Atec Equipment on Jay Leno’s Garage

Caroline BennittAviation Support

Jay Leno’s Garage visits Edwards AFB in Season 2, episode 12. The Space Age episode shows Atec-manufactured equipment at the test cell on base and Jay Leno uses the Atec throttle to power up the Pratt & Whitney F119 engine! He then takes Neil DeGrasse Tyson (celebrity astrophysicist) on a joy ride in his Honeywell jet engine-powered car. Also in the …

Korean Air T-20 Test Cell Successfully Upgraded

Caroline BennittAviation Support

The F100/F110 Test Cell in Busan, South Korea has been upgraded to a modern T-20B hybrid with data recording, etc. The outdated system was dismantled and extensive repairs were made to the equipment at Atec’s subsidiary factory in Carlsbad. Repairs and refurbishment took under a year to complete and re-commission. Atec field teams were onsite at the Korean Air Depot …

TF34 Resurgence for A-10s & S-3s

Caroline BennittAviation Support

World security and conflict concerns during this time of tight military budgets are driving upgrades and usage extensions for older aircraft. Atec’s 63 years and Celtech’s 40 years with military aeroengines make us the “go to” companies for test and maintenance support. One engine getting a lot of attention these days is the TF34, which powers the A-10 Warthog and …

Atec Test Cell Advantages

Caroline BennittAviation Support

Updated September 5, 2018 From 65 years of experience, we are aware of Atec’s position in the test cell marketplace. We can deliver project success to any test cell project. Our tenured expertise and external linkages are unexcelled. Atec has active relationships with all major aeroengine OEMs. We are a gold supplier to the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer. Our contracting …

Leading Edge Engine Support

Caroline BennittAviation Support

Atec is the leader in support of test and maintenance for USDOD inventory high performance jet engines. Our recent history in rocket propulsion for NASA and USAF missions is notable as well. From enclosures to equipment, Atec can help with both new systems and modernization of legacy assets. For the USAF, Atec upgraded two T9 noise suppressors to test the …

CFD – The heart of aero systems engineering analysis

Caroline BennittAviation Support

When engine test cells first came to the scene, air flow prediction was a guessing game. Sometimes designers made good guesses; sometimes they made bad guesses. Then came Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), shedding some much needed light on the critical aero systems engineering analysis that always takes place when engineers design propeller and turbine engine test cells. Background During the early …

Turbine Engine Test Cell

Caroline BennittAviation Support

The article The Small Turbine Engine Test Cell, written by Tim Kern, featured the test cells at the Rolls Royce Indianapolis facility. Atec was pleased to see our “green,” Phoenix  Modular Test Facilities displayed in the January 2012 edition of the Aircraft Maintenance Technology Magazineand on the AviationPros website.

Engine Test Cell Challenges 2012 and Beyond

Caroline BennittAviation Support

Engine Test Cells have been around for the aviation industry since the dawn of the industry.  The Wright Brothers performed extensive testing on their small piston engine to verify performance with their belt driven propeller system.  As mechanics, they understood not only that a motor is only as good as the parts and the people who put those parts together, …

MROs must be both Technically and Business Savvy

Caroline BennittAviation Support

Test Cells still have the same mission as they did with the Wright Brothers: verifying engine performance prior to flight.  How that mission gets accomplished however is very different  today. The hand-loaded engine mount and cables/hoses have been replaced by automated coupling systems that join fuel and electrical connections. The engine adapter connections are intertwined with the Test Cell Control …