Despite being cut from the Pentagon’s budget, the GE Aviation/Rolls-Royce F136 engine is progressing toward flight testing.
The companies said Wednesday that it is beginning its flight clearance certification review, a process that will prepare the F136 for flight testing. It expects that, following certification, the engine will be tested on an F-35 Lightning aircraft in early 2011.
The F136 is intended to be an alternative engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, an aircraft that’s expected to serve as a mainstay for U.S. armed forces and those of numerous allies for decades. Multiple variations of the F-35 are being developed by Lockheed Martin.
Pratt & Whitney is building the primary F-35 engine, with which the GE-Rolls-Royce engine would compete for orders, under contract with the Pentagon.
In early May, the Pentagon cut funding for the GE-Rolls engine – the fourth time it has done so. In each instance, Congress has restored funding for the project.
GE and Rolls-Royce said their version of the engine will be ready for sale in 2012.
Evendale-based GE Aviation is a unit of General Electric Co.
Original at:http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2009/05/25/daily13.html