Boeing's Joint Strike Fighter team will fly its X-32A Concept Demonstration Aircraft (CDA) "in the next three weeks," according to program VP Frank Statkus. Low- and medium-speed taxi tests have been completed, and a two-day program of high-speed runs will be carried out before the X-32A-which represents the U.S. Air Force and Navy versions of the fighter-makes its first flight.

The X-32B should fly before the end of the year, according to Statkus. The engine and powered-lift system have been installed, and the short take-off, vertical landing (STOVL) variant's propulsion system has undergone 300 hours of rig testing at West Palm Beach, Florida.

Asked about the later-than-expected start of STOVL tests, Statkus said, "We'll fly when we're ready. We need to be safe, and we need to guarantee to our customer that we have been through every aspect of every flight that we are going to make, with propulsion, avionics and software.

"The propulsion tests took longer than we expected because we found things that wouldn't bother a lot of people, but that bothered us," Statkus said. "We're talking about things as fine as a small vibration. The most important thing is that the software works the same way every time."

Statkus added, "If we fly by the end of the year we can complete STOVL tests in the first quarter."

Boeing's design, according to Statkus, meets or exceeds all the requirements in the final Joint Operational Requirements Document issued by the JSF program office, including the vertical-landing bring-back load.

By Bill Sweetman