UTC Aerospace Systems Receives Boeing Installation Approval for F-15 Wheels and Brakes, as U.S. Air Force Fleet Retrofit Continues

 

UTC Aerospace has  announced today that it is scheduled to complete delivery of new boltless wheels and carbon brakes in September to the U.S. Air Force (USAF) as part of a fleet retrofit of its 475 F-15 Eagle aircraft. The delivery will be in support of a $22 million USAF contract awarded to UTC Aerospace Systems in November 2014, and a $30 million follow-on option awarded in August 2016. After successful completion of expanded test points, UTC Aerospace Systems received a letter of installation approval in February from the aircraft manufacturer, Boeing Defense, Space & Security, granting factory approval for the new wheels and brakes to be installed on all current models of the F-15 aircraft. 

 

The boltless wheels employ a lock ring design, substantially lowering maintenance time and cost, in addition to reduced parts count, when compared to traditional bolted aircraft wheels. In addition, the new brakes, which feature UTC Aerospace Systems proprietary DURACARB® carbon heat sink material, allow for a three to four times longer life than the F-15's current brakes, further reducing the aircraft's total lifecycle cost.

 

"UTC Aerospace Systems is pleased to receive Boeing's installation approval, which we feel is a testament to the high degree of confidence they have in the increased performance and capability of our advanced wheels and brakes for the F-15 Eagle," said Jeff Atkinson, Director of Military Programs for the company's Landing Systems business unit. "Our DURACARB® brakes are capable of handling higher energy than the aircraft's existing system, which will increase the safety margin when stopping heavily-loaded F-15s. In addition, our brakes achieve more landings before wear-out than the current system, while requiring significantly less maintenance, and our wheels have a higher fatigue life than the current equipment, significantly increasing the time on-wing before replacement is needed."

F-15-photo-credit-USAF