Engine Offered As Second Option For F-35 Lightning II
The GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team told attendees this week
in Farnborough it recently completed Short Take Off, Vertical
Landing (STOVL) testing on an F136 engine at GE testing facility at
Peebles, OH. The team is developing the F136 as an alternative
powerplant for all variants of the F-35 Lightning II aircraft for
the US military and eight partner nations.
Officials say all test objectives were reached as planned in the
Peebles testing as the engine was configured in a variety of modes,
leading to STOVL testing with common hardware systems for the F-35.
Testing also included the advanced controls architecture, which was
demonstrated successfully in closed-loop mode operation. This
important milestone was reached with the controls system developed
under the Fighter Engine Team’s ongoing System Development
and Demonstration (SDD) contract.
The Fighter Engine Team’s recent tests were conducted with
F136 engines originally produced during the pre-SDD contract. Since
then, the powerplants have been updated with new fan, augmentor and
controls technology designed during the SDD process.
"These successful tests demonstrate the continued dedication of
the Fighter Engine Team to meet its deadlines and stay within
budget, while we press forward to deliver our
production-configuration engine in a matter of months. Our Peebles
test site is unique and allowed the F136 test engine to be put
through its paces in all F-35 configurations," said Jean
Lydon-Rodgers, President of the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine
Team.
"The F136 was designed and developed from the beginning to meet
the robust requirements for STOVL variants of the F-35 Lightning
II. We successfully demonstrated our advanced technology during
these recent tests. The design will also allow affordable growth in
future, as well as lower maintenance costs," said Mark Rhodes,
Senior Vice President of the Fighter Engine Team.
The first full SDD engine is scheduled to begin testing in early
2009, with first flight in the F-35 to follow in 2010.
The pre-SDD engines have totaled more than 700 hours of test
time, contributing significantly to risk reduction in the program.
The testing has included multiple simulated flying conditions, at
high-altitude and sea-level, with full afterburner and STOVL
operations.
GE - Aviation is developing the core compressor and coupled
high-pressure/low-pressure turbine system components, controls and
accessories, and the augmentor. Rolls-Royce is responsible for the
front fan, combustor, stages 2 and 3 of the low-pressure turbine,
and gearboxes. International participant countries are also
contributing to the F136 through involvement in engine development
and component manufacturing.
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