Posted by Graham Warwick at 1/7/2010 2:23 PM CST From AviationWeek
This just in - the first F-35B, aircraft BF-1, engaged its STOVL lift system in flight for the first time today (Jan. 7) during a test sortie from Pax River.
Lead STOVL pilot Graham Tomlinson engaged the shaft-driven lift fan at 5,000ft and 210kt, slowed to 180kt, then accelerated back to 210kt and converted back to conventional-flight mode.
The lift system was engaged for 14 minutes of the 48-min flight.
Plans call for the aircraft to fly progressively slower and lower on subsequent flights to build up confidence for the first vertical landing.