This Antonov An-124-100 has generated curiosity after being pictured at Bergen’s Flesland Airport, bearing an apparent noise-reduction modification to its engine pods.
The aircraft, registered UR-82009, is a 16-year old example and forms part of the Antonov Airlines fleet.
It was photographed at Bergen with a distinctive ‘chevron’ modification to the nozzles of all four Progress D-18 turbofans, a feature absent during the aircraft’s earlier periods of operation.
Chevrons reduce noise by enabling smoother mixing of the air which passes through the different parts of the engine.
Over the past few years they have been tested as a potential noise-mitigation mechanism and are set to feature on the General Electric GEnx powerplant, for the Boeing 747-8 and 787, and the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 for the 787.
Chevrons featured prominently on the Rolls-Royce Trent 800 and General Electric GE90 engines fitted to the Boeing 777s used during Boeing’s Quiet Technology Demonstrator flight tests in 2001 and 2005.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
