Evendale, Ohio, US -- The GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team has begun testing its first production-configuration F136 engine for the F-35 Lightning II aircraft a month ahead of contract schedule, a major milestone in the development program.
In keeping with previous contractual milestones, the first engine test was completed within budget and on schedule.
The first complete new-build F136 engine began testing January 30, 2009, under the System Development and Demonstration (SDD) contract with the US Government Joint Program Office for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. This represents the first complete engine assembled following US Government validation of the F136 design in 2008.
The F136 program has already totaled more than 800 hours of risk-reduction testing with two earlier engine prototypes, incorporating new-build components.
The F136 engine is a product of the best technology from two world-leading propulsion companies. The GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team has designed the only engine specifically developed for the F-35 aircraft, offering extra temperature margin and affordable growth.
The first runs of the new F136 engine occurred at the GE facility in Evendale, Ohio. Additional engine builds are already under way, with several engines scheduled to be in test by the end of 2009.
"This new F136 engine represents a major achievement for our powerful partnership. We are into the exciting part of the program, as we begin demonstrating what the F136 can do. We've combined the best technologies from GE and Rolls-Royce into an outstanding design that will benefit the military customer over the long run," said Jean Lydon-Rodgers, President of the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team.
"This is our biggest milestone yet. Once again, the F136 team delivered on time and on budget. With a significant temperature margin and affordable growth built into the design, the F136 will offer outstanding value when it becomes available to the first military customer in 2012," said Mark Rhodes, Senior Vice President of the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team.
The first test runs for the new F136 engine top a year of significant achievements for the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team. The program successfully completed Critical Design Review in 2008, as well as completing the first testing at the unique, new Peebles, Ohio, test site, and full afterburner test runs at the US Air Force Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) test facility in Tennessee.
The F136 engine program has a solid history of executing its contract on schedule and within budget. As a result, the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team consistently receives "exceptional" reviews from the JPO for program execution.
The F136 engine is the most advanced fighter aircraft engine ever developed and will be available to power all variants of the F-35 Lightning II aircraft for the US military and eight partner nations.
Editor's notes
GE Aviation, with responsibility for 60 percent of the F136 program, is developing the core compressor and coupled high-pressure/low-pressure turbine system components, controls and accessories, and the augmentor. Rolls-Royce, with 40 percent of the F136 program, 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.
About 900 engineers and technicians are engaged in the F136 program at GE Aviation's Cincinnati, Ohio, headquarters, and at Rolls-Royce facilities in Indianapolis, Indiana; and Bristol, England.
The new Site 7 at the GE test facility represents a multi-million dollar investment by the company in the F136 development program. Additional tests also occurred at GE's Evendale facility, as well as the US Air Force Arnold Engineering Development Center in Tennessee.
The Fighter Engine Team reached another important milestone in 2008 with successful completion of Critical Design Review (CDR), validating the unique design of the engine. The F136 program remains on schedule and within budget and is funded by the US Government for FY 2009. More than 50 percent of the SDD funding for the engine has already been appropriated and the US Government has invested more than $2 Billion in the program.
The SDD phase is scheduled to run through 2013; the first production F136 engines are scheduled to be delivered in 2012 for the F-35 Lightning II aircraft. This occurs during the fourth lot of F-35 aircraft production, which is very early in the overall aircraft production program.
The F-35 is a next-generation, multi-role stealth aircraft designed to replace the AV-8B Harrier, A-10, F-16, F/A-18 Hornet and the United Kingdom's Harrier GR.7 and Sea Harrier, all of which are currently powered by GE or Rolls-Royce making them the engine powers of choice for the U.S. and U.K. militaries. Potential F-35 production for the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Marines and international customers, including the UK Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, may reach as many as 5000 to 6000 aircraft over the next 30 years.