BOEING AND ROLLS-Royce/Allison Engine could win a major US Air Force contract to re-engine not only the Boeing B-52H bomber, but other aircraft derived from the Boeing 707.
A final decision on whether to re-engine the B-52H fleet is pending as a Congressional committee looking at the issue awaited a report from the USAF on the viability of an unsolicited proposal received from Boeing and R-R/Allison Engine to replace the powerplants on 94 of the bombers with RB.211s
It is now known, however, that the USAF is considering a more ambitious re-engineing programme to reap a larger economy of scale by extending the lives of other ageing aircraft.
USAF acquisition chief Arthur Money says that other aircraft which might be included in the re-engineing project include Boeing 707 variants such as the E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System, the E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System and the RC-135 Rivet Joint.
Aside from technical issues, matters which need to be resolved include the availability of funding and the need for legislative relief allowing for a long-term engine-lease arrangement in lieu of an outright purchase of R-R RB.211s.
Money says that the USAF "-is seriously entertaining the offer- The concept is great. We wouldn't have a capital investment up front. We would pay for it as we use it. In some cases, it makes a lot of sense."
Under the original Boeing/R-R concept, four RB.211.535E4Bs, each of 178-192kN (40,000-43,000lb) thrust, would replace the eight twin-podded 75kN Pratt &Whitney TF-33s. The RB.211s would be assembled by Allison Engine. Boeing says that the USAF could save as much as $6 billion in B-52 operation and support costs over 25 years.
Source: Flight International
