Lockheed Martin has ground-tested a Pratt & Whitney low-observable axisymmetric nozzle (LOAN) on an F-16 and is planning flight tests. The LOAN, developed for the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme office, features shaping, cooling and coatings to reduce radar and infra-red signature. Improved cooling also promises to more than double the life of the nozzle's divergent flaps. The nozzle has also been tested on P&W's FX650 Joint Technology Demonstrator Engine. Lockheed Martin plans to use a low-observable axisymmetric nozzle on its JSF design.
Source: Flight International
