GE Aircraft Engines (GEAE) has formally completed all qualification testing of its higher-thrust F110 fighter engine, the F110-GE-132, for the Lockheed Martin Block 60 F-16E/F aircraft, 80 of which have been ordered by the UAE air force.
"The qualification of the propulsion system is a culmination of the outstanding efforts of the GEAE and Lockheed Martin teams," says Russ Sparks, vice-president and general manager of Military Engine Operation at GEAE. "The feedback from the test pilots and our customer has been extremely positive, and we are confident the engine will continue to perform well in upcoming tests."
Flight tests of the Block 60 F-16 aircraft are scheduled for mid-December.
The F110-GE-132 engine successfully completed the first phase of flight-testing powering a modified Block 50 F-16 aircraft in April.
Launched
The F110-GE-132 engine was launched in 2000 with its selection by the UAE for 80 Block 60 F-16E/F aircraft.
The engine is derived from the highly successful F110-GE-100 and F110-GE-129 engines, which power 70% of the F-16C/Ds worldwide. The F110-GE-132 produces up to 32,500lb (144kN) of thrust - the highest thrust of any engine powering F-16s.
The F110-GE-132 utilises GEAE's long-chord blisk fan derived from the F118 engine (B-2 bomber); a radial afterburner derived from the F414 engine (F/A-18E/F fighter) and enhanced for the F136 engine (Joint Strike Fighter); and a composite outer duct based on the duct of the F404 (F-117 Stealth fighter) and F414 engines.
For almost two decades, GEAE's F110 engine family has been the best-selling engine for single-engine F16C/Ds worldwide.
Source: Flight Daily News
