CHICAGO, Feb. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Paul Bevilaqua, chief engineer of Advanced Development Projects at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., has received Design News magazine's Engineer of the Year award, the publication's highest honor.

Design News presented the award this week in Chicago during the National Design Engineering Show.

Bevilaqua played a leading role in creating the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter concept by inventing the shaft-driven lift fan and showing how it could be used to design a family of short-takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) and conventional variants of the same aircraft. The counter-rotating fan, mounted horizontally behind the airplane's cockpit, works automatically with a vectoring rear engine nozzle to produce unprecedented lifting force during short takeoffs, vertical landings and hovers. Rolls-Royce, under contract to Pratt & Whitney, is developing the lift fan for all future STOVL F-35s.

"The lift fan is a revolutionary leap in propulsion technology that will enable aircraft to do what they've never done before -- take off and land vertically, and operate routinely at supersonic speeds," said Tom Burbage, Lockheed Martin executive vice president and general manager of the F-35 JSF program. "It's a transformational technology, and Paul Bevilaqua's contributions to the success of the Lockheed Martin Joint Strike Fighter program cannot be overstated. He very much deserves this recognition."

In August 2001, the lift fan-equipped Lockheed Martin JSF X-35B completed history's first short takeoff, level supersonic dash and vertical landing in a single flight. The feat was repeated a week later. On Oct. 26, 2001, the Lockheed Martin-led JSF team won the competition to develop the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

The F-35 JSF is a stealthy, supersonic multirole fighter designed to replace a wide range of aging fighter and strike aircraft. Three variants -- conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL), carrier vehicle (CV) and STOVL -- each derived from a common design will ensure that the F-35 meets the performance needs of the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy and allied defense forces worldwide, while staying within strict affordability targets.

Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 in conjunction with its principal industrial partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE SYSTEMS. Companies worldwide are participating in the F-35's development. Among the aircraft F-35 will replace are the AV-8B Harrier, A-10, F-16, F/A-18 Hornet and United Kingdom's Harrier GR.7 and Sea Harrier.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., a business area of Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT), is a leader in the design, research and development, systems integration, production and support of advanced military aircraft and related technologies. Its customers include the military services of the United States and allied countries throughout the world. Products include the F-16, F/A-22, F-35 JSF, F-117, C-5, C-130, C-130J, P-3, S-3 and U-2. The company produces major components for the F-2 fighter, and is a co-developer of the C- 27J tactical transport and T-50 advanced jet trainer.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 130,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2003 sales of $31.8 billion.

               For additional information, visit our Web sites:

                         http://www.lmaeronautics.com
Paul Bevilaqua's photo will be available after 6 p.m. central on this Web site

                        http://www.lockheedmartin.com

SOURCE  Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company
    -0-                             02/26/2004
    /CONTACT:  John R. Kent, +1-817-763-3980, or john.r.kent@lmco.com , or
John A. Smith, +1-817-763-4084, or john.a1.smith@lmco.com , both of Lockheed
Martin Aeronautics Company/
    /Company News On-Call:  http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/117281.html /
    /Web site:  http://www.lmaeronautics.com
                http://www.lockheedmartin.com /
    (LMT)

CO:  Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company; Lockheed Martin Corporation
ST:  Texas, Maryland, Illinois
IN:  ARO AIR PUB MAG
SU:  AWD

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