The US Army has completed the first trial of a new engine that will be installed on the Boeing AH-64 Apache, the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, as well as the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA).
The Army’s Aviation Turbine Engines (ATE) Project Office Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP) concluded the “First Engine to Test” (FETT) of the very first GE built T901 engine on June 28.
As revealed, FETT initial light off occurred on March 22 and the testing consisted of over 100 hours of run time.
“The event successfully verified and validated performance models on the army’s next generation rotorcraft engine,” the army said.
The T901 is the Army’s new 3,000 shaft horsepower center line engine designed to fit the existing nacelle of the Apache and Black Hawk and is also the engine for FARA.
The T901 is set to provide the critical capability that will allow army aviation greater reach and lethality to dominate and win in multi-domain operations versus near-peer competitors by providing increased power, improved reliability and better fuel efficiency.
FETT light off marked the beginning of a multi-year test campaign to reach full Army qualification. Preliminary Flight Rating testing will initiate this fall, continuing through 2023, and includes eight T901 engines tested to Army Military Airworthiness Certification Criteria (AMACC) standards.
AMACC standards ensure an engine meets army requirements for design, production and continuing airworthiness and will encompass approximately 1,500 engine test hours. In total the T901 will undergo nearly 5,000 hours of testing to achieve full engine qualification.
