EAST HARTFORD -- The Engine Alliance (EA) shipped the first GP7200 propulsor to Emirates on May 21. The delivery marks the first time the Engine Alliance and member company Pratt & Whitney have delivered a propulsor, rather than a full engine, to any airline.
"Shipping a propulsor is an innovative way to supply spare engines," EA Chief Engineer Paul Smith explained. "The fan module has a very long life, so it can be reused with a new propulsor to provide a full spare engine. It's a huge cost savings for the customer."
According to EA Industrial Director Marios Evripidou, delivering spare propulsors in lieu of spare engines also helps minimize an airline's inventory. "They don’t have to keep as many unused fans in inventory because they can reuse the ones they already have," he said. Shipping propulsors is easier than shipping a full engine, too, Evripidou said. Because they're smaller, they can be transported on most wide-body freighter aircraft. "It gives the customer great transportation flexibility," he said.
The GP7200 entered revenue service in August 2008 with the first Emirates A380. Since entering service, the GP7200-powered A380 has not had an in-flight shutdown and has demonstrated a departure reliability rate greater than 99.9%.
In addition to Emirates, the Engine Alliance GP7200 has been selected to power A380 aircraft for Air France, Korean Airlines, and the International Lease Finance Company (ILFC). Air France is scheduled to receive its first GP7200-powered A380 aircraft in October.
The GP7200 is derived from two successful wide-body engine programs, the GE90 and the PW4000. It benefits from the two programs' latest, proven technologies and the lessons learned from more than 22 million flight hours of safe operation. Certified at 76,500 pounds (340 kN) of thrust, the engine has the capability to produce more than 81,500 pounds (363 kN) of thrust. The GP7200 is the quietest, most fuel efficient engine for the A380, and its emissions are well below current and anticipated regulations.
The GP7200 is manufactured at GE and Pratt & Whitney, with GE assembling the core in Durham, NC (North Carolina), and Pratt & Whitney manufacturing the fan module, low pressure compressor and low pressure turbine. Final engine assembly is conducted at Pratt & Whitney's Engine Center in Middletown, CT (Connecticut).