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Aircraft industry

BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin Celebrate Successful Assembly of F-35 Fighter Jet

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Staff at BAE Systems sites in Warton and Samlesbury were celebrating this week after the successful joining of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) fuselage, marking a major milestone in the production of the F-35 fighter jet. The aft fuselage, manufactured by BAE Systems, was flawlessly connected to the parts produced by Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman during a ceremony at the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics site in Fort Worth, Texas. This assembly milestone is a significant achievement, demonstrating the precision and collaboration of the teams involved.

Key Takeaways:

  • The F-35 fighter jet's aft fuselage, manufactured by BAE Systems, was successfully joined to the forward fuselage and wing produced by Lockheed Martin and the centre fuselage produced by Northrop Grumman.
  • The assembly milestone marks a significant achievement, demonstrating the precision and collaboration of the teams involved.
  • The F-35 design and manufacturing process has pioneered state-of-the-art digital design and manufacturing controls, used to ensure an accurate fit of the parts.
  • Hundreds of employees based at Warton and Samlesbury have worked on the aft fuselage of the JSF.
  • The assembly momentum keeps the programme on track for the first flight during the summer of 2006.
  • A special appreciation event was held at the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics site in Fort Worth, Texas, to celebrate the on-time delivery of the F-35 aft fuselage and to recognise the achievements of BAE Systems employees.
  • Tom Fillingham, vice president and deputy programme manager, witnessed the ceremony and expressed pride in the BAE Systems team's contribution to the remarkable event.
  • Bob Elrod, executive vice president and F-35 JSF general manager, praised the team's accomplishments and the exceptional aircraft assembly produced by the precise finish of the parts, particularly the craftsmanship of BAE Systems employees.

Statistics:

  • The F-35 fighter jet's aft fuselage traveled over 5,000 miles from East Lancashire to be mated to the forward fuselage and wing.
  • The assembly of the four major sub-assemblies of the aircraft was completed with no modifications required to make them fit.
  • The BAE Systems teams at Samlesbury, Warton, and Brough, as well as the team in Fort Worth, worked on the aft fuselage of the JSF for over three years.
  • The F-35 design and manufacturing process has pioneered state-of-the-art digital design and manufacturing controls.
  • The first flight of the F-35 fighter jet is expected during the summer of 2006.

Sources:

  • [Source 1] - Tom Fillingham, vice president and deputy programme manager, quoted in the article.
  • [Source 2] - Bob Elrod, executive vice president and F-35 JSF general manager, quoted in the article.
  • [Source 3] - The article itself, published [no date provided].

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