Final Assembly of First F-35 Under Way at Lockheed Martin

Posted on: May. 18th, 2005 || Source: defencetalk.com | E-mail Article | Print Article

Final Assembly of First F-35 Under Way at Lockheed Martin

FORT WORTH, Texas: Workers at Lockheed Martin joined the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter's 35-foot-wide carbon- fiber composite skinned and metal structure wing to the aircraft's fuselage on Monday, uniting three of the F-35's four major sections -- the forward fuselage, the center fuselage and the wing. The assembly milestone was completed on schedule, and marks the beginning of F-35 final-assembly activities.

"We knew that the F-35's completely digital design and manufacturing process would yield impressive results, but the precision and accuracy in the way the pieces of this first airplane fit together is almost beyond imagining," said Bob Elrod, executive vice president and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program general manager. "It's just about perfect, and it is helping us stay on schedule for first flight next year."

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