Open AccessAn Update on the Development of the T407/GLC38 Modern Technology Gas Turbine Engine
Author(s) -
Michael J. Zoccoli,
Kenneth P. Rusterholz
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
volume 2: aircraft engine; marine; microturbines and small turbomachinery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Conference proceedings
DOI - 10.1115/92-gt-147
Subject(s) - turbofan , turboprop , propulsion , engineering , automotive engineering , stirling engine , combined cycle , turbine , mechanical engineering , aerospace engineering
The T407/GLC38 is a modern technology 6000 SHP class turboshaft/turboprop gas turbine engine which is being developed jointly by Textron Lycoming (Stratford, Connecticut), General Electric Aircraft Engines (Lynn, Massachusetts), Bendix Controls (South Bend, Indiana), and Ruston Gas Turbines (Great Britain). The gas generator core for the T407/GLC38 engine series is also common to the CFE738, a new generation turbofan which is being developed by General Electric and the Garret Engine Division. The T407 (military)/GLC38 (commercial) is a derivative of the highly successful U.S. Army/GE27 MTDE engine which has been redesigned to meet commercial engine life standards. The design philosophy for this engine was directed at achieving high output power per unit airflow, reliability from reduced parts count, ease of maintenance via extensive modularity, and state-of-the-art SFC levels that are up to 25% below those of existing 5000–6000 SHP powerplants. The latter characteristic manifests itself in reduced life cycle and direct operating costs and (where applicable) tradeoff versatility amongst range, time on station, and payload increase. This paper is a continuation in a documentary series on the T407/GLC38 design and development. It traces the evolution of the T407/GLC38 program from First Engine to Test, wherein all thermodynamic and mechanical objectives were essentially achieved or exceeded, through full system turboprop evaluation, turbofan development testing, and qualification/certification testing completed to date. A comprehensive review of the test objectives, testing requirements, setup, and basic results are provided; in addition, the relevancy and impact of each phase of engine testing towards the goal of qualification/certification and ultimately production is provided.