F-35B Lightning II
The Lightning with a lift fan behind the cockpit: short takeoff, vertical landing, no runway.
- STOVL lift fan
- Rotating rear nozzle
- No internal gun
- Reduced fuel
Specification
- Origin
- United States
- Manufacturer
- Lockheed Martin
- Role
- Stealth multirole
- Generation
- 5
- Introduced
- 2015
- Combat type
- Air
- Spawn code
- f35b1
On the server
The F-35B is the short takeoff and vertical landing version, cleared for US Marine Corps service in 2015 and flown from small carriers and assault ships. Behind the cockpit sits a shaft driven lift fan that opens upward through the spine and blows cold air downward, while the main engine nozzle swivels to point at the ground. The mechanism costs internal volume, so the B carries less fuel than the A and has no built in gun. On MCS the B model trades range for basing freedom. It can operate from any flat surface, recover onto a road or a ship deck, and reposition to places the other Lightnings cannot reach. In the air the extra weight and reduced fuel are noticeable and it is the least agile of the three variants. Recommended for players who need stealth capability without a friendly runway nearby.