X-Plane Engineering Competition
Today I’d like to start with another Hulu video recommendation.
This time, it’s a oldie-but-goodie about the final-round competition between Boeing and Lockheed Martin. The stringent requirements of the next-generation U.S. military strike fighter were well-characterized by Lockheed Martin’s X-35, which beat out Boeing’s X-32. After winning the government contract, the X-35 was renamed F-35.
The F-35 is a”fifth-generation, single-seat, single-engine, stealth-capable military strike fighter, a multirole aircraft that can perform close air support, tactical bombing, and air defense missions. The F-35 has three different models; one is the conventional takeoff and landing variant, the second is short takeoff and vertical-landing variant, and the third is a carrier-based variant.” (Wikipedia) The F-35 Lightning II is expected to be fully introduced in 2016.
Not only is the F-35 an awesome feat of engineering, which is interesting to learn about in its own right, I’d like to bring your attention to the overall design process of getting the job done. All engineering students who have lived through such a challenging and demanding experience will surely enjoy watching how Boeing’s team and Lockheed Martin’s team fought it out with design decisions and prototype manufacturing to eventual failure or success.
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