How The F-35’s Cooling System Solves A Problem That Grounded Its Predecessor For Years

Heat management is one of the great challenges of modern fighter jet engineering. Reducing the Infrared signature from the heat exhaust is one of the key aspects of modern stealth aircraft design, on par with reducing the radar cross-section. STOVL aircraft, like the AV-8B Harrier II and F-35 have forced navies to protect their decks from hot vertical exhausts. Meanwhile, the hot exhaust from the F-35C required the Navy to retrofit the decks of its ships.