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The X-35 team successfully installed the shaft-driven lift fan in the JSF X-35B in less than three hours, as the short-takeoff/vertical-landing aircraft prepared for hover pit testing.
“The installation was a spectacular success. The lift fan went in very easily,” said Scott Winship, STOVL product manager for the team. A laser-alignment check verified that the fit was essentially perfect. The lift fan installation included the fan, a vectored nozzle, clutch, and all actuation and service systems in an integrated unit. The fan’s precise fit required no adjustments after the installation, a remarkable achievement considering the airframe had undergone rigorous flight testing as the X-35A.
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