Le Bourget. June 20, 2017. UTC Aerospace Systems is all set 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.
