Aerospace manufacturer draws up aggressive roadmap for expansion of its turbofan and turboprop business
Honeywell is laying out an aggressive expansion strategy for turbofans and turboshafts that could see it compete for potential business on up to 30 upgraded or new aircraft and helicopters worth over $30 billion by 2013. Revealing the ambitious roadmap for the next decade, Honeywell propulsion vice-president and general manager Barry Eccleston says the drive is led by growing confidence in the business aircraft market.
Eccleston says: "We have the engines and the products right in the ‘sweet spot'," which is focused particularly on the 6,000-8,000lb (26.7-35.6kN) thrust class, but which overall straddles the 3,000-15,000lb range. Intriguingly, Eccleston says the market is ripe "either for our engines, or technically we have technology that could go into other engines". The company is open to talks with potential partners on future turbo-fans above the range covered by Honeywell's existing HTF7000, or around the conceptual HTF8000.
"If someone else decides to do a new 10,000lb engine, then we could offer them some of the technology we have," says Eccleston.
"We are not having talks with anyone at the moment," he says, but adds that Honeywell will "not do a 12,000-15,000lb or a 1,000-3,000lb engine, because these areas are already full of competitors". Honeywell already works in partnership on several engines, including the T800 turboshaft with Rolls-Royce, and the CFE738 turbofan with General Electric – new-build production of which is due to draw to a close later this year with the assembly of the last of 12 engines.
Hopes in the 6,000-8,000lb thrust bracket are pinned largely on the HTF7000, which appears to be enjoying a virtually flawless entry into service on the Bombardier Challenger 300 business jet.
"It is rapidly becoming the super mid-size benchmark," says Eccleston. "The engine is behaving impeccably; better than specification. The big issue now is to push on and find new applications." He predicts: "In the next 12 months, you might see a second and even a third application."
Overall, Honeywell sees up to nine emerging new or retrofit platforms in this thrust sector, representing a $14.3 billion opportunity, measured in terms of original equipment and aftermarket annual engine revenue.
At the lower thrust end, covered by its TFE731-20, -40, -50 and -60 range, Honeywell sees up to seven potential platforms worth some $7.7 billion of business in the latter half of the next 10-year period. Further out, and further up the thrust ladder in the 8,000-15,000lb bracket, the company forecasts a possible four new platforms worth $3.5 billion.
"The business market is coming back and people are starting to look at new aircraft," says Eccleston, who adds that the continuing evolution of the TFE731 is set to take another step in late March with the first flight of the "clipped fan" -50 engine on the company's Dassault Falcon 20 engine testbed. Production of older variants such as the -5 also continues in support of Hawker 800XP sales, while retrofit work remains active with projects such as the TFE731-20BR for the Learjet 40XR. Buoyant times are also forecast for turboshaft and turboprop production, with a total of 10 possible new platforms potentially worth up to $7.3 billion.
Already busy with development of the HTS900 turboshaft, which has been selected for the Bell 407, and civil certification of the T53-17CV for the Bell 210, the company is aiming for a new generation of rotorcraft applications. "We think the 407 is just the beginning of a potential new family with Bell and what it is planning with MAPL [Bell's Modular Affordable Product Line future helicopter family]," adds Eccleston, who says the HTS900 is a "real comeback story".
Still stinging from the legacy LTS101 issues that led to its displacement by Turbomeca on the US Coast Guard HH-65 fleet, Eccleston says the upgrade market is also a prime opportunity for Honeywell. Pleased at the new re-engining programme for the previously Turbomeca-powered Eurocopter AStar helicopter with the LTS101, Eccleston says the French-based engine maker "may have had the advantage over us, but now it doesn't. As far as we are concerned, this is the relaunch of Honeywell into the light commercial helicopter business."
Civil light singles and twins are together expected to account for up to 400 engines a year through to 2013 and beyond, of which Honeywell plans to grab a substantial slice. At the other end of the scale, it is studying new growth derivatives of its hardy T55, which has been offered for the Sikorsky CH-53X requirement, officially expected to kick in later this year. Some 4,200 T55 engines have already been delivered, with 206 new engines scheduled for production in 2005 to support Boeing MH-47/CH-47 upgrades and new production.
In the turboprop arena, production of the TPE331 is continuing to support a growing fleet of General Atomics Predator B unmanned air vehicles on order for the US military. To support its new role, Honeywell is upgrading the engine (which marks its 40th anniversary this year) with full-authority digital engine control and 45kW generator. The upgraded variant will be flight-tested in mid-2005 and is due to enter service in 2006, adds Eccleston.
For the future, Honeywell is evaluating whether to develop a turboprop version of the projected HTS1000 turboshaft. "We're trying to figure out which to do," says Eccleston. "Is there a resurgence of the turboprop? That is one of this year's strategic plan work packages – so we're doing the market studies right now."
GUY NORRIS/LOS ANGELES
Source: Flight International
