” said Dan Crowley, Lockheed Martin executive
vice president and F-35 program manager. “The review highlighted the
program’s development progress and the 5th generation capabilities that
the carrier variant will bring to the Navy.”
“Completion of this design review is a very significant milestone –
the die is now fully cast for the unique, three-variant Joint Strike
Fighter program envisioned when the planning began in the late 1990s,”
said JSF Program Executive Officer Brig. Gen. C.R. Davis. “This is a
momentous day never seen in another acquisition program in history. The
entire team should be proud of the work that got us here today.”
Terry Harrell, Lockheed Martin director of F-35 carrier variant
development, added, “We met our objectives for detailed design and
performance while removing more than 200 pounds from the aircraft in
the past seven months – a major accomplishment. Getting the design
ready for this important milestone required tremendous teamwork among
NAVAIR, the Joint Strike Fighter Program Office, Air Force Materiel
Command’s Aeronautical Systems Center and the entire JSF contractor
team.”
The F-35C will be the Navy’s first stealth aircraft. It is designed
to replace the F/A-18 Hornet and complement the newer F/A-18E/F Super
Hornet. While it shares its fundamental design with the F-35A
(conventional takeoff and landing) and F-35B (short takeoff/vertical
landing), the F-35C is specialized for the catapult launches and
arrested recoveries of large aircraft carriers. It features 30 percent
more wing area than the other two variants, larger tails and control
surfaces, and wingtip ailerons – all contributing to the precise
slow-speed handling characteristics required for carrier approaches.
The F-35C’s internal structure is strengthened to withstand the
punishment of repeated catapult launches and arrested recoveries on the
carrier deck.
Funding for the first two production-model Lightning IIs – both
conventional takeoff and landing versions – is approved and fabrication
for those aircraft has begun. The pair of F-35A aircraft are the first
of 1,763 scheduled for delivery to the U.S. Air Force, beginning in
2010. The U.S. Marine Corps and Navy together are planning to operate
680 F-35Bs and F-35Cs, and the United Kingdom plans to place 138 F-35Bs
into service with the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. The remaining
F-35 participant countries plan to acquire more than 700 aircraft.
The F-35 is a supersonic, multi-role, 5th generation stealth fighter
designed to replace a wide range of existing aircraft, including AV-8B
Harriers, A-10s, F-16s, F/A-18 Hornets and United Kingdom Harrier GR.7s
and Sea Harriers.
Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 Lightning II with its
principal industrial partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. Two
separate, interchangeable F-35 engines are under development: the Pratt
& Whitney F135 and the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team F136.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about
140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research,
design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of
advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation
reported 2006 sales of $39.6 billion.
Source: Lockheed-Martin, by e-mail.
Comment: I hope the F-35 doesn’t encounters problems anymore (though the weight issues have been solved with the 35B STOVL – Short Take-Off/Vertical Landing – variant). It seems to be a wonderful aircraft, according to pilot reports (e.g. U.S.M.C. Maj. Art “Turbo” Tomassetti, and F-35 chief pilot Jon Beesley). It flies very easily, and enables the pilot to focus on the mission. Very complicated aircraft that deliver excellent performance seem a specialty of Lockheed-Martin.
I hope the F-35 program continues without problems…God bless that airplane…
technorati tags:F-35, F35, JSF, Joint, Strike, Fighter, Lockheed, Lockheed-Martin, Martin, X-35, X-35A, X-35B, X-35C, aircraft, fighter, attack, airplane, aviation
