The General Electric F414 is an American

afterburning An afterburner (or reheat in British English) is an additional combustion component used on some jet engines, mostly those on military supersonic aircraft. Its purpose is to increase thrust, usually for supersonic flight, takeoff, and combat ...

turbofan The turbofan or fanjet is a type of airbreathing jet engine that is widely used in aircraft propulsion. The word "turbofan" is a portmanteau of "turbine" and "fan": the ''turbo'' portion refers to a gas turbine engine which achieves mechanic ...

engine in the 22,000- pound (98 kN) thrust class produced by

GE Aviation GE Aviation, a subsidiary of General Electric, is headquartered in Evendale, Ohio, outside Cincinnati. GE Aviation is among the top aircraft engine suppliers, and offers engines for the majority of commercial aircraft. GE Aviation is part of t ...

. The F414 originated from GE's widely used F404 turbofan, enlarged and improved for use in the

Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet The Boeing F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornet are twin-engine, carrier-capable, multirole fighter aircraft variants based on the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. The F/A-18E single-seat and F/A-18F tandem-seat variants are larger and more ad ...

. The engine was developed from the F412 non-afterburning turbofan planned for the

A-12 Avenger II The McDonnell Douglas/General Dynamics A-12 Avenger II was a proposed American attack aircraft from McDonnell Douglas and General Dynamics. It was to be an all-weather, carrier-based stealth bomber replacement for the Grumman A-6 Intruder in t ...

, before it was canceled.

Design and development

Origins

GE evolved the F404 into the F412-GE-400 non-afterburning turbofan for the

McDonnell Douglas A-12 Avenger II The McDonnell Douglas/General Dynamics A-12 Avenger II was a proposed American attack aircraft from McDonnell Douglas and General Dynamics. It was to be an all-weather, carrier-based stealth bomber replacement for the Grumman A-6 Intruder in t ...

. After the cancellation of the A-12, the research was directed toward an engine for the

F/A-18E/F Super Hornet The Boeing F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornet are twin-engine, carrier-capable, multirole fighter aircraft variants based on the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. The F/A-18E single-seat and F/A-18F tandem-seat variants are larger and more ad ...

. GE successfully pitched the F414 as a low-risk derivative of the F404, rather than a riskier new engine. The F414 engine was originally envisioned as not using any materials or processes not used in the F404, and was designed to fit in the same footprint as the F404."Confident GE heads to F414 CDR next month" (1994). ''Aerospace Daily''. Vol 169, No. 34; p. 270. The F414 uses the core and full-authority digital engine control (FADEC) from the F412, and the low-pressure system from the YF120 engine developed for the

Advanced Tactical Fighter The Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) was a demonstration and validation program undertaken by the United States Air Force to develop a next-generation air superiority fighter to counter emerging worldwide threats, including Soviet Sukhoi Su-27 ...

competition. One of the major differences between the F404 and the F414 is the fan section. The F414 fan is larger than that of the F404, but smaller than the F412 fan. The larger fan increases the engine airflow by 16% and is longer. To keep the F414 in the same envelope, or space occupied in the airframe, as the F404, the afterburner section was shortened by and the

combustor A combustor is a component or area of a gas turbine, ramjet, or scramjet engine where combustion takes place. It is also known as a burner, combustion chamber or flame holder. In a gas turbine engine, the ''combustor'' or combustion chamber is f ...

shortened by . Also changed from the F404 is the construction of the first three stages of the high-pressure compressor which are

blisk A blisk (portmanteau of bladed disk) is a turbomachine component comprising both rotor disk and blades. It serves as a critical component of the engine compressor to allow a sufficient quantity of compressed air to enter the engine for combustion ...

s rather than separate discs and dovetailed blades, saving in weight. The F414 uses a " fueldraulic" system to control the area of the

convergent-divergent nozzle A de Laval nozzle (or convergent-divergent nozzle, CD nozzle or con-di nozzle) is a tube which is pinched in the middle, making a carefully balanced, asymmetric hourglass shape. It is used to accelerate a compressible fluid to supersonic speeds ...

in the afterburner section. The nozzle actuators use engine fuel whereas the F404 uses an engine hydraulic system. "Fueldraulic" actuators for afterburner nozzles have been used since the 1960s on the

Pratt & Whitney J58 The Pratt & Whitney J58 (company designation JT11D-20) is an American jet engine that powered the Lockheed A-12, and subsequently the YF-12 and the SR-71 aircraft. It was an afterburning turbojet engine with a unique compressor bleed to the a ...

and

Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour The Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour is a two-shaft low bypass turbofan aircraft engine developed by Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Limited, a joint venture between Rolls-Royce (UK) and Turbomeca (France). The engine is named after the Adour, a river in so ...

, for example. They are also used to swivel the VTOL nozzle for the

Rolls-Royce LiftSystem The Rolls-Royce LiftSystem, together with the F135 engine, is an aircraft propulsion system designed for use in the STOVL variant of the F-35 Lightning II. The complete system, known as the Integrated Lift Fan Propulsion System (ILFPS), was a ...

.Kandebo, Stanley (1992). "GE Component Test Program to Reduce Risk in F414 Engine Development". ''Aviation Week and Space Technology''. Vol. 136, No. 26; p. 64.

Further development

The F414 continues to be improved, both through internal GE efforts and federally funded development programs. By 2006 GE had tested an Enhanced Durability Engine (EDE) with an advanced core. The EDE engine provided a 15% thrust increase or longer life without the thrust increase. It has a six-stage high-pressure compressor (down from 7 stages in the standard F414) and an advanced high-pressure turbine."GE F110 and F404/F414 Fighter Engines Expand Capability and Global Presence"
. GE Aviation, July 17, 2006 The new compressor should be about 3% more efficient. The new high-pressure turbine uses new materials and a new way of delivering cooling air to the blades. These changes should increase the turbine temperature capability by about 150 °F (83 °C).Kandebo, Stanley W. "Enhanced F414 Readies for Tests" (2004). ''Aviation Week and Space Technology''. Vol. 160, No. 1; p. 58. The EDE is designed to have better

foreign object damage In aviation and aerospace, foreign object debris (FOD), is any particle or substance, alien to an aircraft or system, which could potentially cause damage. External FOD hazards include bird strikes, hail, ice, sandstorms, ash-clouds or obje ...

resistance, and a reduced fuel burn rate.Norris, Guy
"GE Eyes More Powerful Engine For Super Hornets, Growlers"
''Aviation Week'', 14 May 2009.Trimble, Stephen

''Flight International'', 12 May 2009. The EDE program continued with the testing of an advanced two stage blade-disk or "

" fan. The first advanced fan was produced using traditional methods, but future blisk fans will be made using translational

friction welding Friction welding (FRW) is a solid-state welding process that generates heat through mechanical friction between workpieces in relative motion to one another, with the addition of a lateral force called "upset" to plastically displace and fuse the m ...

with the goal of reducing manufacturing costs. GE touts that this latest variant yields either a 20% increase in thrust or threefold increase in hot-section durability over the current F414. This version is called the Enhanced Performance Engine (EPE) and was partially funded through the federal

Integrated High Performance Turbine Engine Technology The Integrated High Performance Turbine Engine Technology program was a project of the United States military. Its objective was to conduct science and technology research that would secure advancements in the engineering of the gas turbine engin ...

(or IHPTET) program. Other possible F414 improvements include efforts to reduce engine noise by using either mechanical or fluidic

chevrons Chevron (often relating to V-shaped patterns) may refer to: Science and technology * Chevron (aerospace), sawtooth patterns on some jet engines * Chevron (anatomy), a bone * '' Eulithis testata'', a moth * Chevron (geology), a fold in rock l ...

and efforts to reduce emissions with a new trapped vortex combustor. Chevrons would reduce engine noise by inducing mixing between the cooler, slower bypass air and the hotter, faster core exhaust air. Mechanical chevrons would come in the form of triangular cutouts (or extensions) at the end of the nozzle, resulting in a "sharktooth" pattern. Fluidic chevrons would operate by injecting differential air flows around the exhaust to achieve the same ends as the mechanical variety. A new combustor would likely aim to reduce emissions by burning a higher percentage of the

oxygen Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as ...

, thereby reducing the amount of oxygen available to bond with

nitrogen Nitrogen is the chemical element with the symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a nonmetal and the lightest member of group 15 of the periodic table, often called the pnictogens. It is a common element in the universe, estimated at se ...

forming the pollutant NO_x. As of 2009, the F414-EDE was being developed and tested, under a United States Navy contract for a reduced specific fuel consumption (SFC) demonstrator engine. In addition, General Electric has tested F414 engines equipped with a second low-pressure turbine stage made from ceramic matrix composites (CMC). The F414 represents the first successful use of a CMC in a rotating engine part. The tests proved CMCs are strong enough to endure the heat and rotational stress inside the turbine. The advantage CMC offers is a weight one third that of metal alloy and the ability to operate without cooling air, making the engine more aerodynamically efficient and fuel efficient. The new turbine is not yet ready for a production aircraft, however, as further design changes are needed to make it more robust. Over 1,000 F414 engines have been delivered and the engine family has totaled over 1 million flight hours by 2010.

Variants

;F414-GE-400: Flies in the Boeing

. Also proposed for the unbuilt naval F-117N variant of the F-117 Nighthawk. ;F414-EDE: "Enhanced Durability Engine" or "EDE", includes an improved high-pressure turbine (HPT) and high-pressure compressor (HPC). The HPT is redesigned to withstand slightly higher temperatures and includes aerodynamic changes. The HPC has been redesigned to 6 stages, down from 7. These changes aimed at reducing SFC by 2% and component durability three times higher. ;F414-EPE: "Enhanced Performance Engine" or "EPE", includes a new core and a redesigned fan and compressor. Offers up to a 20 percent thrust boost, increasing it to , giving an almost 11:1 thrust/weight ratio. ;F414M: Used by the EADS Mako/HEAT. Derated thrust to 12,500 lbf (55.6 kN) dry and 16,850 lbf (75 kN) wet. Proposed for international versions of the Korean T-50 series of trainers and fighter aircraft, but later superseded by a new offer with a standard F414. ;F414-G: Produced for the

Saab JAS 39 Gripen The Saab JAS 39 Gripen (; English: ''griffin'') is a light single-engine multirole fighter aircraft manufactured by the Swedish aerospace and defense company Saab AB. The Gripen has a delta wing and canard configuration with relaxed stabilit ...

Demonstator. Slightly modified for use in a single engine Gripen, instead of a twin-engine aircraft like the F/A-18. With it, the Gripen Demonstrator reached Mach 1.2 in

supercruise Supercruise is sustained supersonic flight of a supersonic aircraft with a useful cargo, passenger, or weapons load without using afterburner (also known as "reheat"). Many supersonic military aircraft are not capable of supercruise and can only m ...

(without afterburner). ;F414BJ: Proposed for the Dassault Falcon SSBJ. Would produce around of thrust without use of afterburner. ;F414-GE-INS6: India's

Aeronautical Development Agency The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) under Department of Defence Research and Development (DR&D) of India's Ministry of Defence was established at Bangalore, in 1984 to oversee the development of the nation's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) p ...

(ADA) selected the F414-GE-INS6 to power HAL Tejas Mark 2 of the Indian Air Force (IAF). India ordered 99 engines in October 2010. It produces more thrust than previous versions, and features a Full Authority Digital Electronics Control (FADEC) system. The engines are to be delivered by 2013. ;F414-GE-39E (GE RM16): New version of the F414G for the Saab JAS-39E/F Gripen. ;F414-GE-400K: Variant of the F414-GE-400 co-developed by General Electric and

Hanwha Aerospace , type = Public , traded_as = , industry = Aerospace , genre = , fate = , predecessor = , successor = , founded = (as Samsung Precision) ...

for the South Korean KAI KF-X, to be manufactured jointly and assembled locally in South Korea by Hanwha Aerospace. ;F414-GE-100: A version custom made to drive NASA's X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology X-plane. Derived from the F414-GE-39E modifications include different control software, fuel piping and lack of mounting rails. Two units were made.

Applications

* EADS Mako/HEAT *

HAL Tejas Mk2 HAL may refer to: Aviation * Halali Airport (IATA airport code: HAL) Halali, Oshikoto, Namibia * Hawaiian Airlines (ICAO airline code: HAL) * HAL Airport, Bangalore, India * Hindustan Aeronautics Limited an Indian aerospace manufacturer of fight ...

HAL TEDBF The HAL Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF) is a canard delta wing, twin-engine, carrier-based, multirole combat aircraft currently under development for the Indian Navy. The TEDBF is being designed and developed by the Aeronautical Develo ...

HAL AMCA The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) is an Indian programme to develop a fifth-generation stealth, multirole, air superiority fighter for the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy which will also include sixth-generation technologies. ...

* KAI KF-21 Boramae *

Lockheed Martin X-59 QueSST The Lockheed Martin X-59 QueSST ("Quiet SuperSonic Technology") is an American experimental supersonic aircraft being developed at Skunk Works for NASA's Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator project. Preliminary design started in February 2016, with the ...

* Saab JAS 39E/F Gripen

Specifications (F414-400)

References

External links

GE Aviation F414 page

{{Swedish military gas turbine aeroengines Low-bypass turbofan engines

F414 The General Electric F414 is an American afterburning turbofan engine in the 22,000- pound (98 kN) thrust class produced by GE Aviation. The F414 originated from GE's widely used F404 turbofan, enlarged and improved for use in the Boeing F/A-1 ...

1990s turbofan engines