Graham Warwick/ATLANTA
A GENERAL ELECTRIC (GE)/Allison team has received a $7 million contract to begin work on an alternative engine for the four-service strike-fighter to be developed under the Joint Advanced Strike Technology (JAST) programme. Initial funding covers feasibility studies into derivatives of GE's current F110 and advanced F120 engines.
All three teams bidding for two JAST concept-demonstration contracts to be awarded in October 1996 have elected to use Pratt & Whitney's F119 engine, under development for the Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22, in their concept-demonstrator aircraft. The US Congress, however, has directed that there be a competition to power production aircraft.
GE's YF120 was chosen for McDonnell Douglas' (MDC) gas-driven lift-fan, advanced short take-off and landing (STOL) concept, but that engine choice was dropped when MDC switched to a lift-plus-lift/cruise propulsion system for its JAST proposal. GE/Allison is developing the 70kN (16,000lb)-thrust lift engine for the new MDC design.
The JAST programme office is funding P&W to develop derivatives of the F119 for the concept-demonstration phase, during which two teams will fly conventional and STOL versions of their JAST designs.
GE/Allison expects to receive $65-85 million in funding between now and 2000 to prepare for engineering and manufacturing development of its alternative engine, beginning in 2001.
See feature, P26.
Source: Flight International
