Safran has confirmed that it is on track with the revised schedule for its developmental Silvercrest business jet engine, and aims to fly the redesigned powerplant next year.
Chief executive Phillipe Petitcolin, speaking on a first-half results call, said there were three phases required for the programme’s “recovery”.
First, he says, the manufacturer had to “understand the problems”, during which “we identified single items which were not at the specification”.
As a result, the engine’s design was frozen by the end of 2015, he says, and Safran has now moved to the “verification” phase, “which is now almost completed”.
An initial test engine incorporating the required changes should be fully assembled by the end of November, he says.
Flight tests aboard Snecma’s flying testbed – a modified Gulfstream GII – should take place in 2017, with certification following in 2018.
“There is absolutely no change in the schedule,” says Petitcolin. “Everything is, in my opinion, at last under control.”
Dassault has already had to delay the service entry of its ultra-large-cabin 5X on the back of the problems with the 9,500-12,000lb-thrust (42-53kN) turbofan.
Source: FlightGlobal.com