Pratt & Whitney and Teledyne Continental Motors (TCM) plan to join forces on development of small military engines, including unmanned air vehicle (UAV) powerplants of up to 16,000lb thrust (71kN).
The memorandum of agreement involves P&W's new Small Military Engines business and TCM's Turbine Engines unit, which produces turbojets for missiles and UAVs.
The tie-up comes as the US Air Force unveiled a study suggesting development of an all-new engine for a future unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) could cut life-cycle cost and improve performance significantly compared with an off-the-shelf powerplant.
While the USAF is backing a technology demonstration involving a Boeing-designed UCAV powered by Honeywell's F124 turbofan, the study looked at the potential benefits of using a new centreline engine.
"What we wanted to do in the lab was to see how important it was to spend money in our development programme for the UAV application," says USAF Research Laboratory aerospace engineer Greg Bruening.
Assuming procurement of 470 UCAVs, a new engine would cut flyaway cost 14%, to $15.9 million, and life-cycle costs 9%, to $13.2 billion, the study concludes. Principal benefits of an all-new engine, using technology to be available in 2003, are significantly reduced size and fuel consumption.
As a result, the vehicle could be scaled down 11%, allowing 10 to be carried in a Boeing C-17, compared with eight for a UCAV with an existing engine, the study says. Combat radius and/or endurance would be increased substantially.
The 6,100kg (13,500lb) gross- weight study UCAV has a 1,850km (1,000nm) combat radius, with a Mach 0.8 cruise and 1h loiter, on a mission to suppress enemy air defences mission carrying two AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missiles. An asymmetric powerplant layout allows use of a single, large weapons bay.
Source: Flight International
