ITEP engine passes testing milestone

The Army has concluded First Engine to Test of the engine it says will power Black Hawk, Apache and Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft helicopters, the program executive office for aviation announced Thursday.

The Army powered on the first GE-built T901 engine in late March and ran it for more than 100 hours of flight time ending on June 28, the Army said. The engine is being developed through the Army’s Improved Turbine Engine Program.

“The event successfully verified and validated performance models on the Army’s next-generation rotorcraft engine,” the Army announced.

The engine will now undergo a multiyear testing process to reach full Army qualification.

Preliminary Flight Rating testing will begin this fall with eight T901 engines, according to the Army announcement. The T901 will go through almost 5,000 hours of testing to achieve full engine qualification, the Army said.

The engine is designed to fit in the existing structures of Black Hawk and Apache helicopters and provide greater power, reliability and fuel efficiency over existing engines.

Testing of the engine had been pushed back due to supply chain snarls and coronavirus-related delays, the Government Accountability Office said last month. Those delays pushed back the development timeline for the FARA program.