XB-35B Joint Strike Fighter

Be Sure To Visit My Aircraft and Aviation Video Store

In partnership Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and BAE SYSTEMS will produce an initial 22 aircraft in the program's $25 billion System Design and Development (SDD). The entire program is valued at approximately $200 billion. Plans call for more than 3,000 aircraft over the life of the program. The Joint Strike Fighter is designed to replace the A-10, the AV-8 Harrier, F-16 and the F-18.

Crew: One

Weapons:
The X-35 JSF has two fuselage weapons bays for the carriage of two 450 kg (1,000 lb) bombs and two AIM-120 AMRAAMS. Enlarged bays will carry two 900 kg (2,000 lb) bombs and AMRAAMs. External hardpoints are provided for non-stealthy missions.

Dimensions:
Length: 15.5 m (50.85 ft)
Span: 10.0 m (32.8 ft) -- the wing folds if necessary to 9.1 m (29.86 ft)
Wing area: 41.8 sq m (450 sq ft) or 50.2 sq m (540 sq ft) for carrier version.

Weights:
No details available.

Performance:
Max. speed: around Mach 1.5
Radius of action: around 1500 km (810 nm) for US Navy version.

Customers: Two demonstrators will be built under Pentagon contract. According to the latest Quadrennial Defence Review, potential customer needs are:
US Air Force: 1763
US Marine Corps: 609 (STOVL)
US Navy: 480 (carrier capable version)
Royal Navy (UK): 60 (STOVL)

Costs:
718.8 million dollar contract awarded 16. November 1996 for 51 month concept demonstration phase. Target unit flyaway costs are 31-38 million dollars for the carrier version, 30-35 million for the STOVL-variant and 28 million for the conventional JSF without additional lift system.

The engine specifically designed for all Joint Strike Fighter variants is the JSF119-611, which is derived from the same afterburning turbofan powerplant developed for the F-22 Raptor. The U.S. Marine Corps, and the U.K. Royal Air Force and Royal Navy aircraft will couple the JSF119-611 with a shaft-driven lift fan system to achieve short takeoff vertical landing (STOVL) propulsion.

Two engine manufacturers supply the major engine components:
Turbofan power plant by Pratt & Whitney
Shaft-driven lift fan by Rolls-Royce
Three-bearing swivel-duct nozzle by Rolls-Royce Defence, United Kingdom
Off-take ducts and roll post nozzles by Rolls-Royce

Thrust:
155 kN (34,845lb) maximum. For short take-offs and vertical landings, a clutch is engaged to drive a vertical lift fan via a shaft from the front of the engine, which also carries a "three-bearing" rotating nozzle. The lift fan, developed by Allison, will have 82 kN (18,500lb) of thrust.

Back to Top of Page