Originally posted by Zaphod58
Sorry, I can't give out my sources.

"FTE 6 was next in line. A single LP turbine blade responded to the vibration and broke," says Bill Gostic, F135 programme vice-president. "That was the intent [of the proof test]. We fully expected to find blades that cracked, but believed we could identify them before they broke. That was the surprise."

To replace the damaged STOVL engine, P&W planned to begin proof testing FTE 2 on 8 February, but the incident will delay the start of propulsion system testing on BF-1 at Lockheed. "The extent of any delay is still to be decided," says Gostic.

P&W thinks the problem is restricted to STOVL F135s, because the LP turbine works harder when powering the shaft-driven lift fan. Although the F135 is derived from the F119 engine powering the Lockheed F-22, the third LP turbine stage was added to power the lift fan.

P&W is redesigning the third-stage LP turbine vane, but plans to proof test all ground- and flight-test F135s. Gostic expects the improved design to be implemented beginning with the second low-rate initial production batch of STOVL engines.

England "lost a succession struggle" at Lockheed, Thompson wrote, and "now wants to kill his creation". England's "creation" apparently means the F-22, which he is indeed trying to kill to secure the future of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

I know what you're asking: Both aircraft of course are built by Lockheed, so why would England's industry past alone presuppose him to favor one or the other? Could Thompson's mercurial hint about a past "succession struggle" at Lockheed have played a part in England's current Raptor antipathy?

One of the jobs up for grabs in the spring of May 8, 1995 was president of the restructured Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth-based aeronautics division. The position was left vacant after the previous occupant, Kenneth Cannestra, decided to "retire" early in the wake of a bribery scandal in Egypt. The article says:

There was a struggle for Cannestra's powerful Lockheed Martin position, and the winner was James A. 'Mickey' Blackwell Jr., formerly head of Lockheed's Georgia-based military aircraft division. Blackwell's elevation prompted England, one of the other competitors for the job, to leave, company officials said.

Lockheed’s first conventional take-off and landing F-35A has meanwhile now completed 32 test flights, with recent work having focused on expanding AA-1’s flight envelope following its return to flight late last year. “The aircraft continues to retire risk, and is setting unprecedented marks for reliability,” says Standridge. Lockheed expects to commence inflight refuelling trials with the aircraft in the near future, he adds.

The important fuel checks of the design and build of the aircraft was led by BAE Systems and involved constant testing, 24 hours a day for 13 days, which checked the calibration of the aircraft’s fuel gauging systems. Testing took place at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth plant in Texas where the first STOVL aircraft, BF-1, is currently undergoing a series of tests in preparation of first flight later this year.

Following the fuel testing the aircraft is undergoing structural coupling and ground vibration testing, as well as completing hydraulic testing of the doors and landing gear.