Singapore -- In preparation for joining the Airbus A380 flight-test program, the first of four Engine Alliance (EA) GP7200 engines has been installed on an A380 flight-test aircraft at Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, France. Installation of all four engines will be completed in March, and the aircraft will enter the A380 flight-test program by mid-2006.
This latest EA milestone follows U.S. Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness certification of the GP7200 engine, which was granted in December 2005. The FAR (Federal Aviation Regulation) 33 certification followed an extensive, 21-month ground- and flight-test program that involved eight engines. During its development and certification program, the GP7200 ran 7,000 cycles, completed 25 full-scale engine certification tests and more than 50 component tests, and powered a heavily instrumented 747 flying testbed that collected flight data over a three-month period.
The engine is initially certified at 76,500 pounds (340 kN) of thrust and has the capability to produce over 81,500 pounds (363 kN) with the same bill of material. During its certification program, the engine was tested at thrust levels in excess of 94,000 pounds (418 kN).
"We put the GP7200 through as tough a test regime as any engine has ever faced," said Bruce Hughes, Engine Alliance president. "Even though the engine will be used on the four-engine A380, we tested and certified it to the same standards required for large twin-engine aircraft in ETOPS (Extended-Range Twin Engine Operations). This has been an outstanding team effort by the Engine Alliance, its parent companies GE and Pratt & Whitney, and its partners, MTU, Snecma and TechSpace Aero. Now we are ready to get on with flight-testing and certification on the A380."
Focused on delivering mature reliability to operators at entry into service, the GP7200 test program has accumulated more than 8,300 cycles and 3,200 hours to date. The first GP7200-powered A380 will enter service with Emirates in 2007.
The GP7200 is derived from two successful engines, the GE90 and the PW4000, incorporating all the lessons learned from millions of flight hours and benefiting from the two programs' latest, proven technologies. The GP7200 will ensure the A380 meets stringent Stage 4 noise regulations and QC2 departure noise rules, and its emissions are well below current and anticipated regulations.
The GP7200 holds the market share lead with 55% of firm engine orders for the A380. In addition to Emirates, which has purchased or leased a total of 45 A380s, other Engine Alliance customers include Air France, FedEx, Korean Air and International Lease Finance Corporation. The Engine Alliance is a 50/50 joint venture of General Electric (NYSE:GE) and Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies company (NYSE:UTX).