EVENDALE, OHIO – The GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team has begun testing its first production-configuration F136 engine for the F-35 Lightning II aircraft a month ahead of contract schedule, a major milestone in the development program.

In keeping with previous contractual milestones, the first engine test was completed within budget and on schedule.

The first complete new-build F136 engine began testing January 30, 2009, under the System Development and Demonstration (SDD) contract with the US Government Joint Program Office for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. This represents the first complete engine assembled following US Government validation of the F136 design in 2008.

The F136 program has already totaled more than 800 hours of risk-reduction testing with two earlier engine prototypes, incorporating new-build components.

The F136 engine is a product of the best technology from two world-leading propulsion companies. The GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team has designed the only engine specifically developed for the F-35 aircraft, offering extra temperature margin and affordable growth.

The first runs of the new F136 engine occurred at the GE facility in Evendale, Ohio. Additional engine builds are already under way, with several engines scheduled to be in test by the end of 2009.

“This new F136 engine represents a major achievement for our powerful partnership. We are into the exciting part of the program, as we begin demonstrating what the F136 can do. We’ve combined the best technologies from GE and Rolls-Royce into an outstanding design that will benefit the military customer over the long run,” said Jean Lydon-Rodgers, President of the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team.

“This is our biggest milestone yet. Once again, the F136 team delivered on time and on budget. With a significant temperature margin and affordable growth built into the design, the F136 will offer outstanding value when it becomes available to the first military customer in 2012,” said Mark Rhodes, Senior Vice President of the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team.

The first test runs for the new F136 engine top a year of significant achievements for the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team. The program successfully completed Critical Design Review in 2008, as well as completing the first testing at the unique, new Peebles, Ohio, test site, and full afterburner test runs at the US Air Force Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) test facility in Tennessee.

The F136 engine program has a solid history of executing its contract on schedule and within budget. As a result, the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team consistently receives “exceptional” reviews from the JPO for program execution.

The F136 engine is the most advanced fighter aircraft engine ever developed and will be available to power all variants of the F-35 Lightning II aircraft for the US military and eight partner nations.

Source: Rolls Royce