Aircraft

Honeywell/Pratt & Whitney confirm link on T700 replacement

By Graham Warwick

Honeywell will take responsibility for the high-pressure spool and Pratt & Whitney for the low-pressure spool of the HPW3000 turboshaft jointly proposed for the US Army's Advanced Affordable Turbine Engine (AATE) technology demonstrator programme.

AATE is a four-year programme to demonstrate a 3,000shp (2,240kW)-class engine that could then be developed as a drop-in replacement for the General Electric T700 turboshafts powering the Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopter and Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk utility.

Honeywell and P&W decided to join forces to strengthen their bid as neither plays in this arena, says Vicki Panhuise, the former company's vice-president for helicopters. Honeywell will build on its 800shp-class Small Heavy Fuel Engine demonstrator while P&W will apply technology from its military fighter engines, Panhuise says. GE and Rolls-Royce are also bidding for the requirement.

AATE calls for the demonstration of a 25% reduction in specific fuel consumption and 65% increase in power-to-weight ratio in a 3,000shp-class engine that will fit into same space as the 2,000shp-class T700-701D now powering the AH-64D and UH-60M. It should also improve the aircraft's performance, particularly under hot and high operating conditions.

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