Engine Design for Mechanics

This paper addresses a new gas turbine engine design approach that greatly improves the supportability of tomorrow's weapon system. This approach raises the level of availability and readiness of the weapon system to counter any emerging threat. The key elements of this approach are the Integrated Product Development (IPD) process, designer awareness, supportability reviews, comprehensive trade studies, early support tool involvement and full-scale mockups. This paper concludes with a discussion of how this new design approach benefits the weapon system and the user.