The fast pace of the program meant that only essential functions and capabilities were provided and tested. ![]() The demonstrators, for example, used a number of off-the-shelf components to speed design and fabrication. The X-35 demonstrators, by any standard, were much simpler than the F-35 Lightning IIs that will be rolling out of the Lockheed Martin factory in Fort Worth, Texas. Mission X demonstrated the integration of a STOVL lift system into a high-performance fighter. This mission combined a short takeoff, acceleration to supersonic flight, and a vertical landing in a single flight. ![]() The demonstration culminated in the successful completion of “Mission X” on 20 July 2001. It also proved the viability of up-and-away flight. The X-35B proved the viability of the shaft-driven lift fan and the performance available in STOVL. The most important part of the demonstration for the X-35B (the short takeoff/vertical landing, or STOVL, variant shown in the illustrations here) was the integration and operation of the STOVL propulsion system. The X-35 demonstrators, built and flown during the concept development phase of the program in 2000–2001, validated specific propulsion and design features incorporated on today’s F-35 Lightning II. A side-by-side comparison of the X-35 Joint Strike Fighter prototype with the F-35 Lightning II production aircraft underscores the huge strides the JSF program has made transitioning from demonstration to development.
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