Pratt & Whitney go digital to speed up its NGAD engine design
Pratt & Whitney (an RTX company) has announced that it has completed an important milestone in its Next-Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) program for the U.S. Air Force (USAF). The team is now working towards ground testing its NGAP prototype, the XA103, which is expected to occur sometime in the late 2020s.
Jill Albertelli, president of Pratt & Whitney’s Military Engines business, mentioned that the company is using modern digital methods to develop this engine. They claim this approach will help make the development process faster and more efficient. The new engine is essential for keeping the Air Force’s aircraft superior in combat.
That’s why Pratt & Whitney is investing a lot in research and technology, and they believe it’s essential for the government to continue funding this project.
“We are embracing digital transformation with NGAP and changing the customer experience through the entire development process in order to rapidly and efficiently deliver these advanced adaptive engines,” Albertelli said in a press release.
“This technology is critical to maintaining air superiority, which is why Pratt & Whitney has made significant investments in research and development and advanced manufacturing. Continued government funding for sixth-generation propulsion development must remain a high priority to support critical platform milestones and warfighter readiness,” she added.
Pratt & Whitney embraces digital design
Pratt & Whitney explains that the new engine aims to improve aircraft performance significantly, helping the Air Force stay ahead in air combat. If successful, the new engine will be better at sustaining damage, using fuel more efficiently, and providing the power and cooling needed for the aircraft to carry weapons and sensors and stay in the air longer. These improvements are necessary for the Air Force to meet new challenges with future combat needs.
The Aviationist reports that the NGAP program’s technologies and architectures benefit from the U.S. Air Force’s Adaptive Engine Transition Program investment. The knowledge gained from this program is invaluable as some technologies could be transferred between the two programs
Pratt & Whitney has also emphasized the importance of digital design and the implementation of agile methodology to reduce lead times and improve efficiency and effectiveness to deliver advanced capabilities.
The Air Force plans to award a contract for designing the NGAD sixth-generation platform this year. The NGAD platform is expected to replace the 5th generation F-22 Raptor by the end of this decade. Unlike the F-22, NGAD is a family of systems that includes a manned aircraft and an unmanned Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), previously known as “Loyal Wingmen.”
NGAD winner to be chosen in 2024
The U.S. Air Force has announced that the NGAD program will involve the development of four different technologies, with each technology potentially assigned to a different company. The four technologies are propulsion, unmanned systems, materials, and sensors.
The Air Force recently announced that the winning NGAD design will be announced sometime in 2024. It has also been announced that the Air Force hopes to acquire 250 of these fighters, each expected to cost hundreds of millions. To put it into perspective, the current F-35A stealth fighter costs around $85 million due to its large-scale production.
The NGAD fighter is anticipated to have improved sensors and communication links compared to the F-22 while also being more agile than the F-35.
Source: Interesting Engineering
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Pratt & Whitney go digital to speed up its NGAD engine design