Powerplant To Be Used By Emirates Fleet, Air France

Representatives with the Engine Alliance tell ANN the GP7200-powered A380 flight test program has completed half of its planned test objectives, accumulating 98 flights and just over 300 flying hours. They state the engine continues to demonstrate excellent reliability and performance, with consistently lower fuel consumption than original specifications.

"The GP7200-powered A380 continues to perform as we execute this rigorous flight test program," said Bruce Hughes, president of the Engine Alliance. "These tests are demonstrating that the GP7200 is the most fuel-efficient engine for the A380 and we look forward to providing that value to our customers when the engine enters service next year."

The engine will undergo natural icing testing over the Alps in late March and April, and noise testing in Moron de la Frontera, Spain in May. During the summer months the GP7200 flight-test team will complete acoustic and fatigue testing and autopilot/autoland certification, followed by a 150-hour functional and reliability route-proving demonstration in September and October.

FAR 25 and EASA aircraft certification are expected by the end of this year.

In addition to flight-testing, GP7200 factory engine endurance testing has amassed nearly 5,000 hours and more than 13,200 cycles to date. The Engine Alliance remains focused on reliability, maturity and maintainability to ensure absolute readiness starting with the first revenue flight.

Planning for the GP7200's entry into service continues with the recent correlation of the GP7200 test cell at the GE Engine Services facility in Wales. An engine teardown review will take place in May for shop, tooling and procedure validation, ensuring readiness for FAR145 certification before GP7200 entry into service.

The GP7200 engine has been selected to power the A380s ordered by Emirates, Air France, Korean Airlines and International Lease Finance Corp. The first GP7200-powered A380 will enter service with Emirates in 2008.

The Engine Alliance, a 50/50 joint venture between GE Aviation and Pratt & Whitney, was formed in 1996 to develop, manufacture, sell and support a family of modern-technology engines for new high-capacity, long-range aircraft.

FMI: www.enginealliance.com