Rolls-Royce completed altitude and operability testing for the F130 engine in a key step for the US Air Force's B-52J Stratofortress.
Rolls-Royce has completed key tests on its F130 engine, which will eventually power the Boeing B-52 J Stratofortress operated by the US Air Force.The altitude and operability tests bring the F130 a step closer to replacing the Pratt & Whitney TF33, which has operated aboard the B-52 J for over six decades.
F130 tests demonstrate mission readinessRolls-Royce performed its latest tests at the Arnold Engineering Development Complex in Tullahoma, Tennessee. Successful altitude trials showed the engine can perform continuously for long-duration, high-altitude strategic missions. Operability testing, meanwhile, verified engine stability during real-world, flight-like conditions.Separately, Boeing also performed Integrated Drive Generator testing on the engine to ensure stable and reliable electrical power generation.In a press statement, Jennifer Schwerin, a director at Rolls-Royce, said, “We are proud to deliver another milestone for our F130 engine testing program, on-time and on-budget, for the Air Force.”“Working closely with our partners at Boeing and the Air Force, our team has demonstrated the F130’s ability to meet mission requirements and further strengthened confidence that this engine is the right choice for the B-52J,” Schwerin continued.With all of these tests successfully completed, Rolls-Royce has stated that it has completed its engine testing program. Now, the iconic car and aero-engine manufacturing firm will move on to system integration and dual-pod testing at the NASA Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.‘Long life and low maintenance’Rolls-Royce designed its F130 engine for “long life and low maintenance”, the company said in its statement. The engine will reduce sustainment costs. It is also fully interchangeable in the dual-pod configuration, which will simplify logistics and make maintenance easier.If all goes to plan, Rolls-Royce will start producing the F130 at its Indianapolis facility—its largest site in the US. It is to be noted that the company has invested more than $1.5 billion in its US operations over the past decade.The US Air Force announced it had selected Rolls-Royce to build the next engine for the B-52J Stratofortress in September 2021. The deal was reportedly worth up to $2.6 billion.Following the completion of the F130 engine testing campaign, Rolls-Royce and partners stated that they collected critical data. This will now be compared against computer models, allowing the company to gain a comprehensive understanding of the way the engine will operate in different mission scenarios.“Throughout this F130 engine test campaign, we gathered essential data about how this engine operates across the full spectrum of flight conditions,” Col. Timothy Cleaver, US Air Force program manager at B-52 Commercial Engine Replacement Program, explained.“Completing the series of tests at AEDC’s world-class facility gives us confidence in the engine and associated systems as we proceed into test aircraft modification and flight testing.”
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