Boeing Begins JSF Avionics Testing Aboard 737 Testbed

Boeing (Seattle, WA) last week began a five-month Joint Strike Fighter avionics test program with the first flight of its Avionics Flying Laboratory (AFL), a modified Boeing 737-200.

During the first flight, engineers tested the core avionics processor, sensors and mission software. Key components to be tested on future flights include radio frequency and electro-optical sensors and a prototype core processor, which runs the mission-system software.

The AFL is instrumented for developing and assessing avionics-system performance. The most visible modification is a four-foot extension to the nose that houses a developmental radar and other sensors. A representative JSF cockpit has been installed in the airplane's cabin. The AFL carries a crew of avionics engineers, who monitor test data, fix problems and direct testing to take advantage of emerging results.

Boeing is competing with Lockheed Martin (Bethesda, MD) to build the JSF for the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps.

Edited by David Robb