Engine Bearings Fly in Military Airbus

Engine Bearings Fly in Military Airbus The maiden test run of Airbus' turboprop engine for the new A400M military transport aircraft, was completed successfully at a test facility in France recently. The critical main shaft bearings and gearbox bearings on the engine were developed and supplied by FAG Aerospace, part of the Schaeffler Group. The engines for the new Airbus A400M military transport aircraft successfully passed their maiden test run recently at a facility in the French town of Istres. The test was carried out complete with gearbox and propeller, with the turbine main shaft bearings and gearbox bearings developed and supplied by FAG Aerospace, the Schaeffler Group's aerospace bearing division. The test run was watched by representatives from all participating nations, the European armaments co-operation (OCCAR), the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), as well as Airbus Military and Europrop International stakeholders. The new Airbus A400M military carrier aircraft is driven by one of the most powerful turboprop engines in the world, the TP400, which has a maximum shaft output of 11,000hp. The aircraft can fly nonstop up to 7250 kilometres, carrying up to 20 tonnes of cargo. Its maximum payload is 32 tonnes and maximum speed is 700km/h. The aircraft's three-shaft configuration engine is the most advanced in its class and was developed by four leading European engine manufacturers - Industria de Turbo Propulsores (Spain), MTU Aero Engines (Germany), Rolls Royce (UK) and Snecma (France), jointly known as the Europrop Engine Consortium. The challenge for these companies was to meet the extremely high output requirements with a highly compact, lightweight propeller engine design. By using special materials and fully integrated designs, engineers at FAG Aerospace played a key role in the development programme, solving the high temperature and speed problems for the main shaft bearings. Their experience gained during the development of the Trent 900 engines for the new Airbus A380 super jumbo, proved helpful because the turbine driving the 5.3m-diameter propeller was designed to civil standards in terms of life, reliability and availability in a military environment. Earlier this year, the turboprop engine successfully passed its first test run without a propeller at MTU Maintenance in Germany. 'Naturally, we are proud that the new turboprop engine with our bearings has come through its baptism of fire', commented Franz-Josef Ebert, product development and Sales Manager at Schaeffler's Aerospace Division. From 2009, the A400M will replace the current C130 Hercules and C160 Transall transport aircraft. More than 180 aircraft have already been ordered by seven European countries and an order for a further eight has also been received from South Africa. Engine certification is expected in October 2007 and the A400M, powered by four turboprop engines, will take off for its maiden flight shortly afterwards. The first machines are scheduled for delivery in 2009