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Aviation History
1990
1990 - 0152.PDF
TECHNICAL: PROPULSION M88-2 ready to fly on Rafale demonstrator Snecma M88-2 prototype engines at Melun-Villaroche, Paris BY GILBERT SEDBON IN PARIS Snecma's M88-2 twinshaft military turbofan has been fitted to the Dassault Rafale A combat aircraft demonstrator for a first test flight by early March. The M88-2 is paired with a General Electric F404 engine in stalled on the right-hand side. Snecma chief test pilot Alain Rabion will be at the controls of the test flight from Istres test centre in southern France. Nine M88-2 bench- and flight- test engines have been built for the Rafale D development pro gramme. The ninth engine is the first to be mounted on the Rafale A demonstrator. This aircraft will undertake a planned 50-flight test programme. Cost of M88-2 development and its subsequent airframe integration/qualifica tion on the Rafale D is Fr8 billion ($1.3 billion), of which state- owned Snecma pays 25% and the French Government provides 75%. The first Rafale D prototype powered by a pair of Snecma M88-2 engines is scheduled to make qualification flights in the first quarter of 1991. Production deliveries of the M88-2 to Dassault are planned for early 1996 when the naval version of the Rafale D Avion de combat marine (ACM) is sched uled to enter service with the French Navy's fleet air arm. • Williams-Rolls form FJ44 team Williams International and Rolls-Royce have formed a joint company, to be known as Williams-Rolls, to provide marketing and field support,for the Williams International FJ44 turbofan engine. The 820kg- thrust engine has been selected by Cessna for the launch of the Citationjet and by Swearingen- Jaffe for its SJ30 business jet. Under the terms of the agree ment, Rolls-Royce has a 15% share of the joint company and will extend its shareholding to 31% through funding of the FJ44 certification programme, ex pected to be completed in 1991. Williams International has responsibility for the overall engine design and manufac turing with Rolls-Royce supply ing turbine rotors and low-speed rotor shaft. Cessna has received more than 70 orders for its Citationjet since the launch of the FJ44 at the NBAA show in October last year. • LHTEC contract for HH-65 Dolphin LHTEC (Light Helicopter Tur-.4 bine Engine) is expected to receive a contract to demonstrate an Aerospatiale HH-65 Dolphin re-engined with its T800 turbo- shaft to the US Coast Guard sometime this week. LHTEC director of business development Louis "Skip" Scipioni says: "We expect to be under contract by the end of the month". The twenty-month pro gramme will be funded by the US Army and covers installation of two engines in an HH-65 to replace the twin Textron Lycoming LTSlOls which now equip the fleet. Speaking about the pro gramme to qualify the engine for commercial and US Army ser vice, Ron Alto, director business development, LHTEC, says: "Our dual FAA certification and US Army production qualification programme continues on sched ule, with production availability in the first part of 1992. We have accumulated more than 7,000 test hours to date, which in cludes 100 flight-test hours in other applications." Three engines will be deliv ered to Westland for installation in a Lynx later this year for a mid-1991 first flight. • NEWS IN BRIEF EGYPT AIR ENGINES V2500 engines powering A320 Airbus aircraft of Egypt Air will be maintained by Inter national Aero Engines follow ing the award of a recent contract. Egypt Air will take delivery of its first V2500 powered A3 20 in December 1990. Trent turbofan breaks test target The Rolls-Royce Trent turbo fan has beaten its first two performance test targets, accord ing to Trent chief engineer Mike Spencer. The tests were carried out on the high-pressure (HP) and intermediate-pressure (IP) compressors at Rolls-Royce's CTR6 test rig at Derby. The IP compressor has completed 130h rig testing while the HP compres sor is still running on the rig and has achieved 50h. Spencer says: "We have ex ceeded target efficiency levels on the first run of the IP compressor on the full-scale test rig, and results from the HP compressor testing tell the same story". The Trent is due to make its first run in the middle of the year and has amassed 174 orders and options. Certification and first flight are scheduled for 1992. The Trent will enter service on the Douglas MD-11 in 1993. • The Trent beats performance targets on the test rig IK FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 24-30 January 1990
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