Expected as per contract , Rolls-Royce will equip the B-52 fleet with eight engines each by September 2038, replacing the bomber’s aging Pratt & Whitney-made engines.
Taking the step forward in the direction , Rolls-Royce announced that it has launched F130 engine testing at the company’s outdoor test facility at the NASA Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, U.S.
Rolls-Royce F130 engines were selected by the United States Air Force to replace the existing powerplants in the B-52 fleet, with over 600 new engine deliveries expected.
U.S. Air Force currently expects to operate B-52s through 2050, but because of the current installed Pratt & Whitney TF33-PW-103 engines, the B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber is one of the most expensive aircraft in the entire U.S. Air Force fleet to maintain. An hour of flight time costs about $70,000.
Rolls-Royce says,
This milestone test program is the first time F130 engines have been tested in the dual-pod engine configuration of the B-52 aircraft. Each B-52 aircraft has eight engines in four pods.
As per Rolls-Royce, the engine testing will focus on crosswind aerodynamic flow as well as confirming the successful operation of the engine’s digital controls system. Early results from the testing have been very positive with additional test data to be analyzed over the next several months.
The U.K. based Aerospace company also mentioned that , Rolls-Royce is collaborating very closely with the Air Force and Boeing, which is managing the overall engine integration and B-52 aircraft modernization program.
In the initial stages , using digital engineering, Boeing and Rolls-Royce had streamlined the new system’s design and created 3D models of the B-52 and its components in order to understand how each part works together.
Under the $2.6 billion contract , the new engines will extend the life of the B-52 aircraft for 30 years. F130 engines are so durable they are expected to remain on wing for the remainder of the aircraft life.
Candice Bineyard, Director, Programs – Defence, said:
“We are excited to begin this milestone testing program, the first step for what will be decades of successful engine operation for the United States Air Force B-52 fleet. Rolls-Royce continues to work very closely with the Air Force and Boeing to ensure the engine testing and integration process run smoothly. This will result in higher fuel efficiency, reduced air refueling requirements, and significantly lower maintenance costs for the B-52 fleet. We look forward to sharing test results with the Air Force and Boeing as the test plan progresses at the NASA Stennis Space Center.”
F130 engines will be manufactured, assembled and tested at Rolls-Royce facilities in Indianapolis, the company’s largest production facility in the U.S. Rolls-Royce has invested $1 Billion in recent years to completely modernize manufacturing and testing facilities in Indiana, as well as for advanced technology.
F130 engines were selected for the B-52 by the Air Force in September 2021 following a competitive selection process. The F130 is derived from the Rolls-Royce BR family of commercial engines, with over 30 million hours of operation and a high reliability rate. It’s a proven, dependable engine with a fuel-efficient design.
The B-52A first flew in 1954, and the B model entered service in 1955. A total of 744 B-52s were built, with the last, a B-52H, delivered in October 1962. The first of 102 B-52H's was delivered to Strategic Air Command in May 1961.
Only the H model is still in the Air Force inventory and is assigned to the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot AFB, North Dakota, and the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, which fall under Air Force Global Strike Command. The aircraft is also assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command's 307th Bomb Wing at Barksdale AFB.
Source : Rolls-Royce and Air Force Global Strike Command.
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