F135 undergoes first F-35B STOVL-mode test
Pratt & Whitney’s F135 short-takeoff/vertical-landing (STOVL) propulsion system powered the first F-35B Lightning II’s STOVL-mode ground test at Lockheed Martin’s STOVL Operations Test Facility in Fort Worth, Texas. Completion of the ground test demonstrates the aircraft’s ability to convert between horizontal and vertical flight.
The test objectives included functional checks of the propulsion and flight control software, the lift fan upper and lower doors, the auxiliary inlet doors, and the thrust vectoring three bearing swivel duct and nozzle. Idle power conversions from horizontal to vertical flight were conducted in a sequence of steps to verify standard system operation prior to a fully automated conversion.
The highly integrated STOVL aircraft is driven by mission-control software directed by a pilot. This STOVL test provides confidence that the F135 propulsion system, flight controls, and airframe systems work together, allowing the jet to transition smoothly between horizontal and vertical power modes.
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