FIGHTER TESTING GOES WELL RIVAL AIRCRAFT GET TOP MARKS FROM BUILDERS.Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE Edwards Air Force Base, U.S. military installation, 301,000 acres (121,805 hectares), S Calif., NE of Lancaster; est. 1933. It is one of the largest air force bases in the United States and has the world's longest runway. - The competing aircraft in the joint strike fighter program The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) became synonymous with the later F-35 Lightning II, however until 2001 the term was applied to the competition between the Boeing X-32 and Lockheed Martin X-35. hit milestones this month with a simulated carrier landing for the Boeing aircraft and aerial refuelings Aerial refueling, also called Air refueling or in-flight refueling (IFR) or air-to-air refueling (AAR) or (in the UK) tanking. Note that AAR also stands for "After Action Review" (de-briefing) and in aviation, IFR also stands for for the Lockheed Martin For the former company, see . Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is a leading multinational aerospace manufacturer and advanced technology company formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta. aircraft. The Boeing X-32A aircraft began simulated carrier landing practice tests on Nov. 15, using a marked section of Edwards Air Force Base's main runway. ``The X-32A demonstrated excellent low-speed flying qualities in the carrier mode configuration,'' said Navy Cmdr. Phillip ``Rowdy'' Yates, the government's lead test pilot for the X-32. ``Flight path control was precise all the way to touchdown. This aircraft continues to fly as simulations predicted it would.'' The Lockheed Martin X-35A made a series of airborne refuelings during its 10th flight, Nov. 7. During the flight, Air Force test pilot Lt. Col. Paul Smith made four airborne refuelings. ``The refueling test shows that the system works as predicted - that we're able to take on fuel and thereby open up the envelope,'' said Frank J. Cappuccio, vice president and program manager for the Lockheed Martin version of the JSF (JavaServerFaces) A standard framework of components for building rich user interfaces for Java applications. JavaServer Faces run on the server, but are displayed on the client. JSF - JavaServer Faces . ``It's also a testimony to the controllability of the airplane, which continues to perform brilliantly. Everything went exactly as planned with no surprises.'' Lockheed Martin and Boeing are competing for a multibillion-dollar contract to build joint strike fighters to replace the Air Force's aging F- 16s and A-10s, the Marine Corps' AV-8B and F-18C/D, and the United Kingdom's Sea Harrier harrier, breed of dog harrier, breed of medium-sized hound whose origin is obscure but whose existence in England dates from the 13th cent. It stands from 19 to 21 in. (48.3–53.3 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 40 to 50 lb (18.1–22. and GR-7. The joint strike fighter is also intended to augment the U.S. Navy's F-18E/F E/F Educator/Facilitator fleet. The Boeing X-32A is being used to demonstrate technologies for the aircraft carrier variant and the Air Force variant. A second aircraft, the X-32B, under construction in Palmdale, will be used to demonstrate short takeoff and landing Short takeoff and landing (STOL) The term applied to heavier-than-air craft that cannot take off and land vertically, but can operate within areas substantially more confined than those normally required by aircraft of the same size. capabilities for the U.S. Marine Corps and the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. Lockheed Martin's X-35A will demonstrate flying qualities and conventional takeoffs and landings for the Air Force variant. The airplane will later be converted into a new configuration, the X-35B, with a shaft-driven lift fan for short takeoffs and landings - requirements for the Marine Corps and United Kingdom. A second Lockheed Martin aircraft, the X-35C, also under construction in Palmdale, will demonstrate the carrier landing qualities for the U.S. Navy. The flight test program will last about one year, with the testing split between Edwards and the Navy's flight test center at Patuxent River The Patuxent River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay in the state of Maryland. There are three main river drainages for central Maryland: the Potomac River to the west passing through Washington D.C. , Md. A decision on which company will be awarded the production contract is expected next summer. CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color) Boeing The X-32A aircraft began simulated carrier landing practice tests on Nov. 15, using a marked section of Edwards Air Foce Base's main runway. (2 -- color) Lockheed Martin The X-35A made a series of airborne refuelings during its 10th flight, Nov. 7. During the flight, Air Force test pilot Lt. Col. Paul Smith made four airbone refuelings. |
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