The Honeywell/ITEC F124 is a low-bypass turbofan engine derived from the civilian Honeywell TFE731. The F125 is an afterburning version of the engine. The engine began development in the late 1970s for the Republic of China (Taiwan) Air ForceAIDC F-CK Indigenous Defence Fighter (IDF), and it first ran in 1979. The F124/F125 engine has since been proposed for use on other aircraft, such as the T-45 Goshawk and the SEPECAT Jaguar, and currently powers the Aero L-159 Alca and the Alenia Aermacchi M-346. The F124 has a rather unusual design for a two spool gas turbine engine, using both axial and centrifugal compressors in its high-pressure compressor. There are currently only three production variants of the engine, although several more have been proposed throughout its lifespan.
In 1978, Garrett announced joint research on the TFE1042 afterburner with Swedish company Volvo Flygmotor AB in order to provide an engine for the AIDC F-CK Indigenous Defence Fighter (IDF) being developed for the Republic of China (Taiwan) Air Force (ROCAF). The TFE731 Model 1042 was touted as a low bypass ratio "military derivative of the proven commercial TFE731 engine" and "provides efficient, reliable, cost effective propulsion for the next generation of light strike and advanced trainer aircraft", with thrust of 4260lbf (18.9kN) dry and 6790lbf (30.2kN) with afterburner. After initial negotiation, the investment was going to be divided between Garrett, Volvo, AIDC, and Italian company Piaggio. The development would consist of the non-afterburning TFE1042-6 for light attack aircraft/advanced trainer, and TFE1042-7 for the AMX or F-5 upgrade. Garrett would be responsible for the core engine, and Volvo would be responsible for the fan section and the afterburner. The engine first ran for 3 hours at a Volvo test facility in 1979.[1]
AIDC also suggested upgrading TFE1042-7 to 8000lbf (31 to 36kN) thrust as twin engine solution, in order to compete with General Electric F404 for applications such as the JAS 39 Gripen. However, the Gripen project decided to continue with a single engine F404 variant, built by Volvo, and Volvo left the project to at that point to focus on the Gripen work. Piaggio asked to participate at a later date due to financial reasons and left the program as well. Thus only Garrett and AIDC invested in the new International Turbine Engine Corporation (ITEC), with the contract signed in 1982.[1]
In 1988, ITEC decided to invest in the 12,000lb TFE1088-12, which was re-designated as TFE1042-70A (for political reason as well). Preliminary study had shown that IDF could supercruise with the new engine. At the same time, GE decided to enter the market with J101/SF, a smaller version of F404. However, after the IDF order was cut in half due to budget concerns, the TFE1088-12 engine upgrade plan ended as well.[2] The F-CK IDF first flew in 1989, and aircraft were delivered through 1999.[1]
Garrett introduced the TFE742 concept in the early 1990s. Consisting of an uprated core from the TFE1042, the TFE742 was promoted for a twin-engine version of the BAe 146, the MPC 75, and other prospective aircraft.[3] Targeting the 70-130 seat passenger aircraft market, the TFE742 was a 18,000lbf thrust (80kN; 8,200kgf), high-bypass turbofan driven by a gearbox.[4]
In the mid-1990s, AlliedSignal considered developing a turboprop engine for the European Future Large Aircraft military transport (later known as the Airbus A400M), which was to be based on the core of the TFE1042.[5][6] AlliedSignal, AIDC, and other Asian partners also derived an industrial gas turbine from the TFE1042, initially as the 12,000-horsepower (9-megawatt) AS1042,[7] which evolved into the 13,000hp (10MW) ASE120.[8]
T-45 Goshawk / BAE Systems Hawk
In the early 1990s, the United States Navy considered the re-engining their fleet of T-45 Goshawk trainer aircraft with the F124. In 1994, after flight testing a T-45 with the engine, the USN elected not to.[1]
The possibility of a F124-powered T-45 arose again in 1996 when McDonnell Douglas offered an F124-engined T-45 to the Royal Australian Air Force as a competitor for their trainer requirement.[9]BAe wanted to offer the F124 as an option on their entry for the RAAF trainer requirement, the BAE Hawk (which the T-45 is based on), but ITEC refused to give BAe permission to offer it.[10] ITEC's decision turned out to be a mistake, as the RAAF select the Hawk as their trainer. However, after the selection of the aircraft, the RAAF decided to have a separate competition between the F124 and the Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour (which was BAe's selection) to power the new trainers.[11] In 1997 the RAAF elected to use the Adour engine, effectively ending the F124's chances of being used on Hawk or T-45 aircraft.[12]
L-159
In 1994, the F124 engine was selected to power the Czech Aero L-159 Alca light combat aircraft. The combination first flew in 1997.[1]
M-346
In 2000, Alenia Aermacchi announced that their new M-346 trainer/light attack aircraft would be powered by the F124 engine, choosing it over its common rival, the Adour.[13] In 2009, the United Arab Emirates announced that their M-346 trainers would be powered by the F124-GA-200.[14]
X-45A
The F124 engine powered the Boeing X-45A unmanned combat aerial vehicle demonstrator in the early 2000s.[15]
T-5 Brave Eagle
In 2017 the Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation announced that their AIDC T-5 Brave Eagle would use a variant of the F124.[16]
Possible Jaguar usage
Honeywell's F125 engine for IAF Jaguar at Aero India 2013
The afterburning F125 engine was being considered, in 2009, by the Indian Air Force as a replacement for the Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour engines in their SEPECAT Jaguar aircraft. The new engine would be both lighter and more powerful. It was successfully demonstrated in 2007.[17] This proposal of Indian Air Force to up-engine its fleet of SEPECAT Jaguar ground attack aircraft stalled after a decade in August 2019 owing to the high cost involved. Jane's quoted that Honeywell quoted a price of USD2.4 billion ₹18,500 crore (equivalent to ₹230billionorUS$3billion in 2023) for 180 F-125IN turbofan engines as replacements for the Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour Mk 811 powerpacks originally installed in the Jaguars.[18]
Design
The F124 engine is a low-bypass, two-spool engine (meaning that there are two rotating shafts, a high-pressure shaft and a low-pressure shaft). The fan/low-pressure compressor has three stages with titanium blades. The first stage has 30 blades,[19] and the overall pressure ratio for the three-stage fan is 2.5:1. Some of the air is bypassed (Bypass ratio of 0.472:1), and the rest is fed to the high-pressure compressor.[1]
The high-pressure compressor (HPC) has four axial stages and a fifth centrifugal stage. All the blades and the impeller are made from titanium.[1]
The fuel is burned in an annular combustor and the core flow passes through a single-stage high-pressure turbine (HPT) followed by a single-stage low-pressure turbine. The HPT is air-cooled. The bypass air from the fan and the exhaust from the core are mixed before exiting through a common nozzle. In the F125 variant of the engine, the mixed flow passes through the afterburner section. The F124 does not have an afterburner.[1]
Variants
F124-GA-100
This is the original variant of the engine. It powered the Boeing X-45 demonstrator.
F124-GA-200
Slightly de-rated variant of the F124-GA-100; the maximum thrust is 6250lbf (27.80kN) and the engine weighs 28lb (13kg) less.[20] This variant utilizes an all-new accessory gearbox, as well as other small upgrades.[19] This variant is used in the Aermacchi M-346.[21]
F124-GA-400
Variation of the F124-GA-100, modified for the T-45 Goshawk and the BAE Hawk. The engine was flight tested in the T-45, but the United States Navy decided not to re-engine the aircraft with this engine.[19]
F125-GA-100
Also known as the TFE1042-70. This is the basic afterburning variant of the engine. 325 produced for the AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo program.[22]
F125X
Proposed advanced variant of the F125 engine, with a maximum thrust of 12,500lbf (56kN).[23]
F125XX
Further advanced variant of the F125 engine, this one producing 16,400lbf (73kN) of thrust. If it were built, there would have been a related F124XX non-afterburning variant, producing 10,800lbf (48kN) of thrust.[23]
Vega Project
Taiwan NCSIST has formulated a plan for the "Vega Project" since 2014 to develop a propulsion system based on the needs of a new generation of fighters after 2020, but the overall budget is not large, and the initial stage is mainly based on evaluation, and in 2016, the board of directors of the Chinese Academy of Sciences approved the application for the annual national defense key technology research and development donation subsidy, and reported it to the Taiwan National Defense Armaments Bureau for construction. Since the TFE-1042-70 engine was funded and owned by the Republic of China, the "Vega Star" program was developed on this basis. [24] The director of the general discipline department of Taiwan Air Force Aviation Technology College said that after the successful development of the AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo fighter, Taiwan Air Force Aviation Technology College has the number 1011~1014 (TFE-1042) engine, in order to cooperate with the Air Force to develop the next generation of fighters. Reverse engineer engine No.1014 to develop a next-generation engine. [25]
The AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-Kuo, commonly known as the Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF), is a multirole combat aircraft named after Chiang Ching-kuo, the late President of the Republic of China. The aircraft made its first flight in 1989. It entered service with Republic of China Air Force (Taiwan) in 1992. All 130 production aircraft were manufactured by 1999.
The Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour is a two-shaft low bypass turbofan aircraft engine developed by Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Limited, a joint venture between Rolls-Royce (UK) and Turbomeca (France). The engine is named after the Adour, a river in south western France.
The General Electric F101 is an afterburning turbofan jet engine. It powers the Rockwell B-1 Lancer strategic bomber fleet of the USAF. In full afterburner it produces a thrust of more than 30,000 pounds-force (130 kN). The F101 was GE's first turbofan with an afterburner.
The Pratt & Whitney TF30 is a military low-bypass turbofan engine originally designed by Pratt & Whitney for the subsonic F6D Missileer fleet defense fighter, but this project was cancelled. It was later adapted with an afterburner for supersonic designs, and in this form it was the world's first production afterburning turbofan, going on to power the F-111 and the F-14A Tomcat, as well as being used in early versions of the A-7 Corsair II without an afterburner. First flight of the TF30 was in 1964 and production continued until 1986.
The Pratt & Whitney J75 is an axial-flow turbojet engine first flown in 1955. A two-spool design in the 17,000 lbf (76 kN) thrust class, the J75 was essentially the bigger brother of the Pratt & Whitney J57 (JT3C). It was known in civilian service as the JT4A, and in a variety of stationary roles as the GG4 and FT4.
The SNECMA M53 is an afterburning turbofan engine developed for the Dassault Mirage 2000 fighter by Snecma. The engine is in service with different air forces, including the latest Mirage 2000-5 and 2000-9 multirole fighters.
The General Electric F414 is an American afterburning turbofan engine in the 22,000-pound thrust class produced by GE Aerospace. The F414 originated from GE's widely used F404 turbofan, enlarged and improved for use in the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. The engine was developed from the F412 non-afterburning turbofan planned for the A-12 Avenger II, before it was canceled.
The Saturn AL-31 is a family of axial flow turbofan engines, developed by the Lyulka design bureau in the Soviet Union, now NPO Saturn in Russia, originally as a 12.5-tonne powerplant for the Sukhoi Su-27 long range air superiority fighter. The AL-31 currently powers the Su-27 family of combat aircraft and some variants of the Chengdu J-10 multirole jet fighter. Assembly of the engine is also performed under license in India by HAL, for the Sukhoi Su-30MKI. Improved variants power the fifth-generation Sukhoi Su-57 and Chengdu J-20.
The Garrett TFE731 is a family of geared turbofan engines commonly used on business jet aircraft. Garrett AiResearch originally designed and built the engine, which due to mergers was later produced by AlliedSignal and now Honeywell Aerospace.
The CFE CFE738 is a small turbofan engine aimed at the business/commuter jet market manufactured by the CFE Company, and is used on the Dassault Falcon 2000.
The Lycoming ALF 502/LF 507 is a geared turbofan engine produced by Lycoming Engines, AlliedSignal, and then Honeywell Aerospace. The U.S. military designation for the ALF 502 is YF102.
The International Turbine Engine Company LLC is a joint venture between Honeywell Aerospace, and the Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC). The company produces the F124/F125 turbofan engine series, which is used in the Aermacchi M-346, Aero L-159 Alca, AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo, and AIDC T-5 Brave Eagle. In 2017 the F124 and F125 Engines reached 1,000,000 operating hours.
The Honeywell HTF7000 is a turbofan engine produced by Honeywell Aerospace. Rated in the 6,540–7,624 lbf (29.09–33.91 kN) range, the HTF7000 is used on the Bombardier Challenger 300/350, Gulfstream G280, Embraer Legacy 500/450 and the Cessna Citation Longitude. Its architecture could be extended for a range of 8,000 to 10,000 lbf thrust.
The Ivchenko AI-25 is a family of military and civilian twin-shaft medium bypass turbofan engines developed by Ivchenko OKB of the Soviet Union. It was the first bypass engine ever used on short haul aircraft in the USSR. The engine is still produced by Ukrainian based aircraft engine manufacturing company, Motor Sich.
The Volvo RM8 is a low-bypass afterburning turbofan jet engine developed for the Saab 37 Viggen fighter. An augmented bypass engine was required to give both better fuel consumption at cruise speeds and higher thrust boosting for its short take-off requirement than would be possible using a turbojet. In 1962, the civil Pratt & Whitney JT8D engine, as used for airliners such as the Boeing 727, was chosen as the only engine available which could be modified to meet the Viggen requirements. The RM8 was a licensed-built version of the JT8D, but extensively modified for supersonic speeds, with a Swedish-designed afterburner, and was produced by Svenska Flygmotor.
The Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries (IHI) F3 is a low bypass turbofan engine developed in Japan by Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries for the Kawasaki T-4 jet trainer aircraft. The first prototype engine, the XF3, was manufactured in 1981 and first flew in the XT-4 in July 1985. About 550 have been built.
The Ivchenko-Progress AI-222 is a family of low-bypass turbofan engines.
The Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries (IHI) XF5 is a low bypass turbofan engine developed in Japan by Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries for the Mitsubishi X-2 Shinshin (ATD-X).
The AIDC T-5 Brave Eagle is a supersonic advanced jet trainer developed by the Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) of Taiwan.
The Ivchenko-Progress AI-322 are a family of low-bypass turbofan engines developed from the AI-222 engine.
↑ Hua, Hsi-Chun (1997). Story of Yun Han (in Chinese). China Productivity Center.
↑ "Twin-engine BAe 146 tweaks interest at Garrett". Regional Aviation Weekly. Vol.5, no.28. July 13, 1990. p.264. ISSN1044-9450– via Factiva.
↑ Moorman, Robert W. (March 1992). "Following the signal; the winds of change continue to blow over Allied-Signal subsidiary, engine maker Garrett". Air Transport World. Vol.29, no.3. pp.36+. ISSN0002-2543. GaleA12033269.
↑ Macrae, Duncan; Sutton, Oliver (March 1996). "Getting Europe's new airlifter on the rails". Special report. Airlift: The new priority. Interavia. Vol.51, no.598. pp.32–34. ISSN1423-3215.
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