The F-35 is expected to withstand the most formidable of weather extremes over its service lifetime. Validating this capability with three unique F-35 variants, most notably the Short Takeoff Vertical Landing (STOVL) version, was expected to be extremely challenging. The F-35 program was required to create a test environment where a pilot could essentially 'hover' an F-35 indoors, operating at maximum power through extreme weather conditions. To do this, the test team had to stretch ingenuity and imagination to develop never before seen structures and test procedures. The result was a one-of-a-kind test program, housed inside the McKinley Climatic Laboratory (MCL) at Eglin Air Force Base, Niceville, Florida, to prove the F-35 could operate in those climates.
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