Page 22 - AAA JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2016 Online Magazine

FEATURE NEW AIRCRAFT

ABOVE: Southwest Airlines has
showcased its interior selection for
its 737MAX’s with B/E Aerospace
seats

LEFT: CFM has relied on the
maturity of its LEAP engine family
at entry into service and high
reliability as key points for LEAP
engine family

only was the ultrahigh-bypass-ratio turbofan alone, 1,327 A320neo aircraft will receive the said, “The LEAP-1A is doing extremely well in
engine extremely efficient, it also delivered LEAP-1A as their powerplant. The LEAP-1A flight tests on the A320neo; the reliability we
substantially reduced noise and emission received dual original certification, from both designed for this engine is definitely there.
levels. Over the course of testing for the the EASA and FAA in November 2015. The new We are very confident that the LEAP engine
A320neo, three aircraft powered by the engine family makes use of the knowledge family will deliver on every commitment we
PW1100G-JM engines have accomplished in available taken from the GE90/GEnx engine have made to our customers.” The LEAP-1A
excess of 350 flights, racking up over 1,070 family with regards to core technologies made its maiden flight on an A320neo in
flight hours. By the time the A320neo and and fuel efficiency related areas, whereas May, 2015, with another aircraft powered
its PW1100G-JM engines received Joint Type the reliability and maintenance cost aspects by the engine joining the test program in
Certification on 24th November, 2015 from were taken from the CFM 56. Another September. As of mid-November the two
the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) important aspect is CFM’s experience in test aircraft had completed 360 flight hours
and the Federal Aviation Administration high-rate production for commercial aero- over more than 140 flights. The development
(FAA), the PurePower engine family had engines, which is crucial as Airbus seeks and certification testing for the new engine
completed 20,000 hours of testing. The to deliver record numbers of the A320neo has been extensive and in excess of 6,500
PW1000G engine family powers the at levels never seen before in commercial testing hours have been accumulated on
Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ), Bombardier aviation history. Airbus will increase the the 34 test engines. The company modified
CSeries, Irkut MC-21 aircraft, and Embraer’s production rate for the A320neo family to 747 (747-100 and 747-400) flying testbeds
E-Jets E2, in addition to being available as an 60 jetliners a month (720 airplanes a year) by have also completed more than 700 hours of
engine option on the A320neo. the middle of 2019, just about three-and-a- flight tests. The LEAP engine family makes
The other engine available on the neo half years away. As per information available substantial use of state-of-the-art materials
Family, CFM International’s LEAP-1A is the on aircraft tracking website pdxlight.com, such as 3-D woven carbon fiber composites
product of the extremely successful 50/50 lessors also prefer the choice of engine for the fan blades and fan case, which reduce
joint venture between Snecma (Safran) and options, placing orders for both engine types weight by approximately 250 kg per engine.
GE. The LEAP has eclipsed the success of for the neo Family. CFM has worked to ensure Innovative manufacturing processes for
the CFM 56 engine family with record sales that the new engine is its most reliable yet. In a parts such as the 3-D-printed fuel nozzles,
and orders for all three LEAP offerings, have statement released after certification, Allen make them 25% lighter.
crossed 9,660 engines. As of October 2015 Paxson, executive vice president for CFM
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