Rolls-Royce has received a $26.5 million contract modification from Naval Air Systems Command to produce more Rolls-Royce T406 (company designation AE 1107C-Liberty) for the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey V/STOL military transport aircraft. Eight engines for the USN and four for the USAF are included in the latest contract, which followed a $72.87 million modification in February 2021. Work will be performed in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is expected to be completed in December 2022. The U.S. Navy and Air Force have ordered about 1,000 AE1107C engines to date. The contract will be complete in February 2025.
The V-22’s two Rolls-Royce AE 1107C engines are connected by drive shafts to a common central gearbox so that one engine can power both proprotors if an engine failure occurs. The twin-shaft axial design of the AE1107C consists of a 14-stage compressor followed by an effusion-cooled annular combustor, a two-stage gas generator turbine and a two-stage power turbine. Either engine can power both proprotors through the wing driveshaft. If a proprotor gearbox fails, that proprotor cannot be feathered, and both engines must be stopped before an emergency landing. The Rolls-Royce AE 1107C engine delivers 6,000 shp (4,470 kW).
A power plant that is part of the proven AE engine family with a high part commonality. The AE 1107C is mission-ready with improved ‘hot and high’ performance for enhanced capability. The AE 1107C two-shaft axial design consists of a 14-stage compressor followed by an effusion-cooled annular combustor, a two-stage gas generator turbine and two-stage power turbine. The engine features six stages of variable compressor vanes, dual FADECs, and a self-contained oil system that enables vertical operation. The engine features modular construction and maintenance is ‘on-condition’.
The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is an American multi-mission, tiltrotor military aircraft with both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities. It is designed to combine the functionality of a conventional helicopter with the long-range, high-speed cruise performance of a turboprop aircraft. The Bell Boeing team jointly produce the aircraft. The V-22 first flew in 1989 and began flight testing and design alterations; the complexity and difficulties of being the first tiltrotor for military service led to many years of development.
