Snecma’s new business jet engine family – Silvercrest – is now being slated as having an increased thrust of circa 11,500-lbs, following discussions with the airframers, according to Jean-Pierre Cojan, the French company’s executive VP and GM commercial engines.
Speaking just before Ebace, Cojan said: “Silvercrest’s envelope of thrust has been adjusted upwards from 8,000/10,500-lbs to 9,500/11,500-lbs but as the design hasn’t yet been ‘frozen’ this is no problem to us. Some of our competitors may be able to offer stretched – and even lower-thrust - versions of their engines so it makes sense for us to be flexible too!”.
Silvercrest was launched as a Snecma ‘business jet engine brand’ at NBAA in Orlando last autumn and discussions with the airframers have been progressing well, continues Cojan. “It’s important to get everything right at this stage, because we’re looking at a family of engines that is likely to be in production for 30-plus years and will require spares/servicing for maybe 50 or 60 years.
Blade runners: Casting the first set of Silvercrest HP turbine blades |
“Although we envisage this engine family to be also suitable for 50/60-seat small regional passenger jets, it’s likely that there won’t be a suitable airframe until between 2015 and 2020 – a long way down the road. So we’re concentrating on the business jet market. And although it’s tough to fight in a competitive marketplace, we get a good feeling that the 11,000-lbs thrust class is the right way to go.”
Snecma claims that the Silvercrest family of engines – with its lower parts count over today’s products – will provide new heights in reliability as well as minimized operating restrictions. The new technologies should give operators measurable performance enhancements over the current generation of engines: Up to 15% lower fuel burn ; at least a 20% improvement in climb thrust ; 50% NOx margin versus CAEP6 ; and a minimum 25 dB less than current Stage III noise standards.
Progress on assembling the Silvercrest core demonstrator is progressing well at Snecma’s Villaroche facility 50km to the south east of Paris, says Cojan. “The impeller, HP nozzles, guide vanes, blisks and blades are all either delivered or just about to be and we’re setting up the same test cell where we ran the core tests of the SaM146 (a JV with Russian company NPO Saturn for the Sukhoi regional jet programme) engine a few years ago. Our partners Avio are also working hard on the combuster and this is also going according to plan.
“Although there have been some minor delays – as you would expect at this early stage - we’re still on target to run the first core tests in the last quarter of this year and I’m delighted to say that we’re the only engine manufacturer competing in this sector to have got as far as we have done already.”
When asked which airframers Snecma is talking to about Silvercrest, Cojan simply says “…all of them – but I can’t be specific.”.
“However, I will say that we are in serious discussions with Dassault about engines for their Falcon SMS (super-mid-size) business jet project which is still at the feasibility study stage. I can’t comment on the discussions other than to say that we are certainly very much alive in that camp.”
Cojan remains hugely positive about the potential for the Silvercrest family of engines. He concludes: “I believe that the core demonstrator will prove that the new engine is not only viable – but hugely exciting.
“I’m not minimising the challenges we and our partners will face and it will be tough at times. Don’t forget that we are the new kids on the block. But I’m convinced that the Silvercrest project will get the go-ahead from the Snecma board and that our new engine will be found on at least five or six business jet airframes over the coming ten years.”
Source: Flight Daily News
