FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
2002
2002 - 1721.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT ENGINE DEVELOPMENT PAUL LEWIS / HARTFORD MHI considers stake in GP7200 Manufacturer could be strategic partner as Airbus plans version of A380 tailored for Japanese market Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) is in discussions with Pratt & Whitney about taking a stake in the development of the Engine Alliance GP7200 powerplant as Airbus looks at offering a short- range, high-capacity version of the A380 ultra large aircraft tailored to meet the needs of the Japanese domestic airline market. With P&W and joint venture partner General Electric to launch full preliminary design of the A380 engine early next month, the door has not yet closed on additional partners joining the programme. "We still have some room on the P&W side," says Robert Saia, P&W's GP7200 project general manager. "MHI is certainly a strategic partner for P&W and we're talking to MHI," he adds. MHI's areas of design expertise include low-pressure turbines (LPT) and combustors. Development of the six-stage LPT for the GP7200 is already the responsibility of MTU Aero Engines as part of its 20% rev enue sharing stake in the pro gramme, but P&W has retained ele ments of the module which it could pass on to MHI. P&W's over all workshare also includes the engine's swept hollow titanium fan, five-stage low-pressure com pressor and core gearbox. Airbus is keen to sell the A380 to a Japanese carrier and is studying a version configured for the coun try's high-density but short-range trunk routes. Rival engine supplier Rolls-Royce has already signed up Marubeni as a 14.5% stake holder in the A380's Trent 900, while Airbus has been courting Japan's "heavy" industries. Engine Alliance is planning ini tially to certificate two versions of the engine at 81,5001b-thrust (363kN) and 71,5001b-thrust and offer derated versions of both. A Japanese domestic version could be powered by a derated version of the GP7270 planned for the initial A380-800 passenger variant, burn, you would get a ton of extra "Today's (Boeing] 777 engines are life out of the engine," says Saia. derated up to 35-40%, and while ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY GUY this might not be optimum for fuel NORRIS IN LOS ANGELES Engine Alliance keeps faith with P&W titanium GP7200 Detailed design of the Engine Alliance GP7200 is due to start in December, with testing of the first engine set to begin in March 2004. This follows confirmation of the decision to stay with P&W's lighter swept fan design over a composite proposal. Engine Alliance had to evaluate a GE90-style composite design following a 2000 decision to increase diameter from 2.79m (110in) to 2.94m as part of efforts to meet London QC2 noise targets. "We decided to keep it titanium, so P&W will keep that work," says GE advanced engine programmes general manager Mike Benzakein. Rig tests on the fan set are expected to start in 2003 and the alliance plans to run up to eight engines in the test programme instead of the usual six. "The GP7000 will have seven, plus one contingency engine," adds Benzakein. Flight testing on GE's 747-100 testbed is set for September 2004, with engine certification planned for July 2005. The GP7200- powered A380 will enter service with Emirates in October 2004. EXPANSION HILKA BIRNS / CAPE TOWN Nationwide to start long-haul services to Europe The last of Nationwide's BAC One-Elevens is heading for its Zambian franchisee Southern African leisure carrier Nationwide Airlines plans to start long-haul services later this year on routes from its Johannesburg base to Europe. The launch is pending the establishment of a passenger protection scheme to cover unflown tickets as required by South African aviation law. The airline aims to serve Brussels with extensions to London Gatwick and Munich. Nationwide's com mercial executive Chris Hoare says the airline hopes to launch services by the end of August using two Boeing 747-300s leased from Boeing. "We know the possible start-up schedule is tight," says Hoare, "but we have an infrastructure, which should make it easier." The airline is targeting leisure, conference and incentive markets in Benelux countries, Germany and the UK, and has set up a risk- sharing partnership with a Belgium consortium, which will handle sales and administration in Europe. "Traffic from the Benelux to South Africa has dropped 15% since Sabena pulled out. There is demand on the route, but we're not planning to compete with the dominant mainline business carri ers and we're not looking for a price war," says Hoare. Nationwide launched domestic services seven years ago and oper ates a fleet of three Boeing 727s and seven Boeing 737-200Advs. It is phasing out its BAC One-Elevens, with all but one of the 11 aircraft it owns now stored. The last One- Eleven will leave this month for operation with Zambian franchisee Nationwide Airlines Zambia, and the airline plans to lease more to African carriers. The airline is also expanding regionally to get full use of two 737s which arrived last month, with services to Livingstone up from four to seven a week. From 1 August, Nationwide will fly twice weekly between Sun City and Livingstone and weekly between Johannesburg, Livingstone and Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Twice-daily flights between Johannesburg and the Mpumalanga province will begin when the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport opens on 30 September. Seven flights over five days will serve Port Elizabeth from 8 August. www.flightinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 11-17 JUNE 2002 11
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
