Collins Aerospace Career
When you create something that becomes your go-to solution decade after decade, you keep innovating to ensure its longevity. Extending the life of Boeing’s B-52 bomber (originally built in the 1950s) so it can operate into the 2050s is a prime example of making what’s old new again. As part of overhauling this legendary aircraft, the United States Air Force (USAF) will re-engine the remaining 76 bombers with commercial off-the-shelf jet engines that are more efficient, more powerful and less expensive to operate as part of its Commercial Engine Replacement Program (CERP)
In fact, Collins has experience supplying nacelles to all three of the engine makers vying for the B-52’s upgrade, including direct experience on three of the four specific engine families under consideration: General Electric’s CF34-10 engine, Pratt & Whitney’s 800 engine series and Rolls Royce’s BR 715 engine (the precursor to the BR725 engine they’ve proposed for the B-52). This related experience, coupled with Collins’ decades of proven success with the B-52 and many other military and commercial programs since then, make the company an ideal candidate for the CERP.
Specifically, Collins designed and fabricated the nacelles now integrated with GE’s CF34-10 engine on Embraer’s 190 and 195 aircraft platforms. Additionally, Collins has direct experience developing nacelles for business-jet platforms equipped with the PW800 engine series. Even though the engines were the same on each platform, separate nacelles were designed and manufactured featuring unique shapes to best fit each aircraft’s aerodynamic structure. Finally, Collins has extensive experience with Rolls Royce’s BR715 engine on Boeing’s 717 aircraft, serving as the exclusive nacelle provider for that successful program.
Interestingly, although the B-52 Stratofortress weighs in at approximately 185,000 pounds and is more than 159 feet long and 40 feet high, all of the engine models under consideration to power it in the future were originally designed for business/regional-jet aircraft due to considerations for size and thrust. That’s because the giant airplane uses eight of the smaller engines in its unique, twin-pod nacelle that has become a hallmark of the B-52. By maintaining that existing design, the USAF can retain its weapons systems without having to repeat lengthy aerodynamic testing.
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