General Electric F404/F414

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F404 turbofan being tested onboard an aircraft carrier
F404 turbofan being tested onboard an aircraft carrier

The General Electric F404 and F414 are a family of afterburning turbofan engines in the 10,500-22,000 lbf (85 kN) class (static thrust). The series are produced by GE-Aviation. Partners include Volvo Aero (which also builds a variant of the F404 as the Volvo RM12.) The F404 was developed into the larger F412 and F414 turbofans, as well as the experimental GE-36 civil propfan.

Contents

[edit] F404 development history

GE developed the F404 for the F/A-18 Hornet, shortly after losing the competition for the F-15 Eagle's engine to Pratt & Whitney, and losing the Light Weight Fighter competition to the P&W-powered YF-16. For the F/A-18, GE based the F404 on the engine they developed for the YF-17 Cobra, enlarging the bypass ratio from .25 to .4 to enable higher fuel economy. In an unorthodox move, the Navy specified the requirements in order as:

  1. Operability
  2. Reliability and maintainability
  3. Cost
  4. Performance
  5. Weight

GE also analyzed "throttle profiles" and found that pilots were changing throttle settings far more often than engineers previously expected; putting undue stress on the engines. GE also sought with the F404 to avoid compressor stalls and other engine failures, and would respond quickly to control inputs; a common complaint of pilots converting from propeller planes to jets were that early turbojets were not responsive to changes in thrust input. GE executives Frederick A. Larson and Paul Setts, also set the goal that the new engine would be smaller than the F-4's J79, but provide at least as much thrust, and cost half as much as P&W's engine for the F-16.[1]

Due to a fan designed to smooth airflow before it enters the compressor, the F404 has high resistance to compressor stalls, even at high angles of attack. It requires less than two shop visits per 1,000 flight hours and averages 6,500 hours between in-flight events. It also demonstrates high responsiveness to control inputs, spooling from idle to full afterburner in 4 seconds. The engine contains an in-flight engine condition monitoring system (IECMS) that monitors for critical malfunctions and keeps track of parts lifetimes.[2]

Based on the success of the F404, the Air Force directed GE to develop a derivative for use on its F-16 and F-15 as an alternative to the Pratt & Whitney F100.[1] GE developed the F404-GE-402 to provide more power for the Swiss export models of the F/A-18; the engine was subsequently adopted by the Kuwait for their Hornets, and eventually by the U.S. on late-model C and D Hornets.[2]

[edit] F414 development history

GE evolved the F404 into the F412-GE-400 non-afterburning turbofan for the A-12 Avenger II. After the cancellation of the A-12, the research was directed toward an engine for the Super Hornet. The F414 uses the core of the F412 and its full-authority digital engine control (FADEC), alongside the low-pressure system from the YF120 engine developed for the Advanced Tactical Fighter competition.

[edit] Applications

F404:

F414:

F414M:

Volvo RM12:

[edit] Upgrades

Recognizing that the F/A-18E/F will assume new roles and missions over its lifetime, as well as face an uncertain and ever changing threat environment, GE designed the F414 with thrust growth potential to meet these anticipated needs. Already envisioned for the F414’s first growth step was a 10 percent thrust increase that could be available by 2005. Increased performance would be achieved with an improved core having an all blisk compressor and higher temperature turbine alloys to withstand a modest temperature increase. The second growth step would provide 15 percent more thrust than the initial F414 - about 25,000 pounds of thrust (or roughly 111 kilo- Newtons ). This engine would use the improved Step A core with a larger fan and low-pressure turbine. It would still fit within the existing F/A-18E/F engine installation, however.

The final growth step - Step C - would produce an engine with 30 percent more thrust than the F414 - just under 29,000 pounds, or about 128 kilo- Newtons. This thrust level is nearly equal to the F110 Increased Performance Engine. To reach this impressive thrust level will demand further airflow growth from the fan, a modest temperature increase, a new two-stage low pressure turbine and a new afterburner.

[edit] Specification (F404-GE-402)

General characteristics

  • Type: Afterburning turbofan
  • Length: 154 in (3,912 mm)
  • Diameter: 35 in (889 mm)
  • Dry weight: 2,282 lb (1,036 kg)

Components

  • Compressor: Axial compressor with 3 fan and 7 compressor stages
  • Bypass ratio: 0.34:1
  • Turbine: 1 low-pressure and 1 high-pressure stage

Performance

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Kelly, Orr (1990). Hornet: the inside story of the F/A-18. Novato: Presido Press. ISBN 0-89141-344-8. 
  2. ^ a b Jenkins, Dennis R. (2000). F/A-18 Hornet: A Navy Success Story. New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0071346961. 

[edit] External links

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