Rolls-Royce presents Liftfan Blisk to Lockheed Martin to commemorate 100 years of aviation excellence
Tuesday, 18 December 2012Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, congratulates Lockheed Martin for 100 years of aviation excellence and has recognized this important milestone with a LiftFanTM Blisk to be displayed at the Fighter Demonstration Center in Arlington, VA.
Rolls-Royce and Lockheed Martin have partnered for more than 70 years on some of the most significant aircraft ever developed. These include the F-35B Lightning II, equipped with the Rolls-Royce LiftSystem® for Short Take Off and Vertical Landing capability, and the C-130J medium transport, powered by the AE 2100 engine.
To celebrate this long partnership, Rolls-Royce has presented a blisk, or bladed disk, from LiftFan LF303 to be displayed in the Lockheed Martin Fighter Demonstration Center (FDC). The FDC is a unique facility near Washington, DC, that highlights Lockheed Martin's fifth-generation fighter programs, the F-35 Lightning II and the F-22 Raptor.
Tom Bell, Rolls-Royce, President – Defence, said, “Lockheed Martin has delivered a century of aviation excellence, and Rolls-Royce is proud to have powered thousands of their aircraft over the years. We look forward to partnering with Lockheed Martin in future on the fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft and the industry leading C-130J transport.”
The presentation blisk was originally installed in LiftFan LF303. The blisk completed nearly 600 hours of powered lift ground tests for stall, stability, flutter, inlet distortion and fan performance testing and then was retired from active test. The LiftFan is part of the Rolls-Royce LiftSystem, which also comprises a shaft, roll posts, and Three-Bearing Swivel Module. The LiftSystem is the only production technology in the world providing vertical lift capabilities for fighter aircraft.
The first engine delivered to Lockheed from the Rolls-Royce Indianapolis plant was the Allison V1710 in 1938, which powered the twin-engine Lockheed P-38, a signature fighter aircraft from World War II. Since that time, the Rolls-Royce plant has delivered engines every single year to Lockheed Martin, totalling more than 45,000 units for multiple types of aircraft.
- Rolls-Royce is a world-leading provider of power systems and services for use on land, at sea and in the air, and has established a strong position in global markets - civil aerospace, defense aerospace, marine and energy.
- As a result of this strategy, Rolls-Royce has a broad customer base comprising more than 500 airlines, 4,000 corporate and utility aircraft and helicopter operators, 160 armed forces, more than 4,000 marine customers, including 70 navies, and energy customers in more than 80 countries.
- Annual underlying revenue was $18.1 billion* in 2011, of which more than half came from the sale of aftermarket services. The firm and announced order book stood at $96.2 billion* at June 30, 2012, providing visibility of future growth.
- Rolls-Royce employs over 40,000 people in offices, manufacturing and service facilities in over 50 countries. Over 11,000 of these employees are engineers.
- In 2011, Rolls-Royce invested $1.4 billion* in research and development, two thirds of which had the objective of further improving the environmental performance of its products, in particular reducing emissions.
- Rolls-Royce supports a global network of 28 University Technology Centers, which connect the company’s engineers with the forefront of scientific research.
- The Group has a strong commitment to apprentice and graduate recruitment and to further developing employee skills.
- In North America, Rolls-Royce employs more than 9,300 people in 66 locations in 26 states and 7 sites in 6 Canadian provinces. In the United States, Rolls-Royce employs more than 7,700 people in 26 states.
- In the U.S., Rolls-Royce operates 15 manufacturing, assembly or test facilities in 10 states including California, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Ohio, Texas, Virginia and Washington.
* Assumed exchange rate: £1.00= $1.60
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