GE-P&W venture says engine is close to achieving maximum power in ground runs despite minor early snags
The General Electric/Pratt & Whitney Engine Alliance expected last week to overcome minor early setbacks in the GP7200 ground test programme and was confident it would reach the maximum take-off thrust of 76,500lb (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 compressor vane issues that cut short the initial run and slowed plans to demonstrate high thrust levels at the start of the test effort. "They were not terribly 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 increasing thrust up to 50,000lb thrust."
Eight engines are planned for the test effort, which is scheduled to culminate with FAR 35 engine certification 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 programme due to last three months.
A second engine, aimed at proving endurance at the higher thrust rating of 82,000lb, 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 Connecticut in late May, while the fourth engine will be the flight-test powerplant. 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-powered 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.
GUY NORRIS / LOS ANGELES
Source: Flight International
