A $100 million plane pulls up in front of you, ready for the final stage of assembly. When you're done, the jet will leave the factory floor for a life of cruising at more than 1,000 mph and dodge enemy missiles. So you'd better build it right.
Until recently, Lockheed Martin needed a team of technicians with years of training to wrench on its sophisticated machines. But now, in the advanced factory where the company is building the F-35, engineers are using augmented reality glasses and educational software that provide real-time visuals during the plane's assembly, ensuring that every part on the warplane is in the right place.