Rolls-Royce has completed two key milestone deliveries for the F-35 Lightning II program, as production matures for the LiftSystem™, the on...
Rolls-Royce has completed two key milestone deliveries for the F-35 Lightning II program, as production matures for the LiftSystem™, the only technology in the world capable of providing vertical-lift for 5th-generation fighter aircraft.
Rolls-Royce recently delivered the 50th 3-Bearing Swivel Module (3BSM) and 40th LiftFan™ for F-35B aircraft manufactured by Lockheed Martin, and is on schedule for LiftSystem deliveries.
Additionally, field support from Rolls-Royce for the F-35B’s LiftSystem has expanded, with technical representatives now providing services at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona; Eglin Air Force Base, Florida; Edwards Air Force Base, California; Fort Worth, Texas; and Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.
Rolls-Royce is also supporting the US Marine Corps in preparation for upcoming sea trials with the F-35B aircraft, as well as the process moving toward Initial Operational Capability in 2015.
TheRolls-Royce LiftSystem® comprises the Rolls-Royce LiftFan®, Driveshaft, 3 Bearing Swivel Module (3BSM) and Roll Posts.
The unique 3BSM is a swivelling exhaust capable of redirecting the rear thrust from the horizontal to the vertical position, tilting downward 95 degrees in only 2.5 seconds. The LiftFan, a 50-inch two-stage, counter-rotating, blisked fan installed just behind the cockpit of the F-35B, providing 20,000 lbs. of downward thrust. The 3BSM and LiftFan are connected to the powerful F135 engine from Pratt & Whitney.
Aircraft roll control is achieved using the Roll Posts mounted in the wings of the aircraft, which provide a further 1,950lbf of thrust each.
Lockheed Martin has delivered 26 F-35Bs and the fleet has surpassed 3,000 flight hours, with approximately 750 short takeoffs and more than 400 vertical landings using the Rolls-Royce LiftSystem®.
In May 2013, an F-35B test aircraft completed the first vertical takeoff in programme history.
Lockheed Martin developed the idea for a Short Take-Off Vertical Landing (STOVL) lift system that uses a vertically oriented Shaft Driven Lift Fan (SDLF). A two-stage low-pressure turbine on the engine provides the horsepower necessary to power the Rolls-Royce designed LiftFan. The LiftFan generates a column of cool air that provides nearly 20,000 pounds of lifting power using variable inlet guide vanes to modulate the airflow, along with an equivalent amount of thrust from the downward vectored rear exhaust to lift the aircraft. The LiftFan utilizes a clutch that engages the shaft drive system for STOVL operations. Because the Liftfan extracts power from the engine, exhaust temperatures are reduced by about 200 degrees compared to traditional STOVL systems.
The LiftFan, a patented Lockheed Martin concept, was developed and produced by Rolls-Royce Corp. in Indianapolis, Indiana and in Bristol, England.
