The General Electric F110 is a low-bypass afterburning turbofan used in versions of the F-16 and F-15. It entered production in 1984 after GE developed a fighter engine using the F101 bomber engine as its starting point. The programme became a central participant in the American military procurement competition known as the Great Engine War.[1]
Competitive origins
In the late 1970s, Pratt & Whitney supplied the engines for the principal new American fighters. GE sought to enter that market with a design based on established core technology and adapted for fighter use. The resulting F110 received a US defence contract in 1984, introducing competition that encouraged improvements in performance, durability and maintenance cost.[1]
Principal ratings
GE's technical sheet lists the F110-GE-129 in the 29,000 lbf thrust class and the -132 in the 32,500 lbf class. Their published bypass ratios are 0.76 and 0.68 respectively. Although related, they are distinct engine versions with different airflow and performance characteristics. Both fall within the same low-bypass augmented-turbofan architecture.[2]
Durability development
Later engines incorporate service-life extension hardware and improvements to the hot section. GE identifies a 6,000-total-accumulated-cycle capability in its description of the enhanced models, intended to improve availability and reduce lifetime cost. Development therefore continued after the original fighter competition, with the manufacturer adapting components to operating experience in hot and harsh conditions.[2]
Continuing aircraft development
The F110-GE-129 powers advanced F-15 applications, including the F-15EX Eagle II. GE's 2024 retrospective described continuous annual production since 1984 and renewed demand from new fighter orders. The engine's history thus spans the original introduction of competition on fourth-generation fighters and later aircraft programmes that retained and further developed those airframes.[1]