The Boeing Joint Strike Fighter X-32B aircraft today met another major milestone when it completed the program's first vertical landing(s) following transition from conventional to short takeoff and vertical landing flight. With the two landings at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., accomplished on the aircraft's 49th and 51st flights, Boeing now has completed more than 70 percent of the X-32B's flight-test requirements since the aircraft's first flight in March. Boeing lead STOVL test pilot Dennis O'Donoghue said, "The plane responded exactly as I expected. Transition to STOVL flight was smooth, and flying qualities, hover and vertical-landing performance mirrored our predictions." The X-32B will complete its flight testing in July.

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