DT F-35s need a SLEP

The Developmental F-35 aircraft (non-production test) have been pushed so hard in testing that they are to undergo a Service Life Extension. This will provide several advantages to the program, among them, allowing the DT aircraft to undergo concurrency upgrades they were too busy to do at the time.

The aircraft were designed with an 8,000 hour life cycle, and the most flown aircraft is only at about 1200 hours, but they've been pushed hard, right up to the limits of their envelope, which puts much more strain on the aircraft. Lockheed will examine each airframe to study the fatigue process on them, to try to get a better understanding of how the airframe is aging.

www.flightglobal.com...

a reply to: Zaphod58

Cue the anti-F35 crowd in 3.2.1....

a reply to: Zaphod58

I find it more interesting that they are "far behind the planned rate to complete System Development and Demonstration with the remaining time and funding" and are going to "truncate parts of the process".

a reply to: moebius

I have yet to see a development program that doesn't end up behind. Cutting parts of the program is pretty normal for something this complicated.

a reply to: Bfirez

Or may be some one who likes the plane
will show up.