Is F-35 VTOL or Stovl?

The aircraft has three main variants: the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) F-35A, the short take-off and vertical-landing (STOVL) F-35B, and the carrier-based (CV/CATOBAR) F-35C.

Does the F-35 have vectored thrust?

The F-35 redefines the multirole fighter. The only features that the F-35 lacks is thrust vectoring (although the F-35B has a shaft-driven lift fan in fact is used only to make the aircraft STOVL operation possible).

Is the F35 a Harrier?

As of June 2015, the STOVL variant of the F-35 Lightning II (formerly the Joint Strike Fighter), designated the F-35B, is intended to replace the AV-8B Harrier II in service with the US Marine Corps while the RAF and Royal Navy are scheduled to introduce the F-35B in 2016 with their first F35 unit, 617 Squadron.

Can a Harrier jet hover?

The Harrier can also hover like a helicopter, fly sideways, go backward, and even stop and turn in midair. It can do all this because its exhaust nozzles, where exhaust gases come out, can swivel to change the direction of thrust from the Harrier’s jet engine.

Is the F-35B VTOL?

The F-35B Lightning II is the Marine Corps variant of the Joint Strike Fighter and features a vertical lift fan and pivoting engine nozzle to deliver vertical landing and short takeoff capability to expeditionary airfields.

How long can F 35B hover?

The F-35B could, in theory, hover for 12–14 min — the limit being turbine temperature. However, in the hover it is generating 40,000 lb of dry thrust & can only carry ~ 7,000 lb of fuel — which would likely be the primary time-limiting factor.

Can the F-35 VIFF?

No, the F-35 cannot VIFF. Viffing was a theoretical Harrier thing & was practiced to some degree in training flights, but in the real-world fight-to-the-death combats in the South Atlantic, it was never used.

Can the F-35 really be used for ‘dogfighting’?

“The F-35’s technology is designed to engage, shoot and kill its enemy from long distances, not necessarily in visual ‘dogfighting’ situations.” Sounds familiar. The Air Force’s faith in long-range aerial warfare proved disastrous in Vietnam.

Is the F-35B as good as the Sea Harrier?

This is sometimes extended into the conclusion that as the F-35B can’t VIFF it’s not as good as the Harrier, presumably because that means it wouldn’t have been able to win the Falklands Conflict. The problem with this line of thinking is that just because the Sea Harrier could do something, it doesn’t mean it did.

Is the F-35 capable of VTOL?

As for the F-35, no, it is incapable of VIFF’ing. While the Harrier used solely thrust vectoring from side nozzles to achieve its VTOL capability, the F-35B has a second engine to shoot thrust downward. This also requires opening a giant intake on the top of the plane and is not possible during maneuvering flight.