Tue, Oct 05, 2010
Fuel Pump Software, Inlet Door Hinges Questioned. Flights
Resume Tuesday
The Pentagon late last week suspended flight testing of all
variants of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter after
problems were discovered with software that controls the airplane's
three fuel boost pumps. An additional issue was discovered with the
auxiliary inlet door hinge during a post-flight inspection of the
BF-1 STOVL aircraft, and short takeoff/vertical landing mode
testing has also been prohibited while that problem is
addressed.
File Photo
The aux inlet doors are just aft of the lift fan and open to
allow additional air to enter the engine during STOVL operations
such as hover and slow flight.
The Air Force Times reports that the software problem
affects the fuel pumps in all three models of the JSF was
discovered during lab testing. Pentagon spokesperson Cheryl Irwin
said that the problem "could have possibly triggered a shutdown on
the three boost pumps, which could potentially cause an engine
stall.” While she said a simultaneous shutdown of all three
pumps would be very unlikely, “prudence dictated a suspension
of operations, temporarily, until the fuel boost pump signal timing
was corrected.”
STOVL F-35
Lockheed Martin spokesperson John Kent said that flight testing
was set to resume Tuesday after updated software was delivered and
installed over the weekend, but that STOVL testing would not resume
until the root cause of the hinge issue has been identified.
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