Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES
A radical revamp of development plans for the GP 7000 engine is being considered by the General Electric-Pratt & Whitney Engine Alliance. The US companies are looking at basing Airbus and Boeing powerplants around a common core as part of an increasingly urgent effort to secure launch customers for the powerplant.
The move comes as key potential launch customers Air France, Lufthansa and Fedex approach engine decisions, and follows strong signals that several airlines are considering purchases of the A380 and yet-to-be-launched 747X. Confirming the rethink, Engine Alliance president Lloyd Thompson says "it looks like a desirable option. Customers have come to us and expressed an interest in having a common core across Airbus and Boeing families. We are moving in that direction."
If confirmed, the move represents a return to the original design concept. The common core scheme was undermined by the growing divergence of the requirements of the A380, the 747X and later the 767-400ERX, forcing the Alliance to define two main families: the GP7170/GP7172 for the 747X and 767-400ERX, and the GP7270 for the A380. Now, with the rival Rolls-Royce Trent 900 securing all the A380 engine choices to-date, the Alliance is refocusing on a return to the common core philosophy in an attempt to turn the tide by satisfying A380 operators also considering the 747X.
The Engine Alliance says no firm decision has yet been taken, and adds that it has not yet "formally sat down with the airframers, and had a chance to close this arrangement". The late change would involve a substantial rework of the detailed design accelerated late last year in anticipation of the 767-400ERX and potential applications on a proposed A330 version (Flight International, 1-7 August 2000). The revised plan is said to revolve around a 3% scale back of the baseline GP7270 to suit the 747X.
The advantages of the plan include lower overall cost development, and much lower shop maintenance costs for operators of A380s, 747Xs and Longer Range 767-400ERs. The disadvantages, although not discussed by the Alliance, are likely to include a delay of several months to the original development schedule which called for first engines to be available by May 2004 in time for the 767. A further issue, considered more important by some A380 customers, is likely to be the growth limitations possibly imposed on the GP7000 by the smaller core.
Under the original schedule, detailed design of the GP7270 was due to start in August this year, with the first engine to test in October 2002. Engine certification at 75,000lb-thrust (335kN) was planned for February 2004, with first flight on the A380 around July 2004. Detailed design of the GP7170/72, originally slated to begin after the A380 engine, was brought forward six months to March this year to coincide with go-ahead of the Longer Range 767-400ER. However, the lack of interest in this variant, added to the selection of the rival Trent for the three aircraft ordered to-date, has caused the Alliance rethink.
Source: Flight International
