East Hartford, US. The Engine Alliance (EA) shipped the first GP7200
propulsor to Emirates airline on May 21. This is the first time the EA 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.” Says 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.” And shipping
propulsors is easier than shipping a full engine, too. Because they’re smaller,
they can be transported on most wide-body freighter aircraft.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 their 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).
The Engine Alliance is a 50/50 joint venture of General Electric (NYSE:GE) and
Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX). |