Aircraft
Fuel Line Failure Grounds F-35B Stovl Variant
The F-35B’s Pratt & Whitney F135 turbofan engine and integrated Rolls-Royce LiftSystem are shown in this cutaway drawing. (Photo: Pratt & Whitney)
The F-35B’s Pratt & Whitney F135 turbofan engine and integrated Rolls-Royce LiftSystem are shown in this cutaway drawing. (Photo: Pratt & Whitney)

Flight operations of the F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (Stovl) variant of the Joint Strike Fighter remained suspended this week as U.S. military and contractor engineering teams investigated the cause of an engine fueldraulic line failure in a test aircraft at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The fueldraulic line is part of the fuel-based hydraulic system that controls the actuators of the F-35B’s vectoring exhaust system. The grounding did not affect the F-35A and C models, respectively, the conventional takeoff and carrier variants.