Sharon Weinberger
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Morphing Engine Project Takes Off

After producing enough studies to fill a bookshelf, the Air Force is taking another step toward its commitment to develop a new long-range bomber by 2018. Evidence of this progress? The Air Force Research Laboratory is kick-starting a pretty interesting project to build an engine that would allow an aircraft "to switch from high speed […]

After producing enough studies to fill a bookshelf, the Air Force is taking another step toward its commitment to develop a new long-range bomber by 2018. Evidence of this progress? The Air Force Research Laboratory is kick-starting a pretty interesting project to build an engine that would allow an aircraft "to switch from high speed combat maneuvers to long-range persistence mode as effortlessly as a bird in flight."

Bomber The Air Force hasn't explicitly linked the engine to the bomber, and as the description makes clear, the engine would certainly have applications to other aircraft. But the timing matches up with the service's plans for a new long-range strike aircraft. Here's how a press release today describes the Adaptive Versatile Engine Technology, or ADVENT:

*Also known as Project ADVENT, the program's goals are to develop inlet, engine and exhaust technologies that optimize propulsion system performance over a broad range of altitude and speed. *

The demonstration program will select two competitive contractor teams in August during a concept exploration phase, said Matthew Meininger, the ADVENT program manager. The remainder of Phase I will include critical component testing and engine preliminary design.
A single contractor will then be selected in late 2009 to carry out the Phase 2 effort. This phase covers work from engine-detailed design through Technology Readiness Level 6, which signifies it is ready for a full-up, operational test in a relevant engine environment. Mr. Meininger said engine demonstrator testing would occur in 2012.

The transformational engine is needed to combine speed, maneuverability, range and persistence. Essentially, it will transcend today's fixed engines, which are constrained to provide either fuel efficiency or high performance, said Jeff Stricker, the chief engineer of the propulsion directorate's turbine engine division.

Meanwhile, DARPA is developing a shape-shifting airframe for a next-gen, unmanned bomber. Presumably, it's something that could work well with this morphing engine.

But apart from the technology, the big question remains: does the Air Force have the money to develop a new aircraft for these long-range strike missions? That's far from clean. Maybe they'll buy the engine, at least.