Honeywell will announce today at the show that US operator Southwest Airlines has completed more than three years of revenue service of its new Boeing 737-700 aircraft without a single unscheduled removal of a Honeywell 131-9B auxiliary power unit (APU).In the 36 months since its first 737-700 delivery, Southwest has put 92 of the new aircraft into service and their APUs have accumulated a combined total of more than 320,000h of ‘on wing' service. Southwest has firm orders and options for up 365 of the aircraft, with deliveries scheduled through to 2008.Worldwide there are more than 850 Honeywell 131-9Bs in operation which have accumulated more than 2.2 million operating hours and have experienced a mean time between unscheduled removals (MTBUR) of more than 20,000 operating hours. This particular APU provides 154lb of air per minute at 52lb per square inch for main engine starting and other needs such as air conditioning. Its 90 Kv generator is capable of supplying full electrical power for the aircraft in the event of an emergency and it can start - and operate - at up to 41,000ft (12,500m).More than 67 airlines have selected the 131-9 family of APUs for more than 1,250 current and future commercial aircraft orders. The 131-9B applies to the Boeing 737 series; the -9D to the Boeing MD90; and the -9A to the Airbus A319, A320 and A321.
Source: Flight Daily News
