Pratt & Whitney received the certification of several enhancements for the JT8D-219 engine. These enhancements successfully completed 150 hours of endurance testing in May, clearing the way for Federal Aviation Administration certification of the upgrades in early November. “The JT8D is a major part of Pratt & Whitney’s history; improving its reliability and modernizing its capability will keep it a viable engine for years to come,” says Rick Krueger, chief engineer for Pratt & Whitney’s Operational Commercial Engines.
The overall project includes several configuration updates: a nickel high-pressure compressor rotor system that provides enhanced corrosion resistance, external changes to accommodate mounting the engine under the wing, an enhanced bleed override system, and higher load-carrying towershaft and gearbox elements to accommodate increased power extraction.
The JT8D-219 engine will be offered to support B707 re-engining via the Supplemental Type Certificate approved by the FAA for Pratt & Whitney’s Joint Venture partner, Seven Q Seven, on July 20, 2010. Seven Q Seven is a San Antonio, Texas-based company that converts and upgrades aircraft, primarily Boeing 707s, for commercial and military support applications.
The first enhanced JT8D-219 engine is on track to be delivered to Northrop Grumman in February, in support of re-engining the USAF E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) aircraft. The E-8C is a modified B707-300.
