The T901, GE’s next-generation rotorcraft engine, will power the U.S. Army’s UH-60 Black Hawk, AH-64 Apache, and Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA).
GE Aerospace,a provider of jet and turboprop engines, is accumulating hardware for the second T901-GE-900 development engine that will begin testing in 2023. The T901, GE’s next-generation rotorcraft engine, will power the U.S. Army’s UH-60 Black Hawk, AH-64 Apache, and Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA). Engine testing is part of the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase of the Army’s Improved Turbine Engine (ITE) program.The second T901 engine will undergo performance and controls testing in an upgraded test cell at GE’s Lynn, Massachusetts facility.
GE Aerospace has upgraded three Lynn test cells for the T901 EMD engine test program. Upgrades on the test cells included new systems to absorb the engine’s increased power, allow for no-load operation, improved instrumentation capability, and advanced engine test controls. The second development engine after the lynn cell test program will travel to GE’s Evendale, Ohio, facility for altitude testing.
“Testing of the first T901 engine was very successful with the engine accumulating more than 100 hours of run time,” said Tom Champion, T901 Program Director, GE. “We were impressed with the performance and condition of the engine’s compressor, combustor, and turbine sections as well as the 3D-printed (additive) manufactured parts and ceramic matrix composite (CMC) components,” he further added.
A total of eight T901 engines will be part of a multi-year test campaign to the Army Military Airworthiness Certification Criteria standards. The highly sophisticated standards set by the U.S. military will ensure that the engine meets the Army’s requirements for design, production, and airworthiness. The T901 engine, post the completion of all tests, will have undergone close to 1,500 hours of full-scale ground testing for preliminary flight rating and close to 5,000 hours of testing for full engine qualification.
The 3,000 shaft horsepower T901 engine, compared to its T700 predecessor provides 50% more power that will enable the U.S. Army to regain the Black Hawk and Apache aircraft’s payload and range capabilities in high and hot environments. The T 901 engine offers 25% better specific fuel consumption, which assures less fuel usage and fewer carbon emissions. Increased component durability of the engine reduces the life cycle costs. The T901 also maintains the same aircraft mounting and installation envelope as the T700 for easy retrofitting on the existing fleet.
