Boeing Begins Major Assembly For F-22 Fighter

SEATTLE, August 16, 1996 -- Boeing has begun major assembly of the aft, or rear, fuselage section for the world's first F-22 air-superiority fighter. The milestone is a significant step toward first flight of the F-22 next year.

"Delivering a top-rate aft fuselage on time is our number-one priority," said Frank Statkus, Boeing F-22 program manager. "This airplane will ensure U.S. control of the skies well into the 21st century, and we're excited to be part of the team making that possible."

The aft fuselage houses the two Pratt & Whitney-built F119 engines that will power the F-22. It carries fuel and supports the wing and tail surfaces. It also contains all or part of the aircraft's environmental control system, and fuel, electrical, hydraulic and engine subsystems.

Boeing began major assembly by loading a 650-pound, all-titanium part called a left-hand forward boom into an assembly fixture, followed three hours later by a rib-shaped component called the center keel subassembly. The right-hand forward boom was loaded three days later.

The forward booms function as load-bearing, fuel-containing attachments between each wing and the fuselage.

Boeing and its boom-welding supplier, Aerojet of Sacramento, Calif., used an advanced process called electron-beam welding to fuse together individual titanium sections to precise tolerances. Taking this approach reduced the need for traditional fasteners by 75 percent, thereby reducing the airplane's weight and improving the assembly process. Because the booms function as fuel bays, the reduction in fasteners also means fewer openings for possible fuel leaks.

The center keel, built entirely of titanium and composites, acts much like the keel of a boat by providing the main element for the plane's structural stiffness.

Together, the forward booms and the center keel form the basic structure for the aft fuselage, which will measure about 19 feet long by 12 feet wide.

By weight, the aft fuselage is 67 percent titanium, 11 percent composites and 22 percent other materials -- aluminum, rubber, steel and plastic, to name a few.

Upon completion this October, Boeing will fly the aft fuselage to Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems in Marietta, Ga. There, it will be joined to the forward and mid-fuselage structures of the F-22 aircraft. Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems is responsible for the forward fuselage and Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems in Fort Worth, Texas, is building the middle fuselage section.

In addition to Aerojet, Boeing's principal subcontractors for the aft fuselage include Chemtronics of El Cajon, Calif. (formed, chemmilled skins), ROHR of Chula Vista, Calif. (titanium honeycomb engine bay doors) and Pratt & Whitney of West Palm Beach, Fla. (titanium nozzle sidewalls).

Production of the first set of wings for the F-22 also is under way at Boeing in Seattle. Delivery is scheduled for September.

Boeing is teamed with Lockheed Martin to design and build the F-22 for the U.S. Air Force under an Engineering & Manufacturing Development contract. Boeing is responsible for a third of the program, including the aft fuselage, wings, radar, 70 percent of the mission software and other significant portions of the avionics, and the life-support, fire-protection and training systems.