Rolls-Royce, Rolls-Royce has delivered the first propulsion system flight hardware to Pratt & Whitney on schedule for the first Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) F-35B development aircraft.
The Variable Area Vane Box Nozzle (VAVBN), developed specifically for the short take-off vertical landing (STOVL) variant of JSF, is now ready to be shipped to JSF partner Northrop Grumman for integration into the aircraft. Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems are the principal industrial partners developing the F-35 with Lockheed Martin.
Rolls-Royce is developing the VAVBN as part of the Rolls-Royce LiftSystem under a contract awarded by Pratt & Whitney for its F135 System Development and Demonstration (SDD) programme. The Rolls-Royce LiftSystem consists of the Rolls-Royce LiftFan, the 3 Bearing Swivel Module (3BSM), and the roll posts.
Engineers have had to overcome some exceptional technical challenges developing the VAVBN. The nozzle, which has both thrust vectoring and area control capability, forms an integral part of the aircraft main keels, and operates as a primary flight control during jet-borne operations. It is the first hardware in the aircraft assembly sequence and, once installed, is never removed throughout the service life (typically 8,000 flight hours or 30 years).
Rolls-Royce employees in Bristol, England, and Indianapolis, Indiana, jointly developed the VAVBN: Indianapolis was responsible for leadership of the nozzle design/development and Bristol provided the actuation system and controls support.
At a ceremony at the Rolls-Royce plant in Indianapolis to mark the milestone, Chris Cholerton, JSF STOVL Programme Director for Rolls-Royce commented:
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