Sustainability of the TF33 Engine a Case to Re-engine the E-3 AWACS
Abstract
The JT3D jet engine developed by Pratt and Whitney in 1950s or TF33 as it is designated in the U.S. Airforce, was a top of the line jet engine used widely in the airline industry as well as in multiple military aircraft for over fifty years. Much of the TF33 core was derived from the J-57 engine developed in 1940s. Since the 1940s and 1950s, jet engine technologies have advanced significantly with modern engines fielding improved fuel efficiency, reduction of carbon emissions and noise pollution, and increased major maintenance inspection intervals. The airline industry completely retired the once great JT3D engine from its fleets as early as the mid-1990s. The Air Force, on the other hand, still maintains thousands of these engines on critical platforms like the E-3 AWACS and B-52 Stratofortress, whose decaying engines are experiencing reduced supportability and sustainability ultimately causing reductions to aircraft availability and mission capability. Several studies were conducted in the 1990s and early 2000s proposing the re-engining of TF33 powered aircraft. This study will take an extensive look at past studies on re-engining of TF33 powered aircraft, the current re-engine program for the B-52, and an analysis of engine removal and replacement data for the E-3 AWACS fleet on Tinker Air Force Base from 2007 to 2019 in a case for re-engining or retiring the E-3 platform.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1106240
Entities
People
- Sean T. Stephens
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology