FARNBOROUGH -- Four GP7200 engines are installed on an A380 flight-test aircraft at Airbus in Toulouse, France, for the engines' first flight scheduled for later this summer.
"The GP7200 engines performed remarkably well during the certification program," said Bruce Hughes, president of the Engine Alliance. "We look forward to demonstrating the engines' capabilities in the upcoming A380 flight-test program."
The GP7200 engine received airworthiness certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration in December 2005. During the testing program, the engine accumulated 7,000 test cycles.
Further maturation testing on the GP7200 is under way. A total of four engines will be used to accumulate an additional 18,000 cycles by 2008 and will operate in conditions more severe than anticipated in service. The fleet leader engine will accumulate at least 10,000 endurance cycles, or the equivalent of 25 years of airline operation, also by the end of 2008.
"Mature engine reliability at entry into service is important to the Engine Alliance and our customers," said Hughes. "The GP7200 test engines are undergoing rigorous post-certification endurance testing as part of a comprehensive service readiness program to identify and immediately address any issues before they affect the operator."
The first maturation-test engine recently completed 3,000 endurance cycles with successful results. Testing began last month on a second test engine, which will run for an additional 3,000 cycles. Later this fall, the Engine Alliance will begin testing a third engine as part of the European Aviation Safety Agency's (EASA) Long-Range Operation (LROPS) testing.
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 13 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 will ensure the A380 meets stringent Stage 4 noise regulations and QC2 departure noise rules, and its emissions are well below current and anticipated regulations.
The GP7200 engine has been selected for 72 of the 130 A380 aircraft ordered with the engines specified for a 55% share of the A380 engine market. Air France, Emirates, FedEx, International Lease Finance Corporation and Korean Air have selected the GP7200 engine for their A380 fleets, resulting in firm orders for 320 engines valued at more than $4 billion.
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).