Not long ago, Rolls-Royce specialists, working together with specialists from the Manufacturing Technology Center (MTC), Coventry, UK, set a kind of record for the largest part manufactured using industrial 3D printing technologies. This part became a unit for a jet Trent engine-XWB, which has a diameter of 1.5 meters and which is made of titanium. And this achievement was made possible thanks to the opening of the new National Center for Additive Manufacturing and Aerospace Research Center, which installed the most modern and unique equipment for the so-called additive manufacturing.

The Trent-XWB engine part is not a monolithic product, it consists of several components, including a disk with 48 blades, which was also manufactured using additive technologies. This project involved scientists from the University of Sheffield and specialists from Arcam, which developed and produces electron beam installations for 3D printing.

New electron beam installations are designed to work with large quantities metal powder and they are able to work continuously for a long time. The original Arcam units were capable of operating continuously for 80 hours, but the use of additional active cooling systems allowed this time to be increased to at least 120 hours, i.e. by 50 percent.

Modernized electron beam installations, capable of generating a beam of high-energy electrons for 6-700 hours continuously, have another system designed for active cooling of the manufactured part. The problem is that titanium powder and powders of some other metals are themselves flammable and work with them is possible only under vacuum conditions. This reduces the level of convection cooling of the part being manufactured, and radiation cooling can provide a very low rate of temperature reduction. Therefore, an active system was developed specifically for this case, which reduced the cooling time of the part to 8-9 hours instead of 18 hours.

Electron beam systems can provide higher printing speeds than similar laser systems. However, this medal also has reverse side, the resulting surfaces have a rougher texture and in some cases require additional machining.

The created Trent-XWB jet engine assembly has already undergone a series of small tests, during which some of its strength parameters were checked. And soon Rolls-Royce will install this unit in the A380 jet engine, which is a kind of flying test bed.

It should be noted that additive manufacturing technologies, like other similar technologies, will make it possible to produce very complex parts and assemblies by simply pressing a key on a control computer. This gives designers and engineers incredible freedom of choice, which will allow them to implement any of the most complex ideas that were previously impossible to implement due to the limitations of metal machining technologies. In addition, such technologies will make it possible to produce monolithic parts consisting of various materials, which is also impossible to achieve using only traditional methods.

Airbus A380-861 with GP7270 engines.

At the end of the 90s, the world's largest aircraft manufacturing companies Boeing and Airbus, assessing the state and capabilities of the aviation market, were seriously puzzled by the issue of creating an aircraft VLCT (Very Large Commercial Transport) . It was supposed to be, first of all, an aircraft with increased passenger capacity (about 600-800 seats).

The program of American aircraft manufacturers was called Boeing-747X. In this perspective, the 747-500X, -600X and 700X aircraft were envisioned with an enlarged “humpbacked” part of the fuselage, larger than that of their predecessor Boeing 747-400.

Example layout of Boeing 747-500X and 747-600X.

However, these plans were interrupted by the Asian financial crisis of 1997-2000. Then Boeing decided that the market prospects in the chosen direction were too vague (primarily the lack of preliminary demand from airlines), and the 747X project was canceled.

Having lost its main rival and, thus, acquiring a certain freedom of action, Airbus continued the work begun in June 1994 to create its own VLCT aircraft concept.

At the same time, in order to further increase the competitiveness of the new project, a course was set to reduce operating costs by 15-20% compared to the Boeing 747-400 competitor aircraft already in operation. Moreover, a design option was chosen that provided significantly greater passenger capacity, including compared to the Boeing 400.

Boeing 747-400 aircraft.

In December 2000, the program, then still called A3XX, was launched. Its result was the world's largest passenger airliner, Airbus A380-800 (853 passengers in a single-class version), a wide-body, double-deck aircraft widely known in the world today, which later received the semi-official name Super Jumbo.

The engine was initially supposed to be used as the power plant for the new Airbus. Trent 900, which was at that time in development at a British multinational corporation Rolls-Royce Group plc.

Rolls-Royce Trent is a whole family of turbofan engines, named after the River Trent, one of the main rivers in Great Britain. One of the translations of the name of the river from the ancient Celtic language means something like “rapidly flooding.” A certain logic is visible in comparison with a powerful air-breathing engine :-).

It is curious that Rolls-Royce has already used this name when creating new engine models. For example, it was received by the world's first Rolls-Royce RB.50 Trent, which was tested on the Gloster Meteor aircraft (in the version Gloster G.41A Meteor F.Mk.1 (EE227)).

The world's first turboprop Rolls-Royce RB.50 Trent (museum)

Gloster Meteor E227.

Subsequently, the first double-circuit Rolls-Royce engine, also made according to the three-shaft design of the Rolls-Royce RB.203 Trent, acquired the same name. It had a bypass ratio of three. It was independent development engine based Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour, which was a product of interaction between firms Rolls-Royce And Turbomeca and installed on military aircraft SEPECAT Jaguar And Hawker Siddeley Hawk.

French Air Force Sepecat Jaguar fighter-bomber.

This engine was intended as a replacement for the existing low bypass ratio Rolls-Royce Spey family (RB.163/168/183 Spey, by the way, is also the name of a river), installed on both civil and military aircraft in the 60s. However, it did not go into production, but served as the basis for the creation of a new family of Rolls-Royse RB211 engines.

The Rolls-Royse RB211 has already become a mass-produced commercial turbofan engine. It was not easy to create; the company encountered various difficult technical problems during its work. As a result, the projection costs turned out to be significantly higher than planned, the final cost of the engine increased, and the project, together with the design company, found itself in a crisis.

In January 1971, Rolls-Royse declared itself bankrupt. To keep the national L-1011 Tristar program afloat, for which the RB211 engine was solely intended, the British Government nationalized the company and allowed work on the engine to continue.

Liner L-1011 Tristar.

RB211 engines on the wing of a Boeing 747-300.

And although the L-1011 Tristar aircraft could not withstand the competition, and its production was discontinued at the 250th copy, the operating airlines liked the RB211 engine and continued to be used on Boeing 747/757/767 aircraft in their various versions. Quite successful operation continues to this day, and the RB211 engine itself in the 1990s served as the basis for the creation of a new line of engines - Rolls-Royse Trent.

With the beginning of widespread use of the RB211 engine in commercial aviation, the aviation division of Rolls-Royse (by that time already a company with public administration) becomes a major player in the aircraft engine market and ranks third after GE Aviation And Pratt & Whitney.

To maintain existing positions and further move towards conquering the engine market, Rolls-Royse specialists took the path of creating a new engine that meets modern requirements and suitable for almost any long-haul passenger airliner or transport aircraft.

And to reduce costs (which were now strictly controlled by the government) for research and development, the already well-developed design concept of the RB211 engine, made according to three-shaft scheme.

This was the beginning of a line of engines Rolls-Royse Trent. The first engine in this family, the Trent 600, was intended for installation on aircraft McDonnell Douglas MD-11 for British airlines British Caledonian and Air Europe. However, the first company was acquired by British Airways, which canceled the order for the MD-11, and the second “safely” ceased to exist in the early 90s.

The Trent 600 was left without customers and never left the rank of demonstration engine for the Trent program. All the company's efforts were aimed at developing the next modification in the family - the Trent 700 for the Airbus A330 aircraft.

This engine was certified in January 1994 and became one of the power plant options for A330-200/300 type airliners. At the same time, in May 1996, the engine achieved compliance with the standards ICAO ETOPS180.

Aircraft A330-200 with Trent-772B-60 engines.

The Trent 800 modification (877, 895, 892) has been successfully used on Boeing 777-200/200ER/300 aircraft since May 1995. In this segment, the Rolls-Royse engine holds 41% of the engine market. In order to improve traction characteristics, the fan diameter was increased: 2.80 m versus 2.47 m for the Trent 700.

Trent 800 engine.

Boeing-777/258ER aircraft with Trent 895 engines.

Since 2000, the Trent 500 version has been installed on the ultra-long-range passenger airliner A340-500 (553), as well as on the modification A340-600.

Aircraft A340-642 with Trent 500 engines.

In connection with Boeing's development of extended-range B777x variants, Rolls-Royse developed an improved modification of the Trent 800 engine, called 8104, with its further development into the 8115 variant. The engine was designed for a thrust level of up to 100,000 lbf with the further possibility of overcoming this significant threshold and increasing it to 110,000 lbf.

This modification used the latest innovative developments in the field of commercial engine construction, in particular a fan with wide chord titanium blades, having a special saber-arrow-shaped profile (swept wide chord fan), which allows you to get the maximum (at this stage) return from the fan in terms of operating efficiency, weight reduction and noise reduction. Rolls-Royse was a pioneer in these developments and has been involved in them since the 1970s.

However, Trent 8104 remained a demonstration model. The competitive struggle has done its job. Boeing received more than $500 million from GE Aviation for the development of the 777x program with the condition of the exclusive use of GE engines in it - GE90-110B and GE90-115B. It is quite clear that the issue was resolved in favor of General Electric.

But what was done, of course, was not in vain. The Trent series is currently the most popular line of Rolls-Royce engines for commercial aviation. All the latest developments of the company were implemented in latest versions Trentov - Rolls-Royce Trent 900, Trent 1000 (for Boeing 787 Dreamliner) and Trent XWB(for the new Airbus 350XWB aircraft). One of the most notable engines in the series was the Rolls-Royce Trent 900.

This engine is from the beginning of development A380 became the main one for the power plant of this Airbus, its position was especially strengthened from the moment the formation of mass orders for the aircraft began. In March 2000, Singapore Airlines and following it in February 2001, the Australian airline Qantas chose Trent 900 as the main engine for the airliners they ordered.

Trent 900 engine.

The decision to create the Trent 900 specifically for the aircraft A380 was adopted in 1996. In May 2004, the engine was first tested in the air as one of the engines in a flying laboratory based on the A340-300 aircraft. European certification (EASA) was obtained in October of the same year, and in December 2006 certification was completed in America (FAA).

Test A340 with Trent 900 engine.

An A340 aircraft with a Trent 900 test engine.

Already in September 2007, British Airways, so to speak, supporting the domestic manufacturer :-), decided to choose the Trent 900 engine for its set of A380 aircraft (there were 12 of them in total). Thus, at the end of 2009, the share of this engine in the engine fleet ordered and produced A380 amounted to 52%.

Like any modern industrial manufacturer, especially an aircraft manufacturer, Rolls-Royce has partners, among whom the risks and profits are divided in accordance with their equity participation.

There are only six of them: Honeywell International, which produces pneumatic systems; Italian company Avio S.p.A. , the main prerogative of which is the drive box of engine components; Volvo Aero, involved in the production of the compressor housing; Goodrich Corporation - fan housing and sensory systems; Italian company Industria de Turbo Propulsores S.A., engaged in the production of turbines low pressure; Hamilton Sundstrand company - electronic engine control devices.

Trent 900- three-shaft with a high bypass ratio (8.7-8.5). It is believed that the production and operation of such an engine may be more difficult than a conventional one. twin-shaft turbojet, however, during operation such an engine is more stable and stable.

Trent 900 engine diagram.

Three-shaft means the presence of a gas generator with three mechanically independent axial units. This gives a certain flexibility in design and allows you to choose different combinations of initial settings, while obtaining different output parameters for different engines, despite the external similarity of the design.

Three-shaft motor configuration.

In addition, shorter and therefore more rigid shafts in the three-shaft version make it possible to more accurately maintain optimal flow rates around the blades, thereby increasing the efficiency of the gas generator and the margin of its stable, continuous operation. Accordingly, the weight and dimensions of the engine are reduced.

Differences in the sizes of two- and three-shaft turbojet engines.

Therefore, Rolls-Royce uses a three-shaft design on all commercial engines, resulting in entire series of engines with the same design, but different sizes and thrust characteristics.

Engine Trent 900 inherited from its predecessor, the Trent 8104 demonstrator, a significant number of advanced technological solutions. In particular, a large diameter fan (2.95 m) with wide chord blades(24 pieces) of a special saber-arrow shape. The blades seem to be bent in the direction opposite to the rotation (very similar to the swept wing of an airplane).

When the engine is running, they move at a peripheral speed of up to 1730 km/h, which is significantly higher than the speed of sound. Thanks to blades of a specific configuration, the fan operates quite efficiently and quietly at such speeds (one of the main regulatory parameters and requirements for operators A380), especially since the flow speed at the engine inlet, even at takeoff, is relatively low. At the same time, its thrust is higher than a similar fan of a conventional form.

Trent 900 engine fan.

Its total weight is almost 15% lower than the mass of wide-chord fans of engines of previous types. The main reason for this is again the fan blades. They are made of titanium alloy, hollow inside and reinforced according to the principle Warren Farms(Warren girder - lattice of equilateral triangles). This makes them strong, rigid and lightweight at the same time.

Attempts to make fan blades from composite materials on this engine failed. It failed the bird-fan test.

It is interesting that the supplier of titanium for Rolls-Royce engines (as, indeed, for most aircraft produced in the world) is the Russian corporation VSMPO-Avisma.

Turbine blades are used as monolithic ones monocrystalline, and hollow with channels and holes for effective convective film air cooling.

Heat-loaded components, such as combustion chamber elements, nozzles and turbine blades, are protected by a special anti-thermal coating (thermal-barrier coating or FA) significantly reducing heat transfer.

When profiling the gas-air path of the gas generator, the well-proven similar unit of the Trent 500 engine was taken as a basis.

Main engine components:

single stage fan, eight stage intermediate compressor, six stage high pressure compressor.

The combustion chamber is annular with 24 fuel sprayers (nozzles) of the so-called “Tiled Phase 5” type ( proper name Rolls-Royse). This type of camera is used on Trent 500/800/900/1000 engines. In terms of the amount of harmful emissions, it meets the requirements of CAEP 8 with a large margin.

Combustion chamber type Phase 5.

Example of a combustion chamber (for Trent 500, the same one is installed on Trent 900)

Such a combustion chamber has a certain type of plate design of the flame tube walls (tiled combustor), which, in combination with an anti-thermal coating (FA), can significantly improve their cooling and insulation from the ultra-high temperature zone. In addition, it has a shortened combustion zone and, along with high thermal efficiency, has a noticeably reduced level of NOx emissions.

Turbine Trent 900 also consists of three independent parts. These are a single stage high pressure turbine, a single stage intermediate turbine and a five stage low pressure turbine driving the fan.

Loading Trent 900 onto an airplane.

In addition, the engine, like almost all modern turbojet engines, has modular design, which greatly facilitates (and reduces the cost of) its manufacture, operation and repair.

The advantage of the engine is presented not only by its modular design, but also by the possibility of transportation in assembled form in cargo compartment transport aircraft Boeing-747.

Main modules of the Trent 900 design.

Trent 900 engine modules.

Module 01. Low pressure compressor or fan rotor assembly. This rotor, together with the fan disk mounted on it, is rotated by a low-pressure turbine. The disk has dovetail grooves in which the fan blades are installed. In Trent series engines their number varies from 26 to 20. Minimum quantity(20) for Trent 1000, for Trent 900 - 24. The blades can be replaced without removing the engine from the aircraft.

Module 02. Intermediate compressor. The structure is assembled from disks and blades in the form of a drum. On the latest model of the Trent line (XWB), this module uses blisks, but the 900 does not yet have them.

Module 03. Internal casing of the intermediate compressor. Located between the intermediate and high pressure compressor. The bearings of all rotors are mounted inside it. It has hollow racks in which the main oil and air pipelines pass, as well as the drive axis of the unit box.

Module 04. High pressure unit (system). Consists of internal housings, a high-pressure compressor, a combustion chamber and a high-pressure turbine. On Trent 500/700/800 engines the rotor of this system rotates in the same direction as the other two rotors. Starting with the engine Trent 900 this rotation is changed to opposite, which allows you to significantly increase the efficiency of the turbine assembly as a whole.

Trent 900 engine modules.

Module 05. Intermediate turbine. It consists of a turbine housing, disk, rotor blades, nozzle blades and bearings of the intermediate turbine and high-pressure turbine. The nozzle devices are built into the housing. Thermocouples are installed in the blades of the nozzle apparatus of the 1st stage of the low-pressure turbine to measure the gas temperature.

Module 06. High Speed ​​Gearbox (HSGB). It is located on the housing of the low pressure compressor (and fan) and is driven from the inner box located in the inner housing. It is a drive for pumps, both aircraft and motor and aircraft electric generators. Provides drive speeds in excess of 15,000 rpm.

Module 07. Low pressure compressor and fan housing. The largest (in size) of the engine modules. Formed from two cylindrical surfaces and a crown of output guide vanes. The front part serves as the housing for the fan. Both cylindrical parts are equipped with special noise-absorbing pads to reduce engine noise.

Module 08. Low pressure turbine. Special bolted discs form the turbine rotor. It rotates the fan through a low-pressure shaft, providing a power of at least 80,000 hp, which can be approximately equal to the power of a thousand family cars.

Used for automatic engine control digital electronic system manufactured by Hamilton Sundstrand. In addition, for the first time in the Trent line, a system of rapid continuous monitoring of engine condition was used. Engine Health Monitoring (EHM).

The engine location on the A380 is very convenient from a maintainability point of view. The engine fully “opens up” to provide convenient access to almost any point on its outer surface.

A Trent 900 engine under the wing of an A380.

Trent 900. Engine open.

The main certified engine options today.

Trent 970B-84 with a thrust of 78,304 lbf (348.31 kN) are installed on the A380-841 aircraft (the number “4” is the engine code Trent 900) and are used by Singapore Airlines Limited, Deutsche Lufthansa, China Southern Airlines Company Limited, Malaysia Airlines and Thai Airways International Public Company Limited.

Trent 972B-84 with a thrust of 80,213 lbf (356.81 kN). This higher-thrust version of the 970 engine is used on Qantas' A380-842 aircraft.

In addition, two more engine options with even greater thrust have been developed.

Trent 977B-84 designed for the cargo version of the Super Jumbo - A380F and has a thrust of 83,835 lbf (372.92 kN).

Trent 980- 84- For promising version A380-900 (A380-941) with increased cargo capacity, passenger capacity and flight range. The thrust of this engine variant is 84,098 lbf (374.09 kN).

However, so far both versions of the aircraft are not planned for release.

A Trent 900 engine under the wing of an A380 airliner.

A Trent 970 engine under the wing of a British Airways A380-841 aircraft.

As already mentioned, from the beginning of the aircraft design A380 The Trent 900 engine was considered as the main one for its power plant, but it was not the only one left. Airbus got rid of its VLCT competitor when Boeing canceled its 747X project, but the engine intended for that project remained.

Indeed, for its development, an alliance of two aviation engine giants GE-Aviation and Pratt & Whitney (as part of United Technologies Corporation (UTC)). Abbreviation EA – Engine Alliance.

EA was created in August 1996 to develop, manufacture, sell and after-sales a new line of VLCT engines on a 50/50 basis. By that time, these companies did not have engines with a set of necessary characteristics (including thrust of about 70,000-85,000 lb (311-378 kN)).

When forecasting global demand in this market segment, experts determined that it may be insufficient to cover the possible costs of developing a new line of engines (about $1 billion). However, the existing customer base and possible demand were still not so small as to be completely ignored.

In this case, it would be quite logical to form a joint venture to obtain a mutually beneficial result. Otherwise, these firms could only be fierce competitors. The enterprise was created. The engine received the working name GP7000.

GP7000 engine diagram.

However, due to the circumstances already described, he lost the object of his installation. But, having good data, the project promised to become promising, and it was decided to re-optimize it for the A3XX aircraft, which was being created at that time under the same program, which later became an airliner A380.

Airbus supported EA in its research. First, from 1998 to 2000, according to private agreements, and from December 19, 2000, when the A380 development and production program was officially launched, the GP7000 engine also officially became the second possible engine for the power plant of this aircraft in addition to Trent 900. The line of engines on the A380 was named GP7200.

This engine was even more firmly entrenched in its new position on May 19, 2001, when Air France, when ordering its first 10 A380-800s, chose GP7270.

In joint development and production of engine line GP7200 In addition to the main creators of the Engine Alliance, GE-Aviation and Pratt & Whitney, other European aircraft manufacturing firms are also participating. These are the French SNECMA (gas generator), the German MTU Aero Engines (low pressure turbine and turbine housing components) and the Belgian Techspace Aero S.A. (low pressure compressor, bearing housings and fan disc).

Ground tests of the first engine of the GP7200 line began in April 2004, and in December the first flight was carried out, in which the test engine was installed on a flying laboratory based on a Boeing 747. FAA certified GP7200 For commercial use in January 2006.

On August 25, 2006, the first test flight was made in Toulouse, France A380, equipped with new engines. In December 2007, a type certificate was received for the use of the GP7200 engine on the A380 aircraft.

In the end it turned out GP7200 with a bypass ratio of 8.7. It has a single-stage fan, a five-stage low-pressure compressor, a nine-stage high-pressure compressor, a low-emission annular combustor, a two-stage high-pressure turbine and a six-stage low-pressure turbine.

One of the main principles of uniting GE and P&W into a single alliance was to use the existing promising developments of both companies to create a new engine. It was this direction that was taken as the main one.

Engine GE90-115B.

Engine PW4084.

Engine GP7200.

Thus, the basis for the development of the GP7200 gas generator was an engine from GE Aviation GE90-110B/115B, and for the fan and the entire low-pressure system, a Pratt & Whitney series engine PW4000-112(family with a fan diameter of 112 inch (2.8 m)) PW4084/84D. Both of these engines were intended for Boeing 777 series aircraft and met ETOPS-240 standards.

In addition, certain developments were used on the CF6 series engines and . And of course many advanced achievements modern engine technology have found their place in the design of the new engine.

GP7200 engine diagram.

1.Fan(based on the PW4084 engine fan design) has 24 titanium alloy blades. The blades are hollow, reinforced with a truss type. Their aerodynamic shape is made using 3D design. The blades are wide-chord, swept-back, designed to operate at supersonic speeds and based on conditions of minimal noise.

Parts of the housing and guide vane are made of aluminum alloy using Kevlar for reasons of strength, light weight, and low noise. Sufficient provision is made quick replacement fan blades without removing the engine from the wing.

2. Low pressure compressor flow path It is also made using 3-D technology, which increases the stability of the compressor, reduces losses and has a positive effect on reducing fuel consumption. The combined design of the fan and the LPC significantly reduces the possibility of dirt and small foreign objects getting into the LPC channel, which increases the reliability and service life of the engine.

3.9 stage high pressure compressor. Made on the basis of the GE-90-110B compressor. 3-D technology is also used here, which also increases the efficiency and ability of continuous operation of the compressor. The first stage impeller is made in the form of a blisk. The blades are wide-chord, swept-back, profiled according to the principle of fan blades.

4.Annular combustion chamber (single). Made using technical solutions tested on engines of the CF6 and . The camera is simple in design, but efficient in operation and has low emission. Meets the requirements of CAEP 8 standards with a large margin.

5.High pressure turbine. 3-D technologies are used. Separate blade cooling and special thermal insulation coating ( thermal-barrier coating, fuel assembly ) increase the service life of the blades and the efficiency of the engine as a whole. Thermal matching of the rotor and stator allows minimizing the gap between the rotor blades and the turbine housing. Boltless architecture reduces the number of parts (and therefore the weight of the engine as a whole), disk life and maintenance costs.

An example of anti-thermal coating for GP7200 turbine blades.

6.Low pressure turbine made on the basis of 3-D technologies, which ultimately reduce fuel consumption. New technical solutions in its design increase efficiency while reducing weight and noise levels.

7. Lubrication and bearing systems. The simplicity of the twin-shaft engine reduces maintenance costs. Special anti-friction carbon seals reduce oil and fuel consumption. The system has a low operating pressure. Maintenance and costs are minimized.

8.The engine is controlled by the latest generation FADEC III digital electronic system. The experience of its work on GE90 and CFM engines is taken into account. The ability to transmit data from diagnostic sensors has been improved and accelerated to minimize possible delays in ground handling.

9. Unit drive box made on the basis of the PW4084 engine for reasons of simplicity, durability and minimal inexpensive maintenance.

Certified Engine Options GP7200– these are GP7270 and GP7277. The first is intended for the passenger A380-861 (the number “6” is the engine code) and has a takeoff thrust of 74,735 lbf (332,440 kN). The second can be installed on the A380F version (if it is ready) and has a thrust of 80,290 lbf (357,100 kN). However, the GP7200 can already provide more than 81,500 lbf (363 kN) of thrust.

The GP7200 engine on the A380.

A380-861 takes off at Le Burget (June 2013).

Airliner A380-861 at Le Burget (06.2013).

At the same time, work is constantly underway to improve the engine. Its traction efficiency is increasing, and the possibility of using new materials and designs to reduce weight is being explored. For example, since mid-2011, Volvo Aero has been involved in engine production. The use of its developments in compressors and turbines made it possible to reduce the engine weight by 24 kg.

Transportation options and maintainability engine GP7200 have the same high level as that of its predecessors and rivals. The modular design significantly increases the capabilities in this regard, and the location of the engine on the aircraft (on the pylon) with opening cowls and panels makes access to it and its systems almost unlimited, allowing many works (including serious repairs) to be carried out while leaving the engine on the wing.

GP7200 engines under the wing of an A380.

The same can be said about testability, meaning both engines: Trent 900 And GP7200. One of the main types of control of almost any modern engine that uses the operating principle "according to technical condition"- This borescopic control. Both engines used on A380, one might say, are ideally suited for it.

They, as already mentioned, can be almost completely open to provide convenient access to all systems, including special ports for inspecting the blades and internal cavities of the compressor and turbine, as well as the cavities of the combustion chamber. All stages and cavities without exception can be inspected, especially since airline engineering maintenance personnel have perfect borescopic equipment.

This various types and complexity borescopes, simple and video, with specialized modes of inspection and image recording, with the ability to measure detected damage using 3-D technologies and excellent articulation of optical probes ( all-way, i.e. 360°).

In addition, there are quite wide possibilities for local repairs, in particular cleaning of blades using almost one-of-a-kind equipment from a German company Richard Wolf GmbH, which in many cases allows you to eliminate damage and avoid costly repairs associated with engine removal and aircraft downtime.

Much attention is paid to improving fuel efficiency. Nowadays aviation science and engine building have achieved this high level, that among the available samples of engines for the same purpose, it is impossible to identify any one that especially stands out among the others for its outstanding parameters.

And that's good because in a positive way affects competition. For the healthy development of a new project, serious competition must be present, otherwise if there is only one engine supplier, for example the project itself A380 could quickly become unviable.

Fierce competition in the engine manufacturing market forces developers to use the most advanced technologies and introduce the highest achievements of science and technology into production.

However, the cost of engine development is very high, so the struggle is for every, even the smallest, increase in the market share of a given manufacturer. Often the buyer's choice determines a rather small advantage, which, however, can become decisive in the future.

It is clear that all this is true for the power plant A380. Both engines and Trent 900 And GP7200, are quite close to each other in terms of parameters, and now there is a constant rivalry between the Engine Alliance and Rolls-Royce over whose engine will become more in demand.

In this age of energy shortages, the dominant type of airline operating costs has become aviation fuel costs. And their share in total costs will only increase in the future. Therefore, any, even the most minimal increase in the fuel efficiency of the engine makes its primary use economically justified, all other things being equal.

This is exactly the situation that currently exists in the competition between the Trent 900 and GP7200 engines. Thanks to the efforts of the developers, an aircraft with Alliance engines currently has a fuel efficiency that is 1% higher than an aircraft with British engines, and the Americans are trying to at least not reduce this gap. It turns out that Rolls-Royce is forced to play catch-up in a certain way :-).

The figure seems to be small, but in fact, if the aircraft makes long flights (and most A-380s are designed by operators for this purpose), then in a year the savings can amount to up to 1.7 million dollars per aircraft, and at the same time CO2 emissions could be reduced by 4,000 tons per year.

Trent 900 has a slightly higher thrust (about 1.5-2%), less weight (about 300 kg). It is slightly shorter than its rival (about 20 cm). But in in this case, it seems that none of this can be a decisive factor in determining airline preferences.

If in the initial stages of development A-380 the Trent 900 engine was the first and main one, now about 49% of all ordered A380s will have to receive engines GP7200. The numbers speak for themselves and it is very likely that they will grow.

Perhaps the situation was also influenced by the failures of the Trent 900 engine, which appeared during a relatively short period of its operation (while no failures of the GP7200 engine were observed). Particularly notable was the flight accident that occurred on November 4, 2010 with a Qantas A380-842 aircraft (number VH-OQH, Trent 972 engine).

During the Singapore-Sydney flight, the turbine of the second engine (in the area of ​​the intermediate link and the first stage of the LPT) was destroyed, resulting in even greater destruction of the engine, engine nacelle, and also the surfaces of the left wing.

A Qantas A380 engine after an emergency landing.

Trent 972 engine of a Qantas A380-842 after landing.

The crew returned the plane to the departure airport ( Changi, Singapore) and made a safe landing. No one was hurt. The airliner was completely overhauled with the replacement of all 4 engines and full testing on the ground and in the air. The repairs cost $139 million. Then, until the circumstances were clarified, not only aircraft flights were stopped A-380 Qantas, but also a fairly large customer of Singapore Airlines.

It was suggested that the accident was caused by errors in the basic design of the engine, in particular in the turbine clearance control system. It is worth saying that a similar incident (turbine destruction) during bench tests happened with the next (more advanced) engine in the Trent line - Trent 1000, intended for the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Figuratively speaking, it seems that in the pursuit of engine efficiency (which, by the way, largely depends on the clearances in the turbine), competition can exert, so to speak, uncontrolled “pressure” on the promotion of innovative technologies, which in the end can lead to an explosion.

However, time will, of course, show which engine is more worthy. The main thing is that the inevitable rivalry takes place exclusively on a peaceful basis. A-380 It’s only been flying for five years and may the flight history of this truly wonderful airliner be impeccable...

Aircraft A380-841 with Trent 900 engines.

Airliner A380-841.

Until next time.

Photos are clickable.

Rolls-Royce is preparing to launch the Trent 1000 engine on the Dreamliner.

MOSCOW, June 23. (ARMS-TASS). The Rolls-Royce company is preparing to launch the Trent-1000 engine on the promising American Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

As ARMS-TASS was informed at the Moscow representative office of Rolls-Royce, the start of operation of the new engine is planned at the end of this year as part of the airliners of ANA Airlines, which is the launch customer of the Dreamliners.

For the first time, a Boeing 787 also took to the skies using Trent 1000 engines. Four of the six experimental Dreamliners taking part in the certification test program are equipped with the same power plant.

According to the Dreamliner developers, the aircraft will produce 20 percent more energy. less carbon dioxide, by 40 percent. less nitrogen oxides and produce 50 percent, less noise than a regular airliner. The Trent-1000 engine plays a key role in the environmental friendliness of the aircraft, Rolls-Royce believes.

In 2009, the company invested £864 million. in research and development, two thirds of which are aimed at reducing harmful effects company products on environment, especially reducing emissions of pollutants.

Rolls-Royce's order book includes more than 2.4 thousand Trent engines, and 2009 was a record year for the company in terms of the number of deliveries - 224 Trent engines within four Airbus and Boeing programs.

Basic income of Rolls-Royce in 2009 amounted to 10.1 billion pounds sterling, about half of which was income from the sale of services. Firm and committed orders at 31 December 2009 totaled £58.3 billion, providing a clear indication of future levels of activity.

Rolls-Royce has a wide customer base, including 600 airlines, 4 thousand owners of corporate and utility aircraft and helicopters, armies of 160 countries, more than 2 thousand customers of marine equipment, including 70 navies, and customers of energy equipment in 120 countries, and the installed equipment fleet includes 54 thousand gas turbines.

Rolls-Royce employs more than 39 thousand qualified employees in offices, production and service facilities in 50 countries. One of the company's priorities is training and providing jobs to university graduates, as well as continuous training of employees.

Photo: rolls-royce.com.

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According to UAC President Yuri Slyusar, the creation of a joint venture with COMAC is planned for the first quarter of next year (previously it was stated that it would be opened before the end of 2016). The headquarters of the joint venture will be located in Shanghai.

Speaking about the status of the program, the head of the UAC explained that it is being implemented on schedule and that the costs for it are estimated at $12–20 billion (roughly in line with previous estimates).

Slyusar noted that engines for the aircraft have not yet been selected. Previously, he said that requests had been sent to manufacturers Rolls-Royce and General Electric - they are the only ones in the world capable of supplying engines with a thrust of 35 tons. In Russia, the development of such a power plant is only being planned.

As the head of UAC emphasized, the corporation sees its task as making the aircraft approximately 10% cheaper than its competitors.

In accordance with the previously provided information, the wide-body aircraft will be assembled in China, but the engineering center that will design it will be located in Russia. According to Slyusar, proposals for participation in the project have been sent out to a wide circle equipment suppliers, primarily Chinese.

The basic version of the car will accommodate 280 passengers. and fly 12,000 km. Deliveries should begin in 2025–2027.

We started for health and ended for peace.
Even an Il-96-300 with two engines of 35 tons of thrust will carry 300 pax per 15,000 km.
And the IL-96-400 with a wing on two engines will transport 330 pax in a two-class class over 12,000 km.

The question is, why is a C929 with yesterday’s characteristics needed at all in 2025, if in two years a more advanced Il-96-400 with the same two engines can be put into production?

Who is stopping you from collecting it in China?

China does not need a more advanced IL-96-400 with two engines.
China is ruled by the Communist Party. Its goal is to create technological chains for its aircraft and aircraft engines, using low labor costs and to capture the aircraft sales market in China and Asia. For this purpose, technology is being purchased in Ukraine, and 25,000 Russian and many Ukrainian engineers are working in China. More than 50 research institutes are engaged in copying foreign technologies in China.
You are thinking about something completely different. About making a profit. But the Chinese think about the benefits for their country. They are patriots. If Ukrainian aircraft factories go bankrupt, the Chinese will also take over the Ukrainian market. Apart from Russia and Ukraine, no one sells them aviation technologies, individual components, assemblies, aircraft in one copy, developed in the USSR. And since there is such an opportunity in China, they want to produce their own planes, helicopters, and aircraft engines. They are already producing and selling M-60 and Mig-21 training. How can Il 96 be sold to the Chinese for export if it is produced by Russia?

auto4
avia4 would be better

China wants not to create
and copy

I think the drawings and technological processes All Ukrainian aircraft and aircraft engines have long been sold to China, so there is no more interest in the Ukrainian topic.

But with Russian projects there is.
Therefore, there is no interest in the SSJ, if not a Russian project and competitor, but there is no competition for the IL-96, and it contains exactly those technologies. which are available to Chinese industry. but the Chinese were disappointed in composites.

What do we mean by high-tech modernization of the IL-96 airframe.
For example, the use of new alloys from RUSAL,

If they allocate $2 billion, they will make the engine. I would love to work on this topic. I like the IL-96.
But for the project of a 2-twin-engine aircraft to pay off, orders are needed.
But you never write how many orders have been placed for this Il and Tu-204SM.

There are already engines to choose from, manufacturers and traction. Moreover, the wing design is almost ready and it’s just a matter of diameter.
Customer China.

China has not placed any orders for the two-engine Il-96 or the Tu-204SM, because he buys Boeing and Airbus planes, he himself produces Airbus planes under license. In addition, Ukrainian engineers helped them create an analogue of the Tu-334 and he bought one Tu-204 to copy.

Why do they spend foreign currency on a Russian Tu-204SM aircraft that cannot be repaired in 24 hours. And it is not mass-produced. It has a low-quality Ps-90 engine.
There is no twin-engine Il-96 aircraft and it is not even certified for flights in Russia and over the ocean.
Why are you deceiving forum visitors?

You should not mix topics. You can read about the Tu-204 here

Although proposals to China began precisely with the Tu-204, as well as with the Tu-534 project, by analogy with the B757\767. However, again with a defective range, so it didn’t go and degenerated into a fake Ecojet project. has nothing to do with ecology.

China does not produce... but assembles airbuses and this is a form of dependence.
Therefore, it is necessary to reduce risks and establish a joint venture with Russia, which is being done, but there is no point in waiting. when it is possible to assemble a reliable and proven aircraft before creating innovative aircraft. with fuel consumption no worse than competitors.

PS90A is quite high quality and reliable. but a military engine for Air Force One.
For commercial use it is relatively inconvenient due to the relatively small series and competition.

There is no twin-engine Il-96 aircraft, this is a project from the 90s, re-read the topic carefully. The main idea of ​​the topic is that there is no need to wait another 10 years for the fake PD-35 before it becomes hopelessly outdated. you can and should fly on popular engines today..

The initial successful sales of the Mystere/Falcon 20 family of aircraft prompted Dassault to invest in the development of a new short-haul airliner in the same class as the Boeing Model 737, whose sales volumes were unprecedented.
The appearance of the Mercure was close to the Model 737 - a low-wing aircraft with a pressurized round fuselage, designed to carry 120-150 passengers, and in an economic configuration - up to 162 passengers. Tail traditional type, the chassis is three-legged, with two wheels on all racks. Like the Model 737, the Mercure's powerplant consisted of two Pratt & Whitney JT8D Dash-15 series turbofan engines (these engines were an option on early Model 737s).
The cost of the program turned out to be very high, so the project was subsidized by the French government. The financial risk was divided as follows: 56% - the government, 14% - the Dassault company, the rest - other companies.
The first prototype made its first flight on May 28, 1971 with registration F-WTCC, the last three letters reflecting the purpose - “Transport Court-Courrier”, i.e. "short-haul transport". The first prototype had two JT8D-11 engines with a thrust of 66.72 kN each, and the second prototype, which performed its first flight on September 7, 1972, received JT8D-15 engines. The decision to launch the series was to be made only after receiving firm orders for 50 aircraft, but such a large portfolio of orders could not be collected, and serial production began after receiving orders for ten Mercure 100s, purchased on January 29, 1972 by the domestic French carrier Air Inter. The company received the first of ten aircraft on May 16, 1974. Air Inter remained the sole operator of the Mercure, receiving annual subsidies from the French government due to the extreme high cost spare parts - a consequence of the rapid curtailment of mass production.

TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Dassault Mercure

Powerplant: two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-15 turbofan engines with a thrust of 66.72 kN each
Flight characteristics: maximum cruising speed at an altitude of 6095 m - 925 km/h; initial rate of climb 1006 m/min; range with maximum payload 756 km
Weight: empty 31,800 kg; maximum take-off 56500 kg
Dimensions: wingspan 30.56 m; length 34.84 m; height 11.37 m; wing area 116.00 m
Payload: up to 162 passengers in the context of a payload mass of 16,200 kg

The appearance of the Dassault Mercure airliner is very similar to the design of the Boeing 737, however, it also has its own technical additions that to some extent improve the design, which bore some promise for the project, however, due to the serious rise in cost, it actually remained unclaimed.

The Dassault Mercure aircraft could accommodate up to 162 passengers on board, while the American Boeing 737-100 and Boeing 737-200 could accommodate only up to 115 people, depending on the cabin configuration. However, while the Boeing 737 could cover fairly long distances, the French aircraft was designed for a maximum flight distance of only 2,084 kilometers, which allowed for only limited use. Initially, it was planned to modify the design of the aircraft and install more capacious fuel tanks, however, because of this, the price of the aircraft could increase by almost 1.5 times, which naturally would lead to refusal among customers.

The Dassault Mercure power plant consists of two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-15 turbofan aircraft engines, each of which is capable of developing a power of 68.9 kN, which in turn provided the aircraft with maximum speed flight speed of 926 km/h, while for the Boeing 737-100 and Boeing 737-200 models this figure was set at 876 km/h.

SaM-146? And 162 pax versus 108 for SSJ - 40 years ago.

Subsequently, attempts were made to restore production of Dassault Mercure aircraft in the form of modernized versions, however, due to the low prospects of the project, it was decided to completely close the project.

The derivative CFM-56 came from two names: the CF6 engine from GE Aviation and the M56 from SNECMA. It is believed that these two engines served as the basis for the creation of the current CFM56.

As for the M56, it was SNECMA's development of a turbofan engine for the Dassault Mercure aircraft, the French equivalent of the Boeing 737. In this project, the French succeeded very well in the fan assembly with the low-pressure turbine, but problems began with the development of the high-pressure turbocharger together with the combustion chamber.

Due to these problems, the Dassault Mercure ended up flying with Pratt & Whitney JT8D-15 engines.

A more spacious version of the Mercure 200, designed for 186 passengers and powered by SNECMA CFM56 turbofan engines, was designed but not further developed.
The cost of this project was enormous and exceeded the resources of Dassault. However, she managed to obtain a loan from the French government equal to 56 percent of the project's original estimated cost of 1,000 million francs. Dassault contributed 14 percent of the total cost, with the rest coming from shareholders.
and another fuselage diameter was made larger than that of the B737 - 3.96 meters
almost 4
as you can see it didn't help

Since the French government invested in the project
especially since the Dassault Mercure 200 stretch was designed for 186 pax
and the engine for this is SNECMA CFM56
then the developments formed the basis of the A320

It is obvious that the political change of course led to the loss of national priority and the abandonment of national aircraft manufacturing in favor of transnational ones.

Although even a quick glance at the characteristics shows by far the best. In order to verify this, it is enough to speculatively remotorize it on modern engines, for example SaM-146. Obviously, the hourly fuel consumption will be identical to the SSJ, while the aircraft will carry 50 percent more passengers. More modern engines. due to reduced fuel consumption, they will provide range.
Slightly less thrust at cruising mode is nothing more than a decrease in cruising speed. however, they have a very slight effect on flight time on short-haul routes.
Ask modern airlines if they would like to carry 162 passengers with fuel consumption at the same level as an SSJ?

I think it would simultaneously replace both the SSJ and the MS-21 on short-haul routes..

This is an illustration of the urgency of the urgent remotorization of the Il-96.

Dassault Mercure was successfully operated without a LP from 1975 to 1995, and the higher cost of ownership is obvious as a result of the small series; with a larger series, it would have competed with the B737, IF THERE WAS POLITICAL WILL.
In the absence of orders, the state needs to purchase serial aircraft and offer them on lease, or even create state airlines for operation. http://www.site/conferences/43097/

Therefore, it is necessary, when designing the C929 for China, to simultaneously develop and build national versions.

How much does a pair of old engines cost for a twin-engine Il-96?

The wing needs a new one for them or it will withstand 2 engines without changes, even with a slight decrease in the aircraft parameters.
Do engine nacelles need to be designed for them or can we take ready-made ones from manufacturers?
It is more important to release the modernized aircraft onto the market as quickly as possible, while there is demand and little competition.

Its range will increase and noise will decrease, because... the engines are newer than the PS-90A.

auto4 writes::
China has not placed any orders for the twin-engine Il-96 or the Tu-204SM
***
Of course I didn't post it. But “not” to use the design and technological groundwork for the Il-96-400 when designing and creating the Pushcha and the “national-swidom...”, ugh, “national-Ketai” of course! :) - C929 - but stupid. Really stupid.
And here it is:
***
If you take an old Il-96 aircraft, remove 4 engine nacelles and aircraft engines, is it possible to install 2 new engines without altering the wing, how long will it take the Ilyushin Design Bureau? In six months they can do it for one aircraft for cargo transportation?
***
The question is really VERY, “very” VERY interesting. Although, regarding “six months”, you, my friend, clearly got a little too excited...

Recently, at an aviation forum, I urged to modernize the Tu-204 into the Tu-204SM: introduce a 2-member crew, change the avionics, reduce the volume of fuel tanks.
They made fun of me and said: it’s better to buy an old Boeing.
But the Tupolevites did it. We gained a lot of experience.

(Before this, he campaigned to close the Clipper program, put Pogosyan on the Superjet-100, develop the Angara instead of the Proton, withdraw aerospace enterprises from crowded Moscow, etc.).

If they improve the logistics of the Tu-204SM and continue to modernize it (by installing a new, modern aircraft engine), then we will get a good aircraft.

Same with lL-96.
Otherwise, it will turn out like with the An-70. We spent a billion, but there is no money, no plane.
Only now are negotiations with China, which is 10 times larger and richer than Russia. Her temporary travel companion.

If the Ilyushins do not want to modernize the Il-96, and money can be asked from private airlines), it will be replaced by a Chinese aircraft, an analogue of the Il-96 or European ones, Boeing.
Now the Ilyushin people are producing an outdated car. What will happen in 30 years?
Officials don't care. They are lawyers and financiers by training. That is we're talking about about the future of the IL-96 and its modifications. Whether he will or not. 4 engines, no Pratt-Whitney, no Rolls-Royce.
You can make a truck with 2 aircraft engines in 3 months. Strengthen the wing.

But what kind of aircraft based on Il-96 do airlines need?
Similar to foreign ones or better?
Instead of 3 Boeings, 2 IL-96s will fly.

With 4 engines, even Pratt-Yitney, Rolls-Royce Il-96 is not needed.
And what is the future with Ilyushin Design Bureau? Why do they compete with Tupolev? After all, in the USA and Europe they are one company.

With 4 engines, even Pratt-Yitney, Rolls-Royce Il-96 is not needed?
It is also needed with the PS90A.
They are building.
And with LEAP Engines - CFM International Jet Engines CFM International there is also new quality.

No one competes with anyone, except in the minds of some.

This is actually how the hit A330 was created. It’s just that on the FOUR-ENGINE A340, two engines were left on their mounts, and the outer two were simply removed. http://orig11.deviantart.net/53c2/f/2008/...
For the Il-96-300, this is an option to replace it with two 30-35-ton engines; you just need to hang them on IN-SITE internal mounts. And limit take-off weight to 220 tons. Everything is ready C929. At the same time, the capacity is greater than TK.

Nevertheless, the C929 is supposed to have engines with a maximum of 35 tons of thrust.
But in order not to go into the jungle of aerodynamics, let’s turn to analogues. First of all, the twin-engine version of the A340 is the A330.

The remotorization of the Airbus A330 wide-body aircraft has long been expected by aviation industry experts, but the European aircraft manufacturer is in no hurry to make such a decision, although sooner or later it will become inevitable.

In the history of Airbus, the A330 airliners are the most successful wide-body aircraft: as of the end of 2013, aircraft of this type had received total 1313 firm orders. For comparison: a total of 816 firm orders were received for the A300/A310 aircraft, 377 orders for the A340 (these aircraft types have already been discontinued), 812 orders for the A350, and 304 orders for the A380. And even after the introduction of the new efficient Boeing 787 airliner to the market, the A330 aircraft continues to be a success among airlines. Thus, over the past five years, Airbus has sold 534 aircraft of the A330 family - mainly, of course, the A330-300 model.

The re-engining of the A330 aircraft continues to be in the spotlight for two reasons. Firstly, AirAsia X wants to see new engines on wide-body Airbus aircraft. The Asian carrier recently introduced new business model, similar to that used by Jetstar, offering the concept of low-fare transportation on medium and long-haul routes. Following this, AirAsia X ordered 25 A330 aircraft, highlighting its commitment to the aircraft type.

The second reason is the very idea of ​​placing new power plants under the wing of a time-tested aircraft. And this idea has found acceptance among airlines and other representatives of the aviation industry. The A320NEO project has been a great success, with 2,600 aircraft ordered since the program began. The number of orders for re-engined Boeing 737MAX airliners is not so large, but this project turned out to be no less successful. Subsequently, the idea of ​​remotorization migrated to the regional aircraft segment when Embraer introduced the next generation of aircraft - the E175/190/195. Long-haul aircraft, apparently, will also use this direction. At least the Boeing 777X aircraft will definitely receive new power plants.

Emirates President Tim Clark is in favor of re-engining its largest airliner, the A380. “It’s a pointless situation: other wide-body aircraft can benefit from remotorization, but the A380 is deprived of this prospect. Moreover, the A380 is not the only type of aircraft that finds itself in such a situation - the A330 and Boeing 767 also became an example of how quickly engine technology becomes obsolete. Most airlines "The A380 is a good, efficient aircraft with one key flaw: high fuel consumption. If competitors' aircraft become more efficient, it will be a big problem," said Tim Clark.

According to Airbus CEO Fabrice Bregier, airlines are already turning to the European aircraft manufacturer with demands for remotorization. Airbus chief customer officer John Leahy admits that the A330's fuel consumption is 10-12% higher than the Boeing 787-9, but the advantage of the Airbus machines is their lower cost. That's why Leahy says the A330 remains a competitive aircraft. In a recent interview, he said: "The A330 is selling well in the market. Customers understand that we are investing in this project, increasing the range of the family and developing a regional version of the A330. The efficiency of this aircraft today is unsurpassed, so it is not necessary to carry out its remotorization."

However, the head of one of the largest operators of A330 aircraft has a different point of view. He believes that these aircraft are a "good base" for the airline, but the new engines would lead to a 7-8% reduction in fuel consumption, taking into account the inevitable increase in the weight of the airliner. Such an aircraft could be more efficient than the 787-9 airliners. A re-engined A330 would achieve wider market demand, with smaller airlines choosing this option over the shorter, longer-range A350. According to experts, Airbus is no longer opposed to the idea of ​​​​reengining the A330, but Tom Williams, executive vice president of projects at Airbus, wants to wait until the latest 242-ton version of the A330 is put into service before making such a decision. Delivery of the first such aircraft to Delta Air Lines is scheduled for mid-2015.

Airbus' order book currently includes 267 A330 aircraft - and so far there is no cause for concern. Now the European manufacturer is producing A330 airliners at a high rate (10 aircraft per month). Theoretically, if the production rate is maintained, the production of ordered aircraft will stretch until mid-2016. But over the past two years, the number of deliveries of A330 aircraft exceeded the number of sales. In 2011, 99 aircraft were ordered of this type, in 2013 the number of orders decreased to 77 cars. Of course, it is too early to talk about a negative trend, but the launch of Boeing 787-9 aircraft will certainly affect A330 sales.

Airbus wants to maintain A330 production beyond 2020, but the question arises: which A330? Or, rather, with what engines?
Neither General Electric nor Rolls-Royce are discussing the status of the A330NEO project, but industry sources say both engine companies are in talks with Airbus and it is expected that an informal decision on the project could be made in March, with a formal start to the program may take place in 2015

Unlike the A320NEO project, which was launched in late 2010 and entailed the development of entirely new engines, the potential development time for the A330NEO program will be shorter as suitable next-generation powerplants are already ready and operating on Boeing 787 aircraft. Experts suggest that Pratt & Whitney, whose PW4168/PW4170 engines from the PW4000 family are installed on the A330 airliners, will not participate in the A330NEO project. However, P&W plans to develop a larger version of the geared engines - the PW1000G, which are offered for the A320NEO aircraft. Perhaps it was the development of geared motors, on which enormous effort was spent, that eliminated P&W from the A330NEO project.

Rolls-Royce, which has the lion's share of the A330 market with its Trent 700 engines, is discussing new version power plant based on the Trent 1000 TEN, which are being developed for the 787-10 aircraft. The design thrust of the Trent 1000 TEN engines is just over 338 kN, but certification of these power plants will be carried out over a wider thrust range. In particular, a version with 347 kN thrust will be certified to potentially increase engine power. Ground testing of the first Trent 1000 TEN engines will begin this year, flight tests- in 2015, and commissioning is planned for 2016.

GE, which, unlike Rolls-Royce, occupies the majority of the Boeing 787 market with GEnx-1B engines, is discussing with Airbus representatives a new version of this power plant, based on the latest modification of the PIP II. As part of the modernization of these engines, the volume of air pumped through the engine was increased and the low pressure system was improved. The newest modification was certified in December 2013 and entered service on 787 aircraft. There have been no official plans to further upgrade the GEnx engines, but GE is expected to evaluate options to further extend the life cycle of these engines or develop a new modification. based on technologies that will be developed as part of the GE9X program for the 777X airliners. GE currently offers CF6-80E1 powerplants for the A330 with thrust ranging from 300 to 320 kN.

One key problem that GE and Rolls-Royce will have to face is the lack traditional system bleed air on Trent and GEnx engines for the Boeing 787. This is the first civil aircraft on which standard pneumatic systems were replaced by electric ones; Accordingly, the GEnx-1B and Trent 1000 engines are designed with electrical systems starters, which perform the functions of a generator when the engine is running. Accommodating these powerplants on A330 aircraft with conventional air systems will require significant modifications. GE can use the 295.8 kN thrust GEnx-2B, which was developed for Boeing 747-8 aircraft with a conventional air system. Rolls-Royce could use the bleed air system from the Trent 900 engine used on the A380, or the Trent XWB, which is undergoing flight testing and will be installed on the A350 aircraft. The Trent 1000 TEN powerplants will also feature a new high-pressure compressor based on the compressor design used in the XWB engines.

The takeoff weight of the IL-96 on the manufacturer’s website is 240 tons, so it’s similar. And for a take-off weight of 220 tons according to the technical specifications for the C929, 28 tons by analogy are enough, but let’s not waste time on trifles.

The most amazing thing is that already with a weight of 240 tons, this is a 20-hour flight with 200 pax on board.
And weights of 255 tons and 275 tons were already approved for operation.
That is, here it is, ultra-long-range.
However, the airline will be more likely to be interested in INCREASED CAPACITY.

A unique situation has arisen when the IL-96 can be re-engined immediately with the most modern TWO engines. The most popular among operators.

At the same time, the Chinese project is completely unnecessary and WAIT for the PD-35. It’s trite, by order of the state and the UAC, to develop an engine mount to the wing, conduct tests and that’s it! You can already talk to the Chinese differently if you have a ready-to-use product. This is an order of magnitude more money and, most importantly, time - it was this factor that ruined all joint developments.

AND WEIGHT REDUCTION AND OTHER MODERNIZATIONS ARE ALREADY BEING CARRIED OUT WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE GOVERNMENT ORDER.

Now the production of airbuses from competitors is rapidly falling, there are no new orders for the A380 at all, the airliner is simply expensive, and the production of others does not pay off, they claim that the price for the newest B787 has dropped to 120 million euros, the catalog price for the A321, and that the whole project is unlikely will pay off. Whether this is true or not is not important.

The market requires a workhorse at a low price and predictable cost of ownership, and this means engines that are already well-known and popular with operators and a reliable airframe. PD-35 in this sense is the enemy of the project in the future, and its expectation is the enemy in the present.

And it’s simply time to give airlines a choice instead of a duopoly.