Defying Gravity and the Odds: The Unlikely Story of the Boeing X-32B Joint Strike Fighter, 15 Sep 2009
Early on the morning of June 24th, 2001, test pilot Dennis O’Donoghue guided the Boeing X-32B to the approach end of runway 32 at the Naval Air Warfare Center at Patuxent River, Maryland, slowly decelerating from wing-borne flight and coming to a hover 200 feet above the runway surface. It was a momentous event. Not only had the X-32B become the first fighter aircraft since the Harrier to demonstrate hovering flight, the event also marked the successful culmination of an unlikely journey for the Boeing JSF team.

The story of the development of the X-32B is one of repeated failures, numerous setbacks, and seemingly insurmountable challenges. Success was often in doubt. Many experts across the industry gave the team virtually no chance of pulling it off. But the story of the X-32B is also a story of relentless perseverance, ingenuity, innovation and a little bit of good luck.

Join Dennis O’Donoghue as he describes the quest to build the first supersonic, short takeoff & vertical landing, stealth fighter. Dennis will describe some of the most daunting engineering challenges faced by the team and share what it was like to fly one of most complex and sophisticated experimental air vehicles ever developed.