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Electrical power flows into first F-35 JSF
September 7, 2005 (by
Lieven Dewitte) -
The first F-35 Joint Strike Fighter came alive with electrical power today, as technicians at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth initiated "power-on" - the incremental process of testing the aircraft's circuits, electronic components and wiring. The event was completed on schedule.
"Power-on is a significant milestone in the manufacturing process of any new aircraft. The successful, on-time achievement of this event further demonstrates that the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program is progressing as planned, and confirms the value and effectiveness of its innovative design and build process," said Ralph D. Heath, president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. "Today, we begin making sure that air 'power' is always 'on' when future F-35 pilots take to the skies to defend the freedom of the United States and allied nations," Heath said.
The electrical power system (EPS) of the F-35 consists of two subsystems - the electrical power generating system (EPGS) and the electrical power management system - with overall control of the system supplied by redundant software running in the F-35's vehicle-management computers. Software developed by Lockheed Martin provides overall control of the EPS.
"The ability to put electrical power on the jet indicates that the majority of the structure is assembled, the utility systems have been installed and it's time to move into operational checkout of the systems," said Dan Crowley, Lockheed Martin F-35 JSF program manager. "Because the F-35 is such a highly integrated aircraft, many systems and functions must be in place to achieve this milestone. The team has developed and verified the procedures in our labs over the past several months, and they've met a schedule commitment set over 12 months ago."
Today's event is one more indication of the success of the F-35's digital 3-D solid design process, in which Lockheed Martin and its F-35 suppliers refer to the same computer model for design and production of F-35 systems and parts. The result is unprecedented accuracy and assembly speed. Hamilton Sundstrand of Rockford, Ill., provides the EPGS. The electrical power management system is provided by Cheltenham, England-based Smiths Aerospace, and batteries are designed and manufactured by Saft America, Inc., of Cockeysville, Md.
The first test aircraft, a conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) F-35A designed principally for the U.S. Air Force, is scheduled to make its inaugural flight in the third quarter of 2006. Component-level assembly is under way for the short-takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B, the variant that will serve the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.K. Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. The F-35B will be the second aircraft to enter flight testing.
The electrical power system (EPS) of the F-35 consists of two subsystems - the electrical power generating system (EPGS) and the electrical power management system - with overall control of the system supplied by redundant software running in the F-35's vehicle-management computers. Software developed by Lockheed Martin provides overall control of the EPS.
"The ability to put electrical power on the jet indicates that the majority of the structure is assembled, the utility systems have been installed and it's time to move into operational checkout of the systems," said Dan Crowley, Lockheed Martin F-35 JSF program manager. "Because the F-35 is such a highly integrated aircraft, many systems and functions must be in place to achieve this milestone. The team has developed and verified the procedures in our labs over the past several months, and they've met a schedule commitment set over 12 months ago."
Today's event is one more indication of the success of the F-35's digital 3-D solid design process, in which Lockheed Martin and its F-35 suppliers refer to the same computer model for design and production of F-35 systems and parts. The result is unprecedented accuracy and assembly speed. Hamilton Sundstrand of Rockford, Ill., provides the EPGS. The electrical power management system is provided by Cheltenham, England-based Smiths Aerospace, and batteries are designed and manufactured by Saft America, Inc., of Cockeysville, Md.
The first test aircraft, a conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) F-35A designed principally for the U.S. Air Force, is scheduled to make its inaugural flight in the third quarter of 2006. Component-level assembly is under way for the short-takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B, the variant that will serve the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.K. Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. The F-35B will be the second aircraft to enter flight testing.
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