July 19, 2004 -- FARNBOROUGH - The Engine Alliance's GP7200 engine, the best-selling engine on the Airbus A380, is exceeding performance expectations for specific fuel consumption and exhaust gas temperature margin during initial ground testing.
The first GP7200 engine completed ground testing in April at Pratt & Whitney's test facility in East Hartford, Connecticut. This engine reached 88,000 pounds (391 kN) thrust, exceeding the 70,000 pounds (311 kN) thrust required for entry into service. Altitude testing on this engine is currently underway at the U.S. Air Force Arnold Engineering Development Center in Tullahoma, Tennessee, to evaluate the engine's low-pressure compressor performance and operability.
A second development engine began ground testing in early May at GE's outdoor test facility near Peebles, Ohio. Later this summer, the engine will begin a 700-cycle endurance test to evaluate hardware durability at operating conditions more severe than expected in airline service.
Ground testing on the third development engine will begin in September at Pratt & Whitney's West Palm Beach, Florida, site. This engine will undergo low spool stress testing.
First flight of the GP7200 on GE's 747 Flying Testbed aircraft is scheduled for this fall. Engine certification is targeted for third quarter 2005. First flight on the A380 is set for November 2005, with entry into revenue service powering the Emirates' A380-800 aircraft in October 2006. Prior to service entry, the GP7200 program will accumulate more than 20,000 endurance cycles and 7,000 hours of operation on eight test engines, exceeding the standards for Extended Twin-Engine Operations (ETOPS).
The GP7200 engine has been selected for 67 of the 110 A380 aircraft ordered with the engines specified. Emirates, Air France, FedEx, and International Lease Finance Corporation have selected the GP7200 engine for their A380 fleets, resulting in firm orders for almost 300 engines valued at more than $3 billion.
The GP7000 engine family has been tailored to satisfy both current and future thrust requirements of the A380 family of aircraft. The GP7200 will initially be certified at 76,500 pounds (340 kN) of thrust. Subsequent durability endurance testing will be performed to certify the engine at 81,500 pounds (363 kN) of thrust in early 2006 to accommodate future growth for the A380. If needed, the basic GP7000 architecture can accommodate thrust growth up to 84,000 pounds (374 kN) of thrust.
The GP7000 benefits from the ETOPS reliability heritage of the highly successful GE90 and PW4000 engine families. Building on the proven GE90 core and the PW4000 low-pressure system, the GP7200 is a refined derivative with an infusion of new, proven technologies. The GP7200 engine features: a hollow-titanium, swept wide-chord fan; a five-stage low-pressure compressor; a nine-stage high-pressure compressor and a two-stage high-pressure turbine scaled from the GE90-115B; a low-emissions single annular combustor that will meet future emissions regulations with substantial margin; and a six-stage low-pressure turbine.
MTU of Germany, Snecma Moteurs of France and Techspace Aero of Belgium are revenue-sharing participants in the GP7000 engine program.
The Engine Alliance, a 50/50 joint venture between GE Transportation - Aircraft Engines and Pratt & Whitney, was formed in May 1996 to develop, manufacture, sell, and support a family of modern-technology engines for new high-capacity, long-range aircraft.
Aviation Home | Engines | Services | Systems | Citizenship | About Aviation
Corporate | Investor Information | Privacy Policy | Accessibility Statement | Terms and Conditions
© 2008 General Electric Company
Rick Kennedy
GE Aviation
[email protected]
+1 513 243 3372
+1 513 607 0609