Lockheed Unveils First F-35B Lightning II Fighter.

[HAIDER]

Gen. James T. Conway, Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, speaks to a crowd on Dec. 18 at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, Texas, during a rollout ceremony for the first F-35B Lightning II. The F-35B is the short takeoff/vertical landing variant of the supersonic, stealth fighter, and will be used by the Marines, the United Kingdom and Italy. The Marines will be the first service to go operational with F-35s, in 2012.


The Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35B Lightning II, the first fighter to combine stealth with short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) capability and supersonic speed, made its debut today amid customers from the United States Marine Corps, the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, and the Italian Air Force and Navy.

Attendees at the rollout ceremony in Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth assembly plant included Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Conway. “The flexibility that the STOVL variant of the F-35 will add to the contemporary Marine Air Ground Task Force is amazing,” Conway said. “This generational leap in technology will enable us to operate a fleet of fighter/attack aircraft from the decks of ships, existing runways or from unimproved surfaces at austere bases. We find that capability extremely valuable.”

The F-35B, designed to replace Marine Corps AV-8Bs and F/A-18s, is one of three variants of the Lightning II. Its first flight is planned for mid-2008, following a series of extensive ground tests. The F-35A conventional takeoff and landing version began its flight test program in December of 2006. The F-35C, designed for catapult launches and arrested recoveries aboard large U.S. Navy carriers, will make its inaugural flight in 2009.

“Think F/A-18 speed and maneuverability, AV-8B forward deployment, F-22 stealth, and astonishing avionics,” said Dan Crowley, Lockheed Martin executive vice president and F-35 program general manager. “It’s a combination of technologies that may seem like science fiction, but our abundantly-talented international team has made it science fact.”

The heart of the F-35B is a STOVL propulsion system comprising the most powerful engine ever flown in a jet fighter, a shaft-driven counter-rotating lift fan situated behind the cockpit, a roll duct under each wing for lateral stability, and a rear 3-bearing swivel nozzle that vectors engine exhaust in the desired direction.

During vertical or short takeoffs, or vertical landings, doors above and below the lift fan open, and a clutch connecting the lift fan to the engine drive shaft engages. A dorsal auxiliary engine inlet opens to increase airflow to the engine. At the same time, doors beneath the 3-bearing swivel nozzle open and the rear nozzle pivots downward, deflecting engine thrust toward the ground. Roll ducts under each wing also are engaged, keeping the aircraft laterally stable. In this configuration, the F-35B can hover, land vertically, take off in a few hundred feet fully loaded, or take off vertically with a light load. When the aircraft transitions from jet-borne to conventional wing-borne flight, the doors close and the pilot can then accelerate to supersonic speeds. The system is completely automatic.

The Lockheed Martin X-35B successfully demonstrated the shaft-driven lift fan propulsion system in 2001, becoming the only aircraft in history to execute a short takeoff, level supersonic dash and vertical landing in a single flight.

The Pratt & Whitney F135 engine will power the first series of F-35Bs. The F136, an interchangeable engine under development by the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team, will make its first F-35 flight in 2010. Rolls-Royce produces the shaft-driven lift fan, 3-bearing swivel nozzle and roll duct systems.

An additional six development STOVL F-35s are now in production across the worldwide F-35 supply chain. In 2007, long-lead procurement funds for the first six production STOVL aircraft were authorized, with the first Marine Corps training jets planned for a 2011 delivery.

The F-35 Lightning II is a supersonic, multi-role, 5th generation stealth fighter designed to replace a wide range of existing aircraft, including AV-8Bs, A-10s, F-16s, F/A-18 Hornets and United Kingdom GR.7s and Sea Harriers.

Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 with its principal industrial partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. Two separate, interchangeable F-35 engines are under development: the Pratt & Whitney F135 and the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team F136.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2006 sales of $39.6 billion.

F-35 and Lightning II are trademarks of Lockheed Martin Corporation.

FIRST SHORT TAKEOFF/VERTICAL LANDING STEALTH FIGHTER UNVEILED AT LOCKHEED MARTIN

 

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F-35B JSF Carrier Practice take-off & landing

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F-35B

 

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[SpArK]

Pratt & Whitney Delivers First Production F135 Short Take Off Vertical Landing Engine

Stephanie Duvall
Pratt & Whitney Military Engines
+1-860-557-1382
stephanie.duvall@pw.utc.com


EAST HARTFORD, Conn., Dec. 9, 2010 – Pratt & Whitney has delivered the first production F135 Short Take Off/Vertical Landing (STOVL) engine for the F-35 Lightning II, a major milestone and clear demonstration that the F135 STOVL propulsion system has transitioned from development to production. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX) company.

“The F135 engine program accomplishments this year have been historical, and this first production STOVL delivery milestone demonstrates our commitment to fielding the most advanced military jet engine technology to the benefit of the war fighter,” said Bennett Croswell, vice president of F119/F135 Engine Programs for Pratt & Whitney. “We are particularly proud to be producing the most advanced propulsion systems ever built and that they will be used by the United States Marine Corp and our allies.”

The Pratt & Whitney F135 continues its steady progress through development testing and validation, into full production and sustainment. The F135 propulsion system has powered 509 flights and more than 740 flight test hours to date. The F135 has also completed more than 20,000 hours of testing - 3,600 test hours during the concept demonstration phase, 15,800 test hours during development and more than 700 hours powering the F-35 Lightning II flight test program. The Conventional Takeoff and Landing (CTOL) / Carrier Variant (CV) engine received Initial Service Release (ISR) in February 2010 indicating that the engine has met the ISR requirements for safety, reliability, durability and performance, and that it is now cleared for use in the field. Pratt & Whitney has delivered all F135 flight test engines required for the program as well as 11 production engines, which includes the first STOVL F135 delivery. The STOVL F135 engine has completed all required testing and is on track to receive ISR certification before the end of the year.

“With both the CTOL and STOVL variant F135 engines in production and performing well in flight test, it is clear that the F135 has demonstrated and earned its position as the Department of Defense’s propulsion system of choice for the F-35 Lightning II,” Croswell said.

Pratt & Whitney, the only engine manufacturer producing fifth-generation propulsion systems, has designed, developed and tested the F135 to deliver this advanced fighter engine capability to the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy and our allies. The F135 is derived from proven technology of the only operational fifth-generation fighter engine, the Pratt & Whitney F119 that exclusively powers the F-22 with more than 375,000 engine hours. It has been further enhanced with technologies developed in several Air Force and Navy technology demonstration programs.

The F135 propulsion system has proven through extensive ground and flight test experience that it can meet diverse aircraft requirements for armed forces around the world. The Pratt & Whitney F135 engine continues to be the only engine powering the successful Lockheed Martin F-35 flight test program.

Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines. United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and building industries.

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning future business opportunities and operational engine performance. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to changes in funding related to the F-35 aircraft and F135 engines, changes in government procurement priorities and practices or in the number of aircraft to be built; challenges in the design, development, production and support of advanced technologies; as well as other risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those detailed from time to time in United Technologies Corp.'s Securities and Exchange Commission filings.


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