Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC
The US Army has picked AlliedSignal for the third phase of the multiservice Joint Turbine Advanced Gas Generator (JTAGG) demonstration.
The service awarded the Phoenix, Arizona, based engine maker a $39 million contract to develop advanced engines for future US military rotorcraft. The contract will run until January 2004.
The project is part of the US Department of Defense's Integrated High Performance Turbine Engine Technology initiative. The US Army had considered awarding multiple research contracts if funding had been available.
JTAGG Phase III engine testing will begin in 2003. The ambitious goals include a 40% reduction in specific fuel consumption, a 120% power increase, and a 35% cut in acquisition and maintenance costs.
Phase I contracts went to Textron Lycoming and a General Electric/AlliedSignal team. The JTAGG Phase II demonstrator was to have been run late last year, but AlliedSignal, which inherited the programme through its acquisition of Textron Lycoming, has had problems obtaining critical subsystems. The test will not begin before the middle of this year.
A planned JTAGG fourth phase may involve fabrication of a full up engine, rather than trying to demonstrate performance goals through component testing. For Phase IV, the US Army is considering the demonstration of a lightweight, 2,240kW (3,000shp) engine with improved performance. AlliedSignal and GE have been asked to look at advanced concepts beyond those offered in Phase III.
Source: Flight International
