General Electric F414

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The General Electric F414 is an afterburning turbofan engines in the 22,000 lb_f (85 kN) class (static thrust). The engines are produced by GE-Aviation. The F414 was developed from GE's highly-successful F404 turbofan.

1 F414 development history
- 1.1 Upgrades
2 Applications
3 Specification (F414-GE)
4 References
5 External links

[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] 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 force (110 kN) of thrust. 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 force (130 kN). 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.