The F-35 Joint Program Office has officially announced plans to issue multiple sole-source contracts to Pratt & Whitney to upgrade the fighter’s F135 engine—a widely expected move after Pentagon officials indicated they would do so earlier this year instead of developing an entirely new engine.
Aircraft Propulsion
WORLD: Modernization: B-52's get new engines and other upgrades; AWACs to the Boneyard.
Little operational impact is expected from contaminated powdered metal used to make high-pressure discs that may have been installed in F-35 fighters, the Joint Program Office said. Any suspect parts will be changed out at depot.
Adaptive technology is the next step in fighter propulsion. It is our assurance of long-term air dominance and propulsion superiority.
PBS Group is a global leader in design and manufacture of small gas turbine equipment, including jet engines, auxiliary power units, environmental control systems, and other aircraft components. Currently, PBS operates a large casting facility, designs and manufactures cryogenic equipment,...
It’s no secret that Rolls-Royce North America has been a trusted partner for the U.S. Air Force going back decades – even before the service was established in 1947. From the company’s factories in Indianapolis, originally the Allison Engine plants,...
The engines for the hyper-secret Next Generation Air Dominance fighter will be a different size than the adaptive engines developed for an F-35 upgrade, but many of the technologies will “port over” to the new powerplant, the Air Force’s propulsion czar told reporters Aug. 1.
The F-35’s engine may have parts made from contaminated nickel powder, but the risk to the fleet is considered small, the Joint Program Office and Pratt & Whitney said. Inspections of suspect parts have been made for two years.
“The F-35 is the most advanced fighter yet built, but decisions and compromises imposed on it more than a decade ago continue to push up its cost, decrease its reliability, limit its performance, and constrain its ability to exploit new technologies. For fighter pilots of ...