Boeing JSF X-32B Flies to Patuxent River to Complete STOVL Testing
NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, Md., May 11, 2001 -- The Boeing Joint Strike Fighter X-32B today landed at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., on schedule, marking the aircraft's entry into the final phase of a flight-test program that will validate the Boeing direct-lift approach to the program's short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing (STOVL) requirement.
"We're very pleased to be at Patuxent River and expect our test program here to be very successful, as it was at Edwards," said Frank Statkus, Boeing vice president and JSF general manager. " X-32B flight testing at Pax will build on our long and successful history of working with the U.S. Navy in an integrated test team environment."
The flight to Naval Air Station Pax River from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., follows closely on the heels of a JSF program "first" -- airborne transition from conventional to STOVL mode.
Statkus said milestones in the coming weeks, including the first hover and vertical landing, will further prove the company's direct-lift design is simple, reliable, low risk and the best system for the STOVL flight requirement.
"In the conventional mode the X-32B flies remarkably like the simulator and the X-32A," said Maj. Jeff Karnes, U.S. Marine Corps, who piloted the X-32B on its final leg to Naval Air Station Pax River. "We've been able to accomplish a lot of test points in a short period of time due to the quality of teamwork of both government and contractor members of the Boeing integrated flight test team."
The X-32B's first flight on March 29 marked the aircraft's entry into a four-month test program that will include approximately 55 flights totaling about 40 hours. Prior to its flight to Naval Air Station Pax River, the aircraft completed 14 flights for 14.1 hours at Edwards Air Force Base, with five different pilots at the controls.
Dennis O'Donoghue, Boeing lead STOVL test pilot and a former U.S. Marine Corps Harrier pilot, said, "I've now had the opportunity to fly both of our demonstrator aircraft a number of times, and the high degree of commonality in the Boeing design is apparent."
O'Donoghue was at the controls on the X-32B's third and fourth test flights at Edwards Air Force Base when it completed its first in-flight conversions -- from conventional to STOVL flight mode and back again. The flow-switch transitions confirmed the ease in conversion as well as the low pilot workload required.
"It's great to be back at Pax," added O'Donoghue, who previously conducted STOVL flight tests with the AV-8B Harrier at the site. "We've got a great test team that includes the Boeing One Team and U.S. and United Kingdom test pilots and engineers, and we're all working toward a common goal.
"We've got great facilities to work with at Pax River as well, including a recently constructed hover pit."
U.S. Air Force Col. Mike Poore, the government JSF Program Office's X-32 program manager, said the arrival of the X-32B is a significant event for the JSF program. "The arrival at Pax is an important milestone for Boeing and its One Team members including Pratt & Whitney (F119-614 engine supplier) and Rolls-Royce (STOVL components including the lift nozzles). The X-32B test program is moving along, and we're looking forward to the upcoming STOVL tests here at Pax."
Boeing used its X-32A aircraft to demonstrate both aircraft-carrier and conventional-takeoff-and-landing objectives. The X-32A completed its flight-test program Feb. 3 after 66 flights and 50.4 flight hours with six different pilots
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Contact Info:
Randy Harrison
(206) 655-8655
randolph.c.harrison@boeing.com
Chick Ramey
(206) 662-0949
charles.b.ramey@boeing.com
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