Rolls-Royce today announced it has successfully completed an initial test of its advanced, high-specific thrust YJ102R engine at the Indianapolis, Indiana facility. This test is the first of a series to be performed by LibertyWorks®, the company’s research unit, and is designed to validate critical performance criteria under its High Speed Turbine Engine Demonstration (HiSTED) contract with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).

Phil Burkholder, Chief Operating Officer for LibertyWorks, said: “Partnering with the Department of Defense to create this new capability is an exciting opportunity for LibertyWorks. The unique, power dense design of this engine has the potential to take high-Mach propulsion to the next level. Validating the progress achieved to date is a significant milestone and critical for the HiSTED program.”

HiSTED is a joint DARPA/Air Force initiative to design, fabricate and ground test a high Mach expendable turbine engine. The engine is also expected to power Lockheed Martin’s Revolutionary Approach to Time-critical Long Range Strike (RATTLRS) vehicle. The RATTLRS program is a supersonic, science and technology missile flight demonstrator effort sponsored by the Office of Naval Research.

Additional engine testing is scheduled to demonstrate its ability to achieve transonic acceleration and Mach 3+ cruise speed. The success of these tests will lead to a first flight demonstration of the RATTLRS vehicle.

The HiSTED engine is a high-temperature, moderate-pressure-ratio, single-spool, dry (non-afterburning) turbojet. It incorporates Lamilloy® technology, designed by Rolls-Royce to enable engines to run at higher temperatures, allowing for greater fuel economy.

Source: Rolls Royce