Magellan touts work on F-35 horizontal tail assemblies

TORONTO, Oct. 17 (UPI) -- The first complete ship set of horizontal tail assemblies from Magellan Aerospace has been installed on an F-35 Lightning II aircraft by Lockheed Martin.

Magellan, a Canadian company, said the installation at Lockheed's final assembly line in Texas, was a "key program milestone for the corporation.

Magellan is under contract with BAE Systems, a principal member of the Lockheed Martin-led F-35 industry team, to produce horizontal tail assemblies for the conventional takeoff and landing variant of F-35.

"The reports we have received from Lockheed and BAE indicate that the product we delivered to the assembly line was installed without complication," said James Butyniec, president and chief executive officer of Magellan Aerospace. "We are pleased to see another of our F-35 assemblies preparing to take flight for the first time."

Magellan said it expects to produce about 1,000 horizontal tail assemblies for the F-35 over the next 20 years. Other components produced for the F-35 program include vane box assemblies and transition ducts for the F-35B short takeoff and landing variant.