Lockheed Martin's Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) team has tested the clutch for the propulsion system for the short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) version of the X-35 demonstrator at maximum power.
During the trials , the lift fan was engaged with the main propulsion engine running at power settings above typical in-flight conversion (between lift-borne and thrust-borne flight) levels. The lift fan is driven by a drive shaft attached to the X-35's single Pratt &Whitney JSF119-611 engine. Earlier testing ran the fan engagement system at varying engine speeds from idle to 75%, which would be typical for STOVL operations.
The X-35 is competing against Boeing's X-32.
Source: Flight International
