Page 29 - AAA MAY - JUNE 2016 Online Magazine

FEATURE AERO ENGINES

engine has a three stage fan turbine, 4 in fuel efficiency over current business jet Silvercrest by saying, “In developing an
stage axial and one stage centrifugal high engines would deliver 30 per cent greater engine which is quite new as is the case with
pressure compressor driven by a two stage range. The Silvercrest would also be far more the Silvercrest, they (Safran) detected in
high pressure turbine resulting in a powerful environment friendly with 15 per cent lower the fine tuning processes some issues that
yet highly efficient, clean and quiet business CO2 emissions, 50 percent decrease in NOx couldn’t be resolved in the current schedule
jet engine with one of the highest thrust-to- (oxides of nitrogen) and also deliver a ground and as a result have to redesign a number
weight ratios in its class. The first flight of acoustic footprint that will be half that of of parts. They have already communicated
the Falcon 8X took place on February 6. The current engines in its thrust class. Moreover, on the redesign of the gearbox and we have
2015 test program proceeded in line with Snecma had an impressive pedigree when to redo the integration of the engine and the
company expectations, with test aircraft it comes to design and manufacture of schedule is longer.” Replying to a question
completing 250 missions representing 450 military aero-engines (M53 and M88) and on compensation for the delay, he said, “In
flight hours. Certification is planned for mid- its highly successful partnership with GE as terms of the contract it is beyond our worst
2016 and the first aircraft should be delivered part of CFM International (CFM 56 and now nightmare, with 2 years of delay is quite a lot
to customers in the latter half of this year. LEAP). According to Safran estimates which and we are currently engaged in talks with
Dassault Aviation had already commenced forecast the delivery of 8,000 new aircraft Safran on compensatory measures to cover
interior completion work on five aircraft by till 2030 for super-midsize, large and long- our over costs. Penalties are to be applied
the end of 2015. range models, the Silvercrest engine was to on delivery of the aircraft or first flight,
Despite its longstanding relationship planned to expected to achieve a market which both have not taken place.” Extensive
with Pratt & Whitney Canada, which extends share of 25 to 30 per cent. Unfortunately, ground and flight (FTB) tests have now been
to almost four decades, Dassault Aviation the development of the Silvercrest underway on the Silvercrest, since last year,
turned to Safran to power its Falcon 5X engine has been bedevilled with technical which year. Test engine have crossed 3,200
with the revolutionary new-generation and technological challenges, that have hours of testing, including 310 hours in flight.
Silvercrest jet engine that would easily seen Snecma forced to postpone engine At last year’s NBAA show held in November,
power the 5X on non-stop Paris-Beijing certification, by three years, from 2015 Cédric Goubet, Executive Vice President of
or Los Angeles-London flights. Specifically to 2018, a massive delay by any standard. Snecma’s Commercial Engine division, while
designed and built to power premium SNECMA’s difficulties have forced Dassault discussing the Silvercrest engine program
business jets in the super-midsize category, to temporarily freeze production and first said, “Tests over the last six months have
the Silvercrest was to deliver unmatched deliveries of the Falcon 5X are now slated to nonetheless showed the need to carry out
performance and efficiency in the 9,500 to take place during the first-half of 2020. additional development work to extend the
12,000 lbs of thrust class for long-range, large- Speaking to journalists at Dassault engine’s operational life and performance.
cabin bizjets in the super-midsize category. Aviation’s annual press conference earlier this In particular, this will entail achieving better
The figures being touted were certainly year, Eric Trappier, Chairman/CEO of Dassault control over case distortion due to very high
impressive; the 15 per cent improvement Aviation, clarified the technical issues on temperatures.

Dassault’s ultra-long range Falcon 8X
tri-jet is powered by three PW307D
engines from Pratt & Whitney Canada.
European Aviation Safety Agency
(EASA) certification for the PW307D
engines was obtained on April 27
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