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eers at the Arnold Engineering and Development Center in Tennessee have completed wind tunnel testing for all three variants of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. AEDC project manager 1st Lt. Ezra Caplan says the $50 million test process covered five years and more than 8,600 hours in the wind tunnel. The test results go into an aerodynamic database compiled by prime contractor Lockheed Martin and help reduce production time and cost.
The Air Force has embraced new technical approaches like open mission systems and rapid software updates for cutting-edge aircraft like the B-21 and Collaborative Combat Aircraft. Increasingly, though, the service is also working to apply these to its older, “legacy” aircraft, officials said this week.