F-35C

For the first time on March 17, 2010 the F-35B Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant completed a full mid-air hover following a take off of less than 500 ft. The test came at the Naval Air Station in Patuxent River. This is a major step for the Marines on the path toward replacing their aging Harrier fleet. The Harrier is a true “jump jet.” The Harrier’s ability to take off and land vertically means that it can be stationed where there is no conventional airstrip that other fighters require. This way, it can be deployed anywhere and is designed to take on multiple types of mission objectives, much the same as the marines it services. However, the current crop of Harriers have been in service for forty years and are notoriously hard to fly with great coordination required to operate the vertical flight systems. The British and Americans hope the F-35B will offer all the versatility while being simpler to operate and maintain. The JSF will for the first time bring a stealth strike capability anywhere ground forces may need it. Like the Harrier, the JSF will be able to fly out of makeshift runways under 500 feet as well as take off from the limited space of British Invincible class carriers and French Mistral class carriers that currently operate Harriers. The United States does not operate light aircraft carriers like many European Navies, but the takeoff/landing capabilities of the Marine’s JSF will reduce traffic on the super carriers allowing for more takeoffs and landings at a time. The successful completion of the March 17 test gives hope to all the nations invested in the JSF program that a revolution in the worlds air power will come with the advent of a stealth fighter that can take off in a limited area, fly supersonic, and land vertically.

Short Takeoff…

Vertical Hover…

The first testing of the F-35B STOVL variant’s vertical lifting system was stationary engagement with the landing gear affixed to a special harness. The “Hover Pit” tests involved going through the entire process of an actual vertical landing but while still on the ground in case of a malfunction. The first hover pit testing of the Lockheed Martin model JSF came in March of 2001, while still in competition with Boeing’s X-32. The test was a success, defeating critics who questioned the strength of the lift fan. Lockheed in partnership with Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems would make over 100 more Hover Pit tests before the first flight of short take off (<500 ft.), supersonic flight, and completely vertical landing late that summer. This overwhelmingly great performance at that point in the testing phase along with the success of the other Lockheed variants would go on to win the JSF competition, announced on October 26, 2001. Since then, the production model has had to repeat the testing and has produced more than enough thrust to complete a safe vertical landing in tests at Lockheed’s Ft. Worth facility. Hover Pit testing was heaviest in 2009 leading to the first in-flight engagement of the vertical landing systems in the first week of 2010 with the first vertical landing on March 18.