The consortium developing the power and propulsion system for the Global Combat Air Programme has moved a step closer to ground testing its engine demonstrator following a series of design reviews, Rolls-Royce stated.
Avio Aero of Italy, Japan’s IHI Corporation and Rolls-Royce make up the consortium, which according to the company is driving the change in power and propulsion required for the next-generation combat aircraft being developed under GCAP. The company states that by strengthening their collaborative approach and reaching technological milestones, the partners are advancing capabilities intended to underpin the future security of the three nations.
Rolls-Royce describes the engine demonstrator as the point at which lessons drawn from its Orpheus programme are being scaled internationally. According to the company, Orpheus serves as a test of new working methods and agile engineering processes, with the rapid learning model developed through it directly shaping technology development and reducing risk for future aircraft. The consortium’s work is intended to culminate in ground testing of the demonstrator to gather data needed to de-risk the wider programme.
Alongside the international engine work, Rolls-Royce is supplying two modified EJ200 engines for the UK’s flying combat air demonstrator under the Future Combat Air System. The EJ200 is the powerplant used in the Eurofighter Typhoon, produced by the EuroJet consortium, and its adaptation for the demonstrator aircraft allows the airframe to fly without waiting on the next-generation engine.
That demonstrator is being built by BAE Systems and the Ministry of Defence with Rolls-Royce and MBDA at Warton in Lancashire. Team Tempest partners confirmed this week that around half of the main aircraft structure is now in final assembly, with more than 11,500 parts designed to date accounting for roughly 90% of the aircraft’s overall weight.
GCAP was formed in December 2022, bringing together the United Kingdom, Italy and Japan to develop a sixth-generation crewed fighter intended to replace the Typhoon in British and Italian service and the F-2 in Japanese service, with an in-service target around 2035. The programme is overseen by a trilateral government organisation headquartered in the UK, with industrial delivery running through a joint venture formed by BAE Systems, Leonardo and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co.
Propulsion has been structured along the same trilateral lines, with each nation contributing an established engine manufacturer. The design reviews now completed represent the point at which the three companies’ separate work converges on a common demonstrator configuration ahead of hardware testing, a stage that will establish how the technologies developed in each country perform as a single integrated system.
Is It Electric ?
I know we used to have an Electric lightning once…
We were so ahead of the times back then.
No, plug-in hybrid.
Ahh…. must be on a “long Lead” then.
No wonder It’s taking so long.
Oh I think it charges itself when it flies over electricity pylons. 🙂
Enemy pays.
Nah, solar panels. That is why they chose a Delta-Wing design, greater surface area.
good plan.
It does 68 miles on electric power and 2000 on normal fuel😏
Will all 3 companies own the IP rights to the engine? If one company decides to use the engine for another project will they need permission from the other 2 companies? Don’t really know how these arrangements work when multiple companies who produce the same thing work together.
In programmes like this, each company normally keeps ownership of the IP it brings into the project (‘background IP’), while any new technology developed jointly is covered by the partnership agreement (‘foreground IP’).
The EJ200 used in Typhoon is probably the best example. It was developed through the EuroJet consortium (RR, MTU, Avio and ITP), but that doesn’t mean one company can simply take the complete engine design and use it elsewhere. The consortium has agreements covering IP and future use.
GCAP is likely to work in a similar way with RR, IHI and Avio.
If one company wanted to use the engine or technology elsewhere, it would depend on the rights agreed within the partnership.
There seems to be a moderate amount of confidence and progress coming out of this project.
Agreed. A rare glimmer of optimism, which is quite welcome
Probably because there’s an acceptance there is no other viable option. They simply have to make it work. A lack of a cheap alternative does wonders to focus the mind!
The agreement has been made and all good, it is a still a wonder to me how 3 aero engine companies share their innermost secrets to jointly produce an advanced engine.
In the Car Engine industry, this Is pretty common.
If ego is put to one side it’s amazing the progress that can be made. Keep ALL politicians out and let the scientists and engineers enjoy themselves. That how countries get a vision and produce “growth”. Politico’s could learn a lot from that! – having jobs they enjoy for it’s own sake.