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Aviation History
1997
1997 - 2241.PDF
Maturing nicely DEFENCE From assembly-line simulations to flight tests, Lockheed Martin is making sure it can produce the JSF affordably GRAHAM WARWICK/FORT WORTH RISK WILL be a deciding factor in who wins the competition to develop the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). An unprecedented effort is under way, therefore, funded by government and industry, to reduce the risk attached to technologies judged critical to meeting the affordability and performance goals set for the JSF. In addition to a substantial technology-mat uration (Tech Mat) effort funded by the JSF programme office, the competing Boeing and Lockheed Martin teams plan unique demon strations of technologies critical to their designs - some funded by industry in an additional effort to reduce the risk attached to engineering and manufacturing development (FMD). Examples of risk include problems with air craft weight, aerodynamic loads and radar sig nature which forced costly redesigns during development of the Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22.IftheJSFaffordabilitygoalsaretobemet, redesigns late in development must be avoided. The Tech Mat effort is co-operative, with the competing contractors sharing the results, while the unique demonstrations are tailored to each team's preferred weapon-system concept (PWSC). Results from the Tech Mat pro gramme, unique demonstrations and concept- demonstrator aircraft will feed into refinement of the PWSCs, leading up to submission of the EMD proposals in 2000. Lockheed Martin identified 16 technologies and processes as critical to itsJSF, some of which itwill not reveal for competitive reasons. "What was 'critical'?", says Frank Kirkland, product manager, JSF unique demonstrations and tech nology maturation, at Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems in Fort Worth, Texas. "They had to offer value - they had to be essen tial to affordability and/or vital to functionality - and they had to have high or moderate risk." Each will contribute to reducingJSF life-cycle cost (LCC) by at least $ 1 billion, he says. Lockheed Martin is already planning how to assemble three highly common JSFs on a single line The company developed a risk "waterfall" which outlines how each Tech Mat and unique demonstration, the concept-demonstrator air craft (CDA) and PWSC maturation efforts will contribute to reducing risk in the 16 areas to an acceptably low level by the start of the EMD. For some technologies, it will be the major Tech Mat demonstrations which will provide most of the risk reduction. For others, itwill be building and flying the CD As. The unique demonstra tions have been selected, therefore, to cover technology "deep holes", Kirkland says. ALL ELECTRIC One of the bigger demonstrations planned by Lockheed Martin comes under the Tech Mat banner, and involves the flight testing of an all- electric flight-control system in a modified F-16 - part of the JSF Integrated Subsystem Technology Q/1ST) demonstration pro gramme. Integrated subsystems, including electric actuation, are projected to reduce JSF weight, size and cost by eliminating the hydraulic systems, auxiliary and emergency power-units, environmental-control system and accessory-drive gearboxes now required. Lockheed Martin will modify the existing F-16 Advanced Fighter Technology Integration testbed with fault-tolerant 270V DC electric power-generation and flight-control actuation, replacing the hydraulic system. The J/IST flight test will be the first to involve electric actuation on all axes-previous efforts have been limited to one set of con trol surfaces - and wi 11 focus on the practical aspects of packaging, installing and operating electric actuators. The primary power source will be an engine- driven switched-reluctance starter/generator. This Sundstrand-developed unit acts first as a motor, to start die engine, then as a generator, to drive the actuators, and provides two indepen dent channels of 270V DC electrical power. Five electro-hydrostatic actuators (EHAs) will be installed to drive the flaperons, horizontal tail and rudder. Each Parker Bertea EHA incorporates an electrically driven hydraulic pump which is powered up to move the control surface. The EHAs will be detuned to match the perfor mance of the hydraulic actuators they replace, and issues to be addressed, Lockheed Martin says, include the effect on aircraft handling- qualities, which are intended to be unchanged, and the potential for electro-magnetic interfer ence caused by the rapid switching of "enor mous" currents at the EHAs. Six months of flight testing are planned, beginning in January 1999, involving 60 sorties covering the full F-16 flight-envelope. In a par allel Tech Mat demonstration, Northrop • FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 3 - 9 September 1997 57
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