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Aviation History
2004
2004-09 - 0250.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT PROPULSION GUY NORRIS / LOS ANGELES Alliance tweaks GP7200 as tests begin GE-P&W venture says engine is close to achieving maximum power in ground runs despite minor early snags The General Electric/Pratt & Whit ney Engine Alliance expected last week to overcome minor early set backs in the GP7200 ground test programme and was confident it would reach the maximum take-off thrust of 76,5001b (340kN). Initial runs of the Airbus A380 engine began at P&W's Hartford, Connecticut site on 10 March. Around 8h of running time has been accumulated to date, though the Engine Alliance says early progress was hampered by compres sor vane issues that cut short the ini tial run and slowed plans to demon strate high thrust levels at the start of the test effort. "They were not ter ribly pleased with the way it was going when they first started, but since then thrust has been increased in steps and the programme is going well," says the Alliance. "So far they have been doing trim balancing and adjusting the compressor vane scheduling while gradually increas ing thrust up to 50,0001b thrust." Eight engines are planned for the test effort, which is scheduled to culminate with FAR 35 engine certi fication in July 2005, and a first flight powering an Airbus A380 in early November 2005. The first engine is later scheduled to go to the Arnold Engineering Development Center in Tennessee for an extensive altitude test pro gramme due to last three months. A second engine, aimed at prov ing endurance at the higher thrust rating of 82,0001b, will follow in April. Endurance runs at GE's Peebles, Ohio test site will end in June. The third engine, dedicated to stress tests, will start runs in Conn ecticut in late May, while the fourth engine will be the flight-test power- plant. Engines five and six join the test programme in the third and fourth quarter of 2004 respectively, with engine five undergoing bird ingestion tests and number six the fan blade-out test, set for September. Endurance testing will be performed on number seven and eight, which will join in the first quarter of 2005. The first A380 to be GP7200-pow- ered will be MSN009. Emirates is to be its first operator, with delivery scheduled for October 2006. The first A380 to enter service - due in March 2006 - will be equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent 900s. DISPUTE MURDO MORRISON / LONDON Boeing gets heavy in A380 marketing spat Boeing has opened a new front in the marketing war with Airbus over the A380, accusing the European manu facturer of confusing performance claims. It says its rival has been steadily increasing the airliner's operating empty weight (OEW) and could miss its latest target of 281,000kg (619,0001b) by around 4,500kg. Until now, Boeing's main case against the A380 has been its different view of the long-term market for ultra- large airliners. But vice-president of marketing Randy Baseler says the US manufacturer has been forced to refo- cus on the A380's economics because Airbus has been rubbishing the 747. "We are bringing it up now because Airbus walks around saying the 747 is dead. They are so aggressive about saying the A380 is going to replace all 747s," he says. Speaking in London last week, Baseler said Airbus had claimed in 2000 that the A380's OEW would be 608,0001b. By 2002 this had shifted to 613,0001b and to 619,0001b last year. "In doing so, Airbus has acknowledged a weight prob lem. At this point in the A380 design process, a maximum take-off weight increase by Airbus would be clear evidence that this airplane design is on an uncontrolled weight Boeing says Airbus could miss its latest target weight by around 4,500kg growth track," says Boeing. It predicts the A380 OEW will be "closer to 630,0001b". Richard Carcaillet, director of product marketing A380, firmly refutes Baseler's claims. "Boeing has had a long monopoly period with the 747, but frankly it's over [Boeing] is so plain wrong that the airlines who have purchased the A380 will be having a good chuckle," he says. He says the 619,0001b is a "typical" OEW based on discussions with airlines. But the "spec" OEW is 596,0001b. "Weight at deliv ery will be very, very close indeed to the spec. Our launch customers are quite comfortable with that." RESTRUCTURING MAX KINGSLEY-JONES / BARCELONA Low-cost competition forces Lufthansa review Lufthansa aims to net €100 million ($123 million) in savings over the next two years from its regional group as it undertakes a strategic review of its regional operations in light of increasing competition from low-cost carriers. As it implements this strategic review, the airline is unlikely to move nearer to its long- expected large regional jet order until at least the end of this year. Werner Knorr, senior vice-presi dent of the carrier's recently created Lufthansa Regional arm, which en compasses wholly owned subsid iaries CityLine and Air Dolomiti; 49%-owned Eurowings; and feeder partners Augsburg Airways and Contact Air, says the "project is ongoing" to determine fleet needs. Speaking to Flight International at last week's European Regions Airline Association conference in Barcel ona, Knorr said the explosion of low-cost carriers in the German market in the past year had left Lufthansa "struggling to keep regional routes alive". Knorr says he is tasked with "dramatic cost cut ting". He adds: "We are looking to save €100 million in the next two years - 50% through cost reductions and 50% through revenue rises. This will enable us to sustain a regional fleet of 160 aircraft." The airline is rationalising com mercial arrangements with regional partners, moving them all on to air craft, crew, maintenance and insur ance charter agreements. Knorr says that the fleet choice has been narrowed to Bombardier and Embraer regional jet types, with "more details in six months". Lufthansa's need for a new fleet of large regional jets can be traced to an earlier order placed by CityLine for up to 120 Fairchild Dornier 728s (including options). This deal, which was cancelled when the pro gramme collapsed in 2002, had called for deliveries to start last year. Since the termination of that order Lufthansa has broadened its require ment to cover all its regional part ners and joined other Star Alliance partners to agree a joint specifica tion that culminated in Air Canada ordering Bombardier CRJ700-705s and Embraer 190s in December. 8 30 MARCH - 5 APRIL 2004 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.fliqhtinternational.com
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