US-based GE Aviation and Europe’s Safran yesterday unveiled a plan to join forces to develop engine nacelles for future narrowbody airliners.
Over the next few months the nacelle operations of the two groups – Aircelle and Middle River Aircraft Systems – will set up a 50:50 joint venture and decide on its location. “We’ve done this sort of thing before through our co-operation on CFM International,” says GE Aviation chief executive David Joyce. “Now we’re going to do it with nacelles and I’m convinced we will be just as successful.
The partners expect to turn over $3-4 billion in the course of the next 10-15 years as they gear up to supply the long-awaited new narrow-body programmes, while also seeking retrofit business on the existing Airbus A320-family, Boeing 737NG and other single-aisle types.
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Producing a nacelle for a new narrowbody would require a significant investment and take up to five years of development time, according to the GE/Safran team. Primary design aims would be improved acoustics and engine/nacelle integration, and reduced weight and leakage.
“The engines that will power the new narrowbodies will be significantly different in technology from today’s powerplants and will require some correspondingly new approaches in the nacelle,” Joyce says. “However, because the narrowbody replacement programmes continue to slip to the right, we will also pursue retrofit opportunities on the existing single-aisle fleet.”
Questioned on the possibility of conflicts of interest as a result of the involvement in the new venture of GE, with its own huge powerplant interests, Joyce pointed out that Middle River already worked with Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Whitney. “There will be no conflicts,” he asserted. “Proprietary data will be protected – we all have our firewalls in place and we don’t expect this to be an issue.”
The new company will make use of the existing design, development and manufacturing facilities of Aircelle – which has seven sites in France and the UK - and Baltimore-based Middle River. The two companies have extensive capabilities in every aspect of aero-engine nacelles, including the thrust reverser, fan cowl, acoustic treatment, thermal protection and anti-icing, pylons and mounts.
Source: Flight International
