Wednesday, December 03, 2008

F136

IOC: 2012
Total Program's Cost: USD$2.4 billion

F136 STOVL

Origin
United Kingdom
United States of America

Contractor/s
General Electric
Rolls-Royce

Applications
F-35B Lightning II

Family Members
F136

Description: The F136 STOVL engine is being developed, jointly by Rolls-Royce and Philips Enabling Technology Group (ETG), as one of two propulsion systems for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Two alternative propulsion systems are required to power the F-35 as it was in the case of the highly successful F-16 fighter. General Electric Aircraft Engines owns 60 percent of the F136 program and will develop the core compressor and coupled high-pressure/low-pressure turbine system components, controls and accessories, and the augmentor. Rolls Royce is responsible for the remaining 40 percent and will take care of the front fan, combustor, stages 2 and 3 of the low-pressure turbine, and gearboxes. Other international participant countries will develop and manufacture F136 components.

The F136 engine is a derivative of the F120 which lost the F-22's propulsion contract against the Pratt & Whitney F119 engine. The F136 STOVL will power the US Marine Corps Short Take-off Vertical Landing F-35 variant operating from scarcely prepared runaways close to the battlefield front line.

The testing program for the F136 STOVL engine began in early 2005 (16 Feb. 2005) and was scheduled for completion in May the same year after 300 hours of testing at GE's outdoor facility in Peebles, Ohio. F136 STOVL SDD development and testing will commence in 2006 and will log thousands of testing hours. First full SDD-compliant F136 engine would be available in 2007 with the first production engine scheduled for 2011. The first operational F35 powered by an F136 engine is anticipated in 2012.

On 23 August 2005, the US government awarded General Electric Rolls Royce team a contract valued at $2.4 billion for the F136 engine System Development and Demonstration (SDD). The contract funds will expire in September 2013 and the first F136 would achieve Initial Operational Capability (IOC) powering the F-35 stealth fighter in 2012. F136 engine flight testing on the F-35 was slated to begin in 2010.

As part of fiscal year 2007 budget the Department of Defense conceded the termination of F136 engine development to obtain further cost savings. The United States Department of Defense approved the development of two power plants (F135/F136) for the F-35 aircraft following the experience accumulated during the F-16 program which was also powered by two alternative engines (F100/F110). Actually, current fighter-aircraft engines provide high reliability allowing to avoid the dual engine solution. During the cold war the major concern to proceed with a two alternative power plants approach was the fear to have to ground the entire F-16 fleet due to flaws in the engine's design.

Specifications
Engine/s Performance: Thrust 40,000 lb (18,144 kg)

News
GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team Completes F136 STOVL Testing

F-35B Lightning II STOVL Stealth Fighter Achieves Successful Maiden Flight

US Marine Corps F-35B Stealth STOVL Aircraft Roll-Out

US Government Go Ahead F136 Engine Development

Operators

United States of America

Notes
(*) lead contractor
IOC: Initial Operating Capability
FOC: Full Operating Capability
CEP: Circular Error Probable
Comm: Commissioning Date
Meters (m) Kilometers (km) Nautic Miles (nm) Inch (in) Yard (yd) Foot (ft) Millimeter (mm)
Pound (lb) Kilogram (kg) kN (KiloNewton) Ton (t)
Meters per Second (mps) Kilometers per Hour (kph) Knot (kt) Miles per Hour (mph)
Liter (l) Galon (gl)
Year (yr) Minutes (min) Second (sec)
Shaft-Horse-Power (shp)

Last Updated: Saturday, November 22, 2008

Leave Feedback >>