GP7200 Compliance/Test Engines Now In Toulouse

The Engine Alliance (EA) has reached a major milestone in the development of its GP7200 engine with delivery of the first four compliance/flight test engines for the Airbus A380.

Airbus will install nacelle and airplane system components on these engines starting in October to support the upcoming A380/GP7200 flight test program. "Everyone on the Engine Alliance team is very proud today," said Bruce Hughes, EA president. "This is a goal we have been working towards since GE and Pratt & Whitney formed the Engine Alliance in 1996 -- to give airlines the best performing, most reliable engine for new, super jumbo aircraft such as the A380. We are particularly pleased because our compliance engines are right on the Airbus fuel burn specification."

The GP7200 engine will provide 70,000 pounds of thrust for the A380 with capability to more than 80,000 pounds. It was developed by combining the strong features of the existing PW4090 and GE90 engines. The GP7200's technologies will enable the A380 to meet stringent Stage 4 and QC2 departure noise standards, and the engine will comply with both today's and anticipated future emissions requirements.

As the first flight test engines arrived in Toulouse, Federal Aviation Administration FAR33 engine certification testing continues at Pratt & Whitney and GE facilities. Earlier this week the test program passed the 5,000-cycle milestone and is progressing well toward certification later this year. The GP7200 has a 58 percent market share among customers who have made an engine selection for their A380s. EA customers include Emirates, Air France, FedEx, ILFC and Korean Air.

The Engine Alliance is a 50/50 joint venture between GE Transportation-Aircraft Engines and Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies company.

FMI: www.enginealliance.com