The National Aerospace Laboratory NLR of the Netherlands together with the German-Netherlands Windtunnel Foundation DNW have received a special recognition from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics for outstanding design and development contributions to the F-35 Program.
Tom Burbage, Executive Vice President and General Manager F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Programs, commended NLR and DNW contributions, starting with wind tunnel work in the Large Low Speed Facility of DNW in the Netherlands. Second NLR contribution was in the area of Prognostics and Health Management tools for future sustainment and weapons system management of the F-35. And last but not least NLR and Dutch Space are developing Embedded Training as part of distributed mission training capabilities for pilots of the JSF.
NLR General Director Michel Peters received the plaque from Ralph Heath, Executive Vice President of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and from Tom Burbage. Also present was Dan Crawley, who has been leading the F-35 Program together with Burbage.
The placque shows the F-35 Short Take-Off and Landing (STOVL) variant in the LLF wind tunnel as well as the STOVL on its first vertical landing in May, 2010. Test and Verification results for this very innovative variant of the F-35 show excellent conformity with earlier predictions and wind tunnel tests.
NLR and DNW are understandably proud of this award in recognition of their world-class aeronautics capabilities and facilities.
