JSF wraps up testing in 4T prior to next phase

ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, TENN -- The U.S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) recently finished a testing series on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) weapons store separation in the center's 4-foot transonic wind tunnel (4T).
Most of the JSF weapons separation tests have been conducted in AEDC's 4T due to its unique capabilities and AEDC personnel's expertise of obtaining data of store separations.
The store separation tests focused primarily on munitions release from the aircraft's internal weapons bay as well as external pylons and also include testing of the external fuel tanks. The testing evaluates how a weapon, fuel tank or other object will separate from an aircraft while in flight at different air speeds and angles.
Marc Skelley, senior project manager for the Flight Systems Test Division, said the most recent test was successful without any major surprises.
"There were a few bumps in the road, like normal, but everyone did a great job and the customer met all of their test objectives."
Another series of wind tunnel tests are scheduled to start in September in the center's 16-foot transonic wind tunnel. These tests include air data, inlet performance, jet effects, pressure loads and stability and control testing. With the conclusion of the next series of tests early next year, AEDC will have provided more than 7,500 user-occupancy hours toward the system design and development phase of the JSF program since the first test in 2002 in the center's wind tunnels. This will have resulted in more than $50 million worth of aerodynamic testing to the center during that time frame.
AEDC is also testing all the variants of the Pratt & Whitney F135 jet engine for the JSF in a multi-year test program worth about $200 million.
After the next round of tests are over at AEDC, Lockheed Martin will move into the first critical design review for the program in February 2006 and will begin production of the flight test aircraft. First flight for the JSF is currently scheduled for August 2006.