Lightweight Self-Start System for T56 Engine Driven Aircraft

The Navy needs a small, self-contained, lightweight system for starting E-2D T56 engines to allow for remote field operations. We propose to develop a Rocket Fuel Starter (RFS) to meet Navy needs. Our RFS uses a liquid-fuel rocket engine to drive a turbine that generates shaft power to start the T56 engine. We project our RFS will fit in available spaces and will weigh significantly less than 200 lbm. In Phase I, we will generate an initial design of our RFS and compare our RFS design to existing solutions, in terms of Navy metrics. In Phase II, we will develop and deliver to the Navy a prototype RFS and demonstrate our RFS in a representative environment. In Phase III, we will deliver to the Navy a production representative RFS system that can be integrated onto an E-2D aircraft platform for aircraft-level testing. We will also sell our RFS for many other government and private-sector applications that require a starter that can produce high power with a compact and lightweight machine.