AUXILIARY POWER International (APIC) has begun the risk-reduction demonstration phase of the APS 2100 auxiliary power unit (APU) selected by McDonnell Douglas (MDC) for the yet-to-be-launched MD-95.
Initial risk-reduction activity is concentrated on noise tests of the Labinal/Sundstrand engine. The trials are taking place at Turbomeca's acoustic testing site in Bordes, France, where a complete MD-95 tail unit has been assembled.
"Initial results are very encouraging," says APIC president and chief executive officer, Horst Kreiner. "The tests prove new low-noise concepts developed for the engine." APIC is reticent about revealing details of the quieter APS 2100 installation, which mainly concern treated inlet and exhaust duct lining and revised inlet geometry.
"We're also looking at a redesign of software and hardware of the FADEC [full-authority digital engine-control], and we've entered the definition phase for that," says Kreiner. APIC is responsible for the entire MD-95 APU installation, including the Sundstrand drive system.
The APS 2100 is derived directly from the APS 2000, which is in competition with AlliedSignal APU for the Boeing 737 market. Since entering service in 1991, some 460 have been delivered. APIC, which recently collected further orders for the Japan Airlines 737-400 fleet is confident of expanding its market penetration as designated supplier to International Lease Finance.
APIC's market expansion coincides with the completion of a fundamental company restructuring. Programme management of the APS 3200 has been assigned to APIC Bordes in France. "That way we're one hop from Hamburg and 1h from the delivery centre at Toulouse," says Kreiner.
Programme management of the APS 2000 will be handled by APIC in San Diego, California, with Sundstrand's Gas Turbine division, putting it in the same time zone as Boeing and MDC.
Source: Flight International
