Re-engined Joint STARS Airborne

摘要

Northrop Grumman E-8C JointSurveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) test-bed T-3 (90-0175/'JS') of the 4411th Joint Test Force has completed its first flight following re-engining. The aircraft took off on December 8, 2011, from Northrop Grumman's facility at Melbourne, Florida, powered by Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219S in place of the TF33-PW-102Cs currently used by the operational fleet. They provide the Joint STARS with a lower fuel burn and a corresponding increased time on-station. The JT8Ds include a new pneumatic system that uses a single stage pre-cooling design that improves reliability and the hardware's life cycle.