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OC-ALC produces 100th F108 upgrade program engine

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  • By Kimberly Woodruff
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's Propulsion Sustainment Division CFM Propulsion Upgrade Program team has a reason to celebrate.

This month the F108 enterprise team will produce the 100th organic F108
C-PUP engine used in support of the KC-135, RC-135 and Navy E-6 aircrafts. "Organic" meaning the engine is repaired here at Tinker Air Force Base.

"It is time to say, 'good job' to the team and give them a big pat on the back. One hundred engines is a milestone," said Brian Johnson, AFLCMC/LPSB F101/F108/F110/F118 Branch chief.

Mr. Johnson said there was doubt in the beginning whether the C-PUP upgrade would be a smooth transition. "There was always the potential for a hiccup, but the team is on the right path," he said. "And it certainly is a reason to celebrate."

A little over a year ago, the Life Cycle Management Center was having trouble meeting the Air Force Air Mobility Command's requirement for War Readiness Engines, Mr. Johnson said. To bolster WRE, "We contracted with GE Strother in Kansas and they overhauled/upgraded 15 C-PUP engines for the Air Force," he said. "However, it is significant to note that we no longer need to go anywhere else for engine repair, we can support the demand for the F108 engine right here at Tinker AFB."

The C-PUP kit upgrades the F108 engine with newer parts including high pressure turbine blades, nozzles and shrouds and compressor blades, and vanes, making the engine more efficient, reliable and durable, according to Mr. Johnson. The initial phase began in April 2013 and the first engine was produced in June 2013.

It is currently taking about 60 days to produce an engine, down from 73.5 days in fiscal year 2013 according to Tim Misner, F108 lead program manager.

In FY 2012, the production time was at 106 days, according to Chad Curl, 546th Propulsion Maintenance Squadron Production Support flight chief. "Anything can be leaned out, and the process continues to mature," he said. "On the maintenance side, nothing really changed; the C-PUP still uses the same tools, just the parts have changed, but it goes together the same way."

Mr. Curl said there are currently 24 engines in various stages of the process. It takes approximately 70 people in actual touch labor to produce an engine, and countless others on the production team.

The benefits from the C-PUP F108 engine add up to extensive savings for the Department of Defense.

"We estimated a 1.5 percent fuel savings, but after the implementation of C-PUP, we have been tracking data and it looks like we are doing better than 1.5 percent," said Steve Walsh, F108 CPUP Program Manager. "That equates to approximately $2 billion savings in fuel over the life of the program."

Mr. Walsh says the total cost avoidance for 120 engines and the new C-PUP upgrade is $4.6 billion.

Also, according to Mr. Walsh, the materials are more durable, so that improves the time the engine spends on the wing before needing repair. Additionally, the issue of parts becoming obsolete has been reduced because the Air Force can purchase the newest parts instead of needing to purchase parts for an obsolete engine.

CFM International, the Original Equipment Manufacturer, was producing compressor blades for the F108 and the Air Force was the only customer using those blades. However, with the implementation of C-PUP our engines are now being upgraded to be more in line with other CFM engines used in the commercial airline industry.

"A lot of people worked to get the C-PUP off the ground and made it a success," said Mr. Johnson. The C-PUP team was recognized as the Director of Propulsion "Team of the Year", by Mr. Rafael Garcia, AFLCMC/LP Director. This was a wonderful venue for recognizing the enterprise, including those outside the organization who worked on the C-PUP team, Mr. Johnson said. Though only 12 individuals were allowed to be listed on the award, it really was an overall team effort by everyone.