Tinker eyes new engine workloads Published April 11, 2014 By 1st Lt. Matthew Whitaker 76th Propulsion Maintenance Group TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Since its founding, Tinker Air Force Base has played a critical role maintaining aircraft propulsion systems for the United States Air Force. Currently, the 76th Propulsion Maintenance Group spearheads that effort as it overhauls engines for 10 weapons systems, but that number is poised to expand. As the Air Force rethinks the way it does business, there are a number of projects being worked to bring new engines to the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex. The 50/50 rule, a law which requires 50 percent of sustainment work to be done in-house by the military for national security reasons, is a large driver for expanding engine workloads at Tinker. But there are other considerations at work as well. The need for costs savings is a key driver, and the 76th Propulsion Maintenance Group plays an important role. By providing competition to private contractors for long-term engine sustainment, the Air Force is working to keep the life cycle costs lower. "We have a competitive advantage as a major Air Force Engineering Center. Our commitment to excellence and available infrastructure give us that advantage," said David Jamison, the lead engineer at Engine Test. As part of this spirit, efforts are underway to increase engine testing capacity to win overhaul rights for the new KC-46 engine. "Because we are a tanker base, bringing that here just makes sense," Mr. Jamison said. The KC-46 engine would be the largest engine at Tinker, outputting 80,000 pounds of thrust. In order to secure the work, a new and larger engine test cell would need to be built. More immediately though, a study is being done to upgrade capabilities for Engine Test's four largest cells as a means to support the C-5's CF680 and TF39 engines. While not currently able to handle airflow requirements for the 50,000 pound thrust engines, modifying the 1970s-era cell intake and exhaust paths with a more modern design could facilitate the increased airflow requirements. PMXG also has its sights set on smaller engines like the AE21000 and T56 turboprops for the C-130. With the C-130 being used by multiple services in addition to the Air Force, Tinker could potentially compete for those workloads as well if a successful AE21000 or T56 program was established. This would bring more resources into the organization, broadening experience and allowing for more jobs. Efficient operations combined with higher throughput are critical parts to PMXGs business plan. With unmanned aircraft now composing a significant part of the military aircraft contingent, it is seriously being considered whether it would be beneficial to bring the Predator drone's TPE331 engine to Tinker as well. The feasibility of that project may rest on the outcome of a current strategy being developed with Rolls Royce that would bring the Global Hawk's AE3007 high bypass engine to Tinker by late 2015. In the meantime, PMXG has its hands full doing its part to help stand up the program for the nation's newest and most versatile stealth fighter, the F-35 Lightning II. Tinker will be able to support all three variants of the Joint Strike Fighter's F135 engine: Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. Additionally, the strategy will allow for different types of engine modules to be worked, tested, and returned to the fleet independently as part of a modular logistics concept. It is hoped that the flexibility gained through this method will reap long term benefits to the system's cost and supportability. The list of engines at Tinker AFB is never static, and as new aircraft continue to enter and exit the national inventory that list will continue to change adding to an already rich history. Since its founding during World War II the base has been a maintenance hub for more than 25 different types of engines. Included are the engines currently being worked on the floor today which belong to the KC-135, C-17, B-1B , B-2, B-52, E-3, E-8, F-15, F16 and F-22.