Boeing

Boeing has built an actuator test rig -- a full-scale simulator of the hydraulic and actuation systems for its Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) X-32 concept demonstrator aircraft -- at its JSF headquarters in Seattle. All of the hydraulic and actuation components are configured as they will be in the X-32, with identical tube lengths, diameters, bends and branch locations. This ensures hydraulic-actuation dynamics are identical to what will be observed on the X-32. Boeing is using its actuator test rig, which was built by Boeing Commercial Airplane Group, to integrate and test the JSF vehicle management system (VMS) throughout the flight envelope.