Rolls-Royce LiftSystem
| LiftSystem | |
|---|---|
 |
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| The Rolls-Royce LiftSystem coupled to an F135 turbofan at the Paris Air Show in 2007 | |
| Type | STOVL Lift system |
| Manufacturer | Rolls-Royce plc |
| Major applications | F-35 Lightning II |
The Rolls-Royce LiftSystem, together with the F135 engine, is an aircraft propulsion system designed for use in the STOVL variant of the F-35 Lightning II. The complete system, known as the Integrated Lift Fan Propulsion System (ILFPS), was awarded the Collier Trophy in 2001.
The F-35B STOVL variant of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft is intended to replace the vertical flight Harrier, which was the world's first operational short-takeoff / vertical-landing fighter. A requirement of the JSF is that it can attain supersonic flight, and a suitable vertical lift system that would not compromise this capability was needed for the STOVL variant. The solution came in the form of the Rolls-Royce LiftSystem, developed through a $1.3 billion System Development and Demonstration (SDD) contract from Pratt & Whitney. This requirement was met on 20 July 2001.
Instead of using lift engines or rotating nozzles on the engine fan like the Harrier, the "LiftSystem" has a shaft-driven LiftFan, designed by Lockheed Martin and developed by Rolls-Royce, and a thrust vectoring nozzle for the engine exhaust that provides lift and can also withstand the use of afterburners in conventional flight to achieve supersonic speeds. The system has more similarities to the Russian Yakovlev Yak-141 and German EWR VJ 101D/E than the preceding generation of STOVL designs to which the Harrier belongs.
The team responsible for developing the propulsion system includes Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce, under the leadership of the United States Department of Defense Joint Strike Fighter Program Office. Paul Bevilaqua, Chief Engineer of Lockheed Martin Advanced Development Projects (Skunk Works), invented the lift fan propulsion system. The concept of a shaft-driven lift-fan dates back to the mid-1950s. The lift fan was demonstrated by the Allison Engine Company in 1995-97.
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