Just curious: what did they do between the JSF contest where Lockheed had a flying demo to now where nothing flies? Did one of the partners request something that required a complete re-design of the frame or something?
The Technical Demonstrators that the competition was flown with were just that, demonstrators. Basically they took a bunch of off-the-shelf parts and built a “one-off” aircraft (they actually built 3 of each). The aircraft that flew then were never meant for long-term usage, high-stress enviornments, new electronics, etc.
That is what has been going on since. The development of the real production aircraft. Tons of engineers working on everything from the state-of-the-art most power single jet-engine ever made, to the touch-screen cockpit, to all the framing inside the aircraft, hydraulic systems and sub systems, to the manufacturing people working on custom made 7-axis CNC drills to drill the one-piece top wing skin (The machine is the size of a 2-3 story house).
I’ve been working on the lighting system of the aircraft since I graduated college back in '03. You would think lights, yea, so… but it’s a 1394 Firewire controlled system, interfacing to all LED based lights, and a 200W HID Landing light (Your car headlights are 35W or 50W HID; I can light things on fire with my 200W HID if you’re close enough 
:pimp:) At the company I work for we have ~a dozen or so engineers working full time on this system.
It takes a long time to develop all the system for an aircraft like this one. The amount of electronics inside the JSF is amazing; I believe there are 3 1394 firewire main busses plus redundant ones for critical systems.
The big issue right now with the aircraft is the canopy; they can’t do first flight until they figure out the EES (Emergecy Egress System) for the pilot. Right now at low speed and high speed the canopy removal system works fine; at middle speeds it kills the pilot though…
Having spent time on an aircraft carrier, I can appreciate the importance of “lights” 
A buddy of mine works for the company producing the radiators (or is it intercoolers) for the F-22.
And it makes sense that they can’t fly until they get the safety issues like ejection dialed in. I knew that they did some revamping after most demos, but I had no idea they practically scrap it and build a new plane from the ground up. I guess they can integrate the technology from the demo better if they re-design.
Yup. Infact most of the JSF tech demo aircraft was made from F-16 parts, I know the flight computer was from the F-16 as well as the cockpit. The F-22 was the same way, that aircraft actually had some pretty serious size changes to both the main body and control surfaces.
I love the vectoing steering thing or w/e its called on the F-22. That thing is totaly badass.
Just out of curiousity, but are there even that many sub-sonic planes used in combat zones nowadays asides from the A-10, and A-6?
C-130
The A6 is no longer used either…a varient still is though…
the P3 Orion, A-10, B2, AC-130, EA-6B (Electronic warefare only), I’m not counting cargo-only planes.
E2-hawkeye
I remember seeing these on the flight line when my father was a Line Chief. It was cool to be able to walk up to them (what with being a kid and all they didnt care) and touch them, sit in them (not the f117a but others), etc… I feel lucky being able to be soo close too soo many cool planes as a kid.