Lockheed Martin F-35 Lighting

Lockheed Martin F-35 Lighting II (Joint Strike Fighter) Cutway
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F-35B: What Makes it Fly
From Popular Science

Lift Fan
Whereas conventional jet fighters need up to 3,000 feet of runway to take off, the F-35B pilot simply pushes the throttle forward and is airborne in less than 500 feet. A computer controls the lift fan, which pushes cold air down, causing the jet to float up. The air also prevents hot exhaust from entering the lift fan and stalling the engine. As the F-35B approaches 288 mph, the wings produce enough lift to let the fan disengage.

Engine
Behind the jet’s supersonic speed is the Pratt & Whitney F135 turbofan. During liftoff, the rear exhaust nozzle rotates to direct the engine’s thrust downward, while a drive shaft in front of the engine turns the lift fan.

Roll Nozzles
On the underside of each wing, two computer-controlled roll nozzles channel a small amount of thrust from the engine to stabilize the airplane and keep it from rolling out of control.

Stealth
A precisely shaped body deflects enemy radar signals away from the aircraft instead of back toward the source. An internal weapons bay further minimizes the jet’s radar “signature.”