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Aviation History
1989
1989 - 0463.PDF
Smooth run for V2500 on A320 Airbus Industrie has credited the International Aero Engines V2500 with "outstanding operability" during A320 flight trials, according to the engine manufacturer. The V2500 has never surged during the severest manoeuvres or throttle movements, and maintained that performance even when operating at full throttle in reverse thrust while the aircraft was backing up the runway, says IAE. The five- nation, seven-company engine consortium believes this confirms that the problems which necessitated a complete redesign of the V2500 com pressor have been overcome. In birdstrike tests the engine swallowed the requisite six 1 • 51b birds, fired at 160kt, with out a "burp", and survived five times the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) water- ingestion rate with no flame- outs, says IAE president Nick Tomassetti, who claims that this represents 2 • 5 times the water/air intake ratio demon strated by the CFM56. Consis tent V2500 relights have been demonstrated on the A320 at up to 40,000ft, using air bled from the other engine. Ground-based cyclic endur ance testing in the UK, West Germany, and Japan has revealed no serious problems on the V2500, which IAE now confidently proclaims to be the quietest, cleanest, most econ omical engine in its class. It is said to have a 4 per cent lower cruise-specific fuel con sumption than the equivalent CFM56. Its noise level is said to be 17PNdB below Stage 3 requirements, making it "significantly quieter than the competition". Engine noise cannot be heard in the cock pit at 250kt in maximum climb thrust, and IAE says: "cabin vibration has been eliminated". The V25QO has caused no delays to the A320 test programme during about 200 flights totalling more than 450hr. Its reliability has permit ted up to five flights and eight airborne hours a day. Revenue service is scheduled to begin in April aboard a Cyprus Airways A320. Ten engines are being built a month, and IAE expects to deliver 120 by the end of the year. Seven customers have selected the V2500 for their A320s. Between them, says IAE, they will need 400 engines worth $1-5 billion to equip 170 aircraft (98 firm orders plus 72 options). Fokker 100 satisfies Orange County A Rolls-Royce Tay 650- powered Fokker 100 has demonstrated that it can meet Class E noise requirements at John Wayne Airport, Orange County. Class E allows the twinjet unrestricted movements at the airport, which has some of the world's most stringent noise requirements. Five departures within three hours all achieved average noise levels of less than 86dB at all nine monitoring stations. Airport manager John Rebella says that the Fokker 100's noise on approach was so low that the monitors did not register at all. "The prospect of an additional Class E aircraft for use at John Wayne Airport is a welcome one," he says. This represents another stage in the head-to- head battle between the Fokker 100 and BAe 146, which also has Class E approval. The trials with the Fokker 100 recorded its lowest read ing of 78-6dB and its highest of 85-7dB. "We specifically used the more powerful 15,0001b-thrust Tay 650 engine version because it is what our current US customers have selected," Fokker says. USAir and Braniff have both ordered this version. The trials used the first Tay 650-powered Fokker 100 and took place with a competitive payload and range performance, Fokker says. The aircraft car ried 80-85 passengers plus fuel for a range of about 350 n.m. The first of 50 V2500-powered Airbus A320s for Braniff (an ex-Pan Am aircraft) is nearing completion at Airbus A320 rate to rise Airbus Industrie is to increase the A320 production rate to ten aircraft a month from 1991. Previous plans envisaged eight a month by that time. The production increase, Airbus says, involves a "modest investment" in jigs and tools by the partners at their manu facturing points for the various airframe sections, "not just by Aerospatiale at the final assem bly point". In some cases taking in certain trades at Toulouse, double-shift working will also be required. Airbus is not involved with a technical working party which is examining the feasibility of either moving A320 final assembly to West German part ner MBB, or setting up an addi tional final-assembly plant in Germany to cope with demand. The working party was set up after German politicians indi cated they would like to see MBB, so far a loss-making Airbus partner, take a greater share in the A320's success. Airbus and current final assem bly partner Aerospatiale oppose the plan. Plans for the stretched A320-300 remain "up in the air" at the moment, Airbus says, but a decision may be made by April. There is no doubt that an A320 stretch will be produced, the company says; only the time for it remains to be decided. Airbus also confirms that, although it can produce the stretched A320 on its Toulouse lines, co-operation with a US company remains attractive. At the end of 1988 three airlines were operating A320s (Air France, Air Inter, and British Airways). By the end of 1989 Adria, Ansett, Braniff, Cyprus, Indian, Lufthansa and North west will have been added to the list, plus 60 A320s. The Fokker 100 averaged an 82,000lb take-off weight FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 25 February 1989 9
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