International Aero Engines (IAE) president Barry Eccleston claims that market prospects for the V2500 turbofan will not be badly affected by Pratt & Whitney's launch of the directly competing PW8000, and adds that the engine family may even benefit from the development.
The obvious threat to the V2500 posed by the newly revealed PW8000 geared fan was a talking point of the show, but Eccleston says that IAE remains unconcerned.
Karl Krapek, president of P&W, IAE's major partner along with Rolls-Royce, has "re-affirmed" that P&W is "firmly behind" IAE.
Krapek earlier confirmed that P&W is committed to developing and certifying the PW8000 within 30 to 36 months, even without a customer. "We see the next four to five years as the time to spend the money and do this work," he says.
Krapek also confirms that P&W will continue to support IAE as it approaches its breakeven point, with almost 800 engines delivered and more than 2,000 on order and option. Krapek says that the V2500 core could also play a part in a higher thrust derivative of the PW8000.
Production of V2500s, meanwhile, has been stepped up to around 280 a year, based on strong demand from Airbus customers. "We are selling more engines than we can make," says Eccleston. The bulk of production at this rate is sold out until 2000.
IAE has also launched a study of technology to keep the V2500 up to date for the next three to ten years. That could include P&W's geared fan, says Eccleston. Although the transfer of such technology will depend on P&W, he believes that the geared fan "could be a good thing for the V2500".
Sir Ralph Robins, chairman of IAE partner Rolls-Royce, was quick to criticise the PW8000 as "30 years too late". Robins says that, to move to a geared fan, "-seems to be an extremely retrograde step. It's basically a two and a half shaft engine, which I agree with. A three shaft engine is even better, however."
Source: Flight International
