Airplane Balanced On 41,000 Pounds Of Thrust
A supersonic Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter
rode more than 41,000 pounds of thrust to a vertical landing for
the first time Thursday, confirming its required ability to land in
confined areas both ashore and afloat. "Today's (Thursday's)
vertical landing onto a 95-foot square pad showed that we have the
thrust and the control to maneuver accurately both in free air and
in the descent through ground effect," said F-35 Lead STOVL Pilot
Graham Tomlinson.
Tomlinson performed an 80-knot (93 mph) short takeoff from Naval
Air Station Patuxent River, MD, at 1309 EDT. About 13 minutes into
the flight, he positioned the aircraft 150 feet above the airfield,
where he commanded the F-35 to hover for approximately one minute
then descend to the runway.
"The low workload in the cockpit contrasted sharply with legacy
short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) platforms," said Tomlinson,
a retired Royal Air Force fighter pilot and a BAE Systems employee
since 1986. "Together with the work already completed for
slow-speed handling and landings, this provides a robust platform
to expand the fleet's STOVL capabilities."
Robert J. Stevens, Lockheed Martin chairman and chief executive
officer, said, "Today's (Thursday's) vertical landing of the F-35
BF-1 aircraft was a vivid demonstration of innovative technology
that will serve the global security needs of the U.S. and its
allies for decades to come. I am extremely proud of the F-35 team
for their dedication, service and performance in achieving this
major milestone for the program."
Doug Pearson, Lockheed Martin vice president of F-35 Test and
Verification, said, "The successful first vertical landing today
(Thursday) met our test objectives and demonstrates the F-35B's
capacity to operate from a very small area at sea or on shore - a
unique capability for a supersonic, stealth fighter. This is the
first of many such tests to fully define the short takeoff and
vertical landing (STOVL) characteristics of the world's most
capable 5th generation fighter. We will routinely conduct vertical
landings and short takeoffs to further expand the operational
flight envelope for the F-35B."
The aircraft in Thursday's test, known as BF-1, is one of three
F-35B STOVL jets currently undergoing flight trials at the Patuxent
River test site. It is powered by a single Pratt & Whitney F135
turbofan engine driving a counter-rotating Rolls-Royce LiftFan. The
shaft-driven LiftFan system, which includes a Rolls-Royce
three-bearing swivel duct that vectors engine thrust and under-wing
roll ducts that provide lateral stability, produces more than
41,000 pounds of vertical lift. The F135 is the most powerful
engine ever flown in a fighter aircraft.
The F-35B will replace U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B STOVL fighters
and F/A-18 strike fighters. The United Kingdom's Royal Air Force
and Royal Navy, and the Italian Air Force and Navy will employ the
F-35B as well. With its short takeoff and vertical landing
capability, the F-35B will enable allied forces to conduct
operations from small ships and unprepared fields, enabling
expeditionary operations around the globe.