| GP7000 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A GP7270 installed on anAirbus A380, operated byEmirates. | |
| Type | Turbofan |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Engine Alliance |
| First run | April 2004 |
| Major applications | Airbus A380 |
| Developed from | General Electric GE90 Pratt & Whitney PW4000 |
TheEngine Alliance GP7000 is aturbofan jet engine manufactured byEngine Alliance, a joint venture betweenGeneral Electric andPratt & Whitney. It is one of the powerplant options available for theAirbus A380, along with theRolls-Royce Trent 900.
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Originally intended to powerBoeing Commercial Airplanes' cancelled747-500X/-600X, the engine has since been pushed forAirbus'A380-800 superjumbo. It is built around an 0.72 scale of theGE90-110B/115B core[1] and contains aPratt & Whitney fan and low-pressure system design.
The competingRolls-Royce Trent 900 was named as the lead engine for the then-named A3XX in 1996 and was initially selected by almost all A380 customers. However, the GE/PW engine increased its share of the A380 engine market to the point where, as of September 2007, it will power 47% of the super-jumbo fleet. This disparity in sales was resolved in a single transaction, withEmirates' order of 55 GP7000-powered A380-800s, comprising over one quarter of A380 sales (as of September 2007). Emirates has traditionally been a Rolls-Royce customer. A380 aircraft powered by the GP7000s will have A380-86X model numbers as 6 is the code forEngine Alliance engines. The engine powers an estimated 60% of Airbus A380 in service as reported in 2017.[2]
Ground testing of the engine began in April 2004 and was first flight tested as the number two engine on GE's 747 flying testbed over Victorville, CA in December 2004.[3] The AmericanFederal Aviation Administration certified the engine for commercial operation on January 4, 2006.[4]The engine was ground run for the first time on an A380 on August 14, 2006, in Toulouse.[5]On August 25, 2006, the same aircraft, A380-861 test aircraft (MSN 009), made the first flight of an Engine Alliance powered A380. The flight began and ended atToulouse and lasted about four hours. Tests were performed on the engines' flight envelope, cruise speed, and handling. A day earlier, the same aircraft performedrejected takeoff tests on the engines.
TheEngine Alliance offered the GP7200 for the Airbus A380 passenger and freighter configurations. The GP7270 is rated at 74,735 lbf (332.44 kN) of thrust whilst the GP7277 is rated at 80,290 lbf (357.1 kN). The engine is offered with two ratings appropriate for the various A380 configurations and take-off weights: GP7270 for the 560-tonne variant, and GP7277 for the 590 tonne A380-800 freighter (which was subsequently cancelled by Airbus).In mid-2011 an upgrade was announced which will lead to a cut in weight for each engine by 23 kg (51 lb). The new components come fromVolvo Aero.[6]
MTU Aero Engines is a major partner of the programme, with 22.5% share. The German company produces the high-pressure turbine, the low-pressure turbine and the turbine center frame.Safran with 17.5% designs and produces the low-pressure compressor.[7] MDS Aero Support Corporation, a Canadian company, is working hand in hand with MTU to develop next-generation test beds.
MDS in joint cooperation is building the facility to test the next version of this engine in France.[8]
On 30 September 2017,Air France Flight 66, an Airbus A380 with registration F-HPJE, suffered anuncontained engine failure during flight where the entire fan module (blades and disc) and nose cowl on itsnumber-four GP7270 engine separated from the engine. The aircraft was flying fromParis Charles de Gaulle Airport toLos Angeles International Airport.[11] The aircraft was safely diverted toCFB Goose Bay, Canada.[12] To repatriate the stranded jet, the damaged engine would be replaced and sent back to GE's workshop at Cardiff; a replacement engine had to be placed in the same position to balance the weight for takeoff but not operable.[13] The French accident investigation agency BEA, which is conducting the investigation into the incident, released photos of the first engine fan, fan hub and cowling parts being recovered inGreenland.[14][13][15]
Related development
Comparable engines
Related lists
