F-35B at Edward's Airforce Base Pentagon has temporarily grounded the Lockheed Martin F-35B short take-off/vertical landing (STOVL...
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| F-35B at Edward's Airforce Base |
Pentagon has temporarily grounded the Lockheed Martin F-35B short take-off/vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the stealth fighter after a failure of fueldraulic line in the aircraft's propulsion system.
The fueldraulic line, which uses fuel instead of hydraulic fluids to save weight, powers the actuators for the F-35B's STOVL exhaust vectoring system.
The fueldraulic line failed prior to takeoff, and the pilot aborted the takeoff without incident and cleared the runway, the program office said in a statement.
Matthew Bates, spokesman for Pratt & Whitney, which builds the F135 engines for the singe-engined stealth fighter jet, said an initial inspection discovered a detached propulsion line in the rear part of the engine compartment.
The fueldraulic line is not used in the F-35A or F-35C models, which are still permitted to fly.
“A team of Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce engineers is investigating the cause of the incident and working closely with Lockheed Martin and the F-35 Joint Program Office to resolve the matter,” Bates said in a statement provided to Reuters.
