Flight International - August 18, 2015

AIR TRANSPORT

ightglobal.com 18-31 August 2015 | Flight International | 15

Accident rate up in

2014 for US carriers,

but no fatalities

AIR TRANSPORT P

REGULATION STEPHEN TRIMBLE WASHINGTON DC

GEnx restrictions could end

as software fix is rolled out

Engine family is subject to US FAA curbs following problems with crystal ingestion in storms

MANUFACTURING

DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON

Partners brand

drive-train tie-up

Aero Gearbox

Perm to become hub for Russia’s engine ambitions

PROPULSION DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON

G

E Aviation plans to roll out a
new software upgrade that
could finally remove the last of
the operating restrictions im-
posed two years ago on one of
the engines that powers the
Boeing 787-8.
The pending release of soft-
ware version B185 for the en-
gine’s FADEC system represents
GE’s latest attempt to resolve the
ice crystal icing problem for the
GEnx engine family.
Several GEnx engines, includ-
ing the GEnx-2B model installed
on the 747-8 as well as the -1B on
the 787, experienced power loss
after ingesting tiny crystals as air-
craft flew into strong tropical
thunderstorms at high altitude.
In hopes of fixing the prob-
lem, GE has since rolled out
FADEC software versions B
and B180. After building up on
fan blades, the ice crystals even-
tually begin to shed, potentially
entering the compressor and ex-
tinguishing the combustor. The
software allows the FADEC to
detect the conditions when
shedding is likely.

At that point, the FADEC com-

mands a set of variable bleed

valve doors – normally used to

scoop up foreign objects

swallowed by the engine during

take-off – to open, allowing ice

crystals to shed harmlessly into

the bypass airflow around the

engine core.

The US Federal Aviation

Administration had previously

barred aircraft powered by the

GEnx-1B or GEnx-2B from flying

within 50nm (93km) of a storm

that had the potential of produc-

ing high-altitude ice crystals.

But the release of software

versions B178 and B180 prompt-

ed the FAA to relax the restric-

tions, allowing the 787 to oper-

ate below 37,500ft in such

conditions and the 747-8 to fly

below 35,500ft without changing

their routes.

The latest B185 software is al-

most ready and could convince

the FAA to remove the operating

restrictions entirely, GE says. ■

R

olls-Royce and Hispano-Sui-

za have branded their drive-

train venture Aero Gearbox Inter-

national, with the Trent 7000

among the first engines to benefit.

Aero Gearbox International will

establish a production facility in

southeast Poland, the site of a

number of aerospace centres. Work

on the centre will begin this year.

R-R and Safran subsidiary His-

pano-Suiza disclosed their plan

for a drive-train venture for civil

aircraft engines last year.

The company will design and

produce accessory drive trains

for business jets as well as the

whole range of commercial types

powered by R-R engines.

These will include the Airbus

A330neo, which will be fitted

with the Trent 7000. R-R says the

Polish plant will start delivering

in 2017 and the Trent 7000 will

be one of the first recipients of the

venture’s product line.

Aero Gearbox will initially

have 60 personnel located in Co-

lombes, Derby and Dahlewitz.

But the new plant – to be estab-

lished in the Podkarpackie region

of Poland – will have a staff of

some 110 specialists. ■

R

ussian aerospace strategists
are examining the potential of
Perm as a centre of development
for higher-thrust powerplants.
Deputy prime minister Dmitry
Rogozin outlined the possibility to
Russian president Vladimir Putin
during a recent meeting.
Rogozin describes engine de-
velopment as a “priority of engi-
neering” for the civil and military
aircraft industries, to reduce the
country’s dependence on import.
He points out that development
of engines needed to precede that
of aircraft models by several years,
and that the industry could capi-
talise on work conducted at the

Perm Motors facilities, noting the

creation of the Aviadvigatel PD-

for the Irkut MC-21.

Rogozin told Putin, according to

the official office of the presidency,

this work would allow the expan-

sion of powerplant development

in the 9-16t range of take-off thrust.

This would generate the poten-

tial to develop new engines for fu-

ture models of the Sukhoi Super-

jet 100 as well as a 210-seat

version of the MC-21, he adds.

Rogozin says the plan would

also enable evolution of engines

for the military and heavy heli-

copter sectors.

United Engines, which is the

holding company for all of the

country’s aerospace propulsion

manufacturing and design activi-

ties, has previously stated that one

of its core ambitions is to expand

its presence in the civil market,

both domestically and overseas. ■

See Feature P

Safety mandate hit Boeing 787s fitted with GEnx-1B powerplants

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Russian industry could develop engines for future Superjet models

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