Collins Aerospace Systems has been selected to provide additional power and control systems on the Boeing T-X Trainer for the U.S. Air Force, the unit of United Technologies Corp. announced June 17. Specifically, Collins will provide the power takeoff (PTO) shaft, auxiliary power engine control unit (APECU), engine start system, and main electric power generation system (MEPGS). It follows Collins’s earlier announcement as the supplier of the next-generation supersonic trainer’s ACES 5 ejection seat and landing gear system.

“Our proven technologies will play a critical role in generating power efficiently and reliably,” Collins Aerospace Power & Controls president Tim White said. “We look forward to continuing to work with the Saab team on the Boeing T-X program in the years to come.”

Its PTO shaft for the T-X is manufactured with diaphragm flexures for reliability and no required maintenance. And its APECU is a full-authority, advanced electronic controller that controls, monitors, and diagnoses all phases of auxiliary power and engine start, including transmitting fault and maintenance information through redundant communication buses. 

Collins’s engine start system features a starter control valve and air turbine starter that converts pneumatic power into mechanical shaft horsepower to start the engine, while the MEPGS’ integrated drive generator and digital controls will deliver constant frequency power to the aircraft.

Boeing and partner Saab were awarded the competitive contract—initially worth $813 million—in September 2018. First delivery of the T-X, which replaces the T-38C Talon, is expected in 2022.