GE has concluded Phase-1 testing on its second XA100 adaptive cycle engine as part of the US Air Force’s Adaptive Engine Transition Programme (AETP). Phase-1 testing took place at GE’s Evendale, Ohio, altitude test facility and enabled GE to continue gathering high-quality performance data validating the engine’s transformational propulsion capability. Phase-2 tests will begin at the US Air Force’s advanced testing facilities at Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) in the first quarter of 2022.
“Phase-1 testing allowed us to further characterise the operation of the engine and puts us in a great position to begin Phase-2 testing at AEDC,” said David Tweedie, GE Edison Works’ general manager for Advanced Combat Engines. “We continue to burn down risk with full-scale engine testing, which is why the XA100 is the lowest risk, most capable and fastest approach to keep the F-35 a preeminent fighter platform for the long-term.”
GE’s XA100 became the world’s first-ever flight-weight, three-stream adaptive cycle engine in December 2020 before initiating tests on its second engine in August 2021. GE’s engine is uniquely designed to fit both the F-35A and F-35C without any structural modifications to either airframe, enabling better aircraft range, acceleration and cooling power to accommodate next-generation mission systems.
