Pratt & Whitney is holding discussions with Airbus Industrie on the development of a PW4000-based derivative engine for the A3XX, as an alternative to the all-new GP7000 turbofan which is being proposed by the General Electric-Pratt & Whitney Engine Alliance.
According to Alain Garcia, Airbus Industrie's senior vice-president for engineering, the consortium is discussing powerplants with the Alliance, in which P&W is a 50% partner, and P&W on its own. Rolls-Royce already has a memorandum of understanding with Airbus to offer the derivative Trent 900 on the A3XX, which was signed last November.
P&W was unable to comment on why it broke ranks with Alliance partner GE to bid separately and what the implications might be for the joint venture's future.
"We are still actively talking to the Alliance," says Garcia, "representatives are in Toulouse now [late March], meeting with [ senior vice-president of the Airbus Large Aircraft division] Jurgen Thomas." Garcia confirms that P&W is proposing a derivative of the PW4000 for the A3XX, independently of the Alliance.
GE-P&W Engine Alliance was formed in May 1996, to produce jointly a new 320-374kN (72,000-84,000lb)-thrust powerplant, aimed primarily at Boeing's needs for the 747-500X/600X. Following the 747-X cancellation in January, GE-P&W Engine Alliance said that "-activity leading to the certification of the engine has been suspended", although it would "-continue to support the Airbus and Boeing requirements".
The engine partners hoped then to complete the technical evaluation phase with Airbus for the A3XX by the end of February. The official line from the Alliance now is that "discussions with Airbus on A3XX product development and definition, are continuous". The prospects for an early signing of a memorandum of understanding with Airbus, however look slim, and the Alliance will not comment on when one might be concluded.
Meanwhile at least one potential customer is pushing for a slight increase in the projected range of the A3XX. Service entry of the initial A3XX-100 is targeted for the third quarter of 2003.
Source: Flight International
