For the first time, rotorcraft manufacturer Sikorsky powered up the Raider X prototype aircraft, which features the new GE Aerospace T901 Improved Turbine Engine. The engine, originally developed for the US Army's now-cancelled Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) programme, will eventually power the army's Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawks and Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopters.
Although the FARA programme has been cancelled, and the two prototype aircraft are not expected to fly, Sikorsky and the US Army are conducting limited ground testing of the T901 engine in the Raider X prototype to gather data in support of integrating the powerplant into the Black Hawk fleet.
Smoke seen during the initial engine ignition is preservation oil being burned off, not a mechanical issue.
Video provided by Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin.
22 авг 2024