On October 26, 2001, the Pentagon made a historic decision, selecting Lockheed Martin’s Joint Strike Fighter over Boeing’s proposal. This announcement came just a day before Aviation Week & Space Technology typically went to press, presenting a unique challenge for the magazine’s editors.
Senior Pentagon Editor Robert Wall proposed an unusual but necessary solution: delay the magazine’s printing by a day. This required significant coordination across multiple work sites in several states, but the effort was deemed essential to deliver timely news and analysis to readers.
To prepare for any outcome, the Art Department designed alternate covers. One featured Boeing’s aircraft, while the other showcased Lockheed Martin’s X-35B landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California, captured in a multiple-exposure photo by Eric Schulzinger and Denny Lombard. The magazine also had a backup cover ready, highlighting a C-17 humanitarian aid flight over Afghanistan, written by Senior Military Editor David A. Fulghum.
The full issue, dated October 29, 2001, is available in the Aviation Week Archive, which offers over 100 years of content. Subscribers have access to every issue, page, and article ever published, including both current and archived material.