Volvo Aero RM12 (Sweden), Aero-engines - Turbofan
Overview
This afterburning turbofan was developed jointly with General Electric to power the JAS 39 Gripen
Description
On 3 June 1981 a consortium of Swedish aerospace companies submitted to the FMV (Swedish Defence Material Administration) the proposal for the next-generation fighter, then called the JAS 39. The document described a relatively small aircraft, powered by a single engine derived from the General Electric (GE) F404. The proposal was accepted, leading to the Saab Gripen (English name, Griffin). The first prototype flew on 9 December 1988.GE Aircraft Engines retains rights to the basic F404 design, and its Lynn, Massachusetts, plant supplies approximately 60 per cent by value of the parts for each engine, in the form of a self-contained production kit. In return, Volvo Aero not only supplies the other 40 per cent, but is also a partner, usually with a 20 per cent share, in all F404 applications. It supplies F404 parts to GE, similar to those that it manufactures for the RM12.Compared with other F404 engines, the RM12 develops significantly increased thrust. This has been achieved by increasing the turbine-inlet temperature by up to 105°C, made possible by changes to the hot-section materials, and by increasing the fan airflow. Because the Gripen is a single-engined aircraft, the RM12 fan is designed to meet more stringent bird-strike requirements. In turn, this requires changes to the control system (itself tailored to a single-engine application), with built-in redundancy to ensure get-home power.RM12 testing started at GE Lynn in June 1984, and testing of the first of six complete RM12 engines in Sweden began at Trollhättan on 23 January