Winter 2009/ Spring 2010

MEPC: Maintenance in the Desert Kingdom

MTU Aero Engines Holding AG Dachauer Straße 665 Technology + ScienceMTU Global Reports 80995 • Tel. +49 89 1489-0 Fax +49 89 1489-5500 www.mtu.de Enhanced cooperation Aiming at high targets Hot and high www.75-years-mtu.de Contents Editorial

Cover Story Dear Readers: MEPC: Maintenance in the Desert 4 – 9 Kingdom The economic downturn is continuing to take The growth we anticipate and the acquisition its toll on the commercial aviation business. of additional contracts should subsequently Although MTU Aero Engines is certainly not see us boosting the workforce. At the same Customers + Partners immune to its effects, its robust business time, our cooperation with MEPC is generat- Growing even in difficult times 10 – 13 model is continuing to translate into econom- ing additional business for our Munich plant. An aircraft that adds a whole new 14 – 17 MEPC: Maintenance in the Desert Kingdom ic success. With the defense sector largely dimension unaffected by problems in the economy, our The work with our Arab partners has got off For decades, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and MTU have shared a common inter- military engine business is playing a central to an excellent start. The first MEPC techni- est: high-tech for aircraft. The German engine manufacturer has now taken a stake role in ensuring MTU’s stability. cians have already received intensive train- Technology + Science in Middle East Propulsion Company (MEPC). Page 4 ing in Munich and at our Erding facility, and Cool ceramics to cope with hot gases 18 – 21 One of the noticeable trends in this market MTU expertise and know-how has been Enhanced cooperation 22 – 25 Enhanced cooperation over the last few years has been the shift in transferred to Riyadh. I see this as a classic MTU has adopted a new direction for regional emphasis. With European budgets win-win situation, in which our new partners its collaboration with universities declining, we are compelled to seek out new gain top-class expertise in the MRO arena MTU Global and research institutes: The best markets. We have already chalked up some and improve their capacity utilization, while Aiming at high targets 26 – 29 minds are now working together in initial successes and made inroads into the we at MTU strengthen the military side of our seven centers of competence. U.S. military market—which is by far the activities, thereby further boosting our ability Page 22 world’s largest—with our stake in the GE38 to safeguard the future of our company. Products + Services helicopter engine. Upgrading Goliath 30 – 33 Sincerely yours, However, other regions of the world are also important to us; for example, we see the Reports Middle East as being a significant growth air power in 34 – 37 region. We have long been established there Hot and high 38 – 41 in the commercial sector and have built up re- lationships with a number of MRO customers. Now MTU has seized the opportunity to enter In Brief 42 – 43 the military arena, taking a 19-percent stake Egon Behle Masthead 43 in Middle East Propulsion Company (MEPC) Chief Executive Officer based in Riyadh.

MEPC is the leading provider of maintenance services for military aircraft engines in Saudi Arabia and a key player in the Middle East. Aiming at high targets We now intend to reinforce this position and make it the starting point for further activi- MTU Aero Engines Polska is now up and running. It develops, manufactures and ties in this prospering region. In fact, pros- repairs engine components. Plans are to make the company a center of excel- pects are so good that we have already made lence for the development of uncooled airfoils. Page 26 some concrete plans for expansion: the foun- Hot and high dations of a new, larger plant are due to be laid before the year is out, and we will also be Prior to flight certification, aircraft adding new engine models to the portfolio. are put through their paces. Hot-and- high tests, which take place at air- ports in extreme geographic loca- tions, are conducted to demonstrate engine performance. Page 38

2 3 MTU’s acquisition of a stake in MEPC was ly, all of which have components or modules announced by MTU CEO Egon Behle at this made by MTU on board. The Desert King- year’s Paris : “This is a first impor- dom’s airline also places its trust in MTU’s MEPC: Maintenance in tant step for us towards building a presence expertise for its maintenance services and in the Middle East, considering that this is a has been a customer of MTU Maintenance region of growing importance. With this Hannover for several years. Collaboration development in mind, we have decided to between the two business partners has been the Desert Kingdom acquire a stake in MEPC.” MTU has been excellent and close ties have been estab- building up an impressive reputation in the lished, with members of the Saudi royal fam- Middle East over a number of years. Govern- ily as well as the airline’s senior manage- ment-owned Saudi Arabian Airlines operates ment having already made several visits to wide-body Boeing jets as well as aircraft the company’s Munich and Hannover loca- from the highly successful A320 fami- tions.

By Odilo Mühling/Martina Vollmuth

For decades, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and MTU Aero Engines have shared a common interest in equipping aircraft with the very latest technologies. Government-owned Saudi Arabian Airlines and the operate ultra-modern fleets, while MTU provides high-tech engine compo- nents and high-quality maintenance services. Now the German engine manufacturer has stepped up its involvement by taking a stake in Middle East Propulsion Company (MEPC), a provider of military maintenance services.

4 Cover Story 5 The Desert Kingdom also seeks out the best materials when it comes to its military oper- Saudi Arabia meets ations: the backbone of the fleet of fighter jets flown by the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) Ibraheem Al Yahya is one of the first MEPC This trip to MTU marked the 33-year-old’s will be MTU’s gate to the Middle East, is formed by Tornado multi-role combat air- employees to come to Germany for train- first visit to Germany. He is enjoying his stay which is why I want to learn as much as I craft, which will soon be joined by 72 Euro- ing. Staff at MTU Aero Engines in Munich and getting along extremely well on both a can about the company, the people and the fighter Typhoon jets, one of the most modern and the company’s facility at Erding Air personal and professional level. Within just products.” To help his German colleagues aircraft of its kind. Both these military air- Base helped familiarize the quality engi- three months he has picked up on some who will be going to MEPC, Al Yahya has craft boast top-quality European origins, and neer from Saudi Arabia with the Tornado’s fascinating cultural similarities: “The way drawn up a one-day intercultural training MTU is involved in their production thanks to RB199 engine. He has been particularly im- people greet each other and say goodbye course, since he recognizes all too well that its contribution of high-tech components, pressed with the professional attitude of in my country is actually quite similar to “it is easier for Arabs like me to come to including compressors and control systems. his MTU colleagues: “MTU technicians are that in Bavaria. In both cases we greet peo- the West than vice-versa.” During the train- The newly acquired stake in MEPC has now amazingly knowledgeable, and they know ple with blessings from God and offer to be ing session he told his German colleagues enabled MTU to expand its maintenance ac- how to pass that expertise on in a manner at someone’s service when saying good- all he could about his home country. tivities in the region. that was easy for me to understand. Not bye.” only do they identify defects straight away Middle East Propulsion Company, based in when carrying out repairs, they can also pin- The quality specialist is looking forward to Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh, is the only mil- point the source of damage on the spot.” continuing his collaboration with MTU: “We itary engine shop in Saudi Arabia, and it works strictly in accordance with the highest standards of certification. The military main- tenance specialist has a workforce of 65 and The RB199 engine powering the Tornado is repaired and overhauled at Erding Air Base. generates annual revenues of around 60 mil- lion U.S. dollars. MEPC is a joint venture of tion and Information. MTU now holds a 19 To date, MEPC has been providing mainte- Pratt & Whitney’s parent company United percent share in the company; U.S. company nance for the Pratt & Whitney F100 engines Technologies (UTC), Saudi Arabian Airlines Wamar International has also acquired a powering the Boeing F-15 and Shomoukh Al Hemman for Communica- stake. operated by the RSAF. But its portfolio is now

The Royal Saudi Air Force is currently operating a fleet of 84 Tornados. Transfer of know-how among MTU and MEPC employees at MTU’s Erding facility.

6 Cover Story 7 The first Eurofighter Typhoons were ferry flown to Saudi Arabia this summer. demand for fixed and rotary wing aircraft. over the last few years in collaboration with set to undergo a major boost, with the first already successfully completed its training, MTU expertise We are extremely well positioned in both our partners from the German Armed Forces new business coming from components of most of which was carried out at MTU’s facil- product categories, with the TP400-D6 for are really quite unique and in great demand the Tornado’s RB199 engine; 84 copies of ity at Erding Air Base, where maintenance of for Saudi Arabia the new Airbus A400M military transport all over the globe. the combat jet are currently in operation in the RB199 is carried out. As Michael The European military market no longer and with the new GE38 helicopter engine Saudi Arabia. The second addition to the port- Schreyögg, Senior Vice President, Defense offers any major growth potential, at least being developed by Electric, in which Another possibility is to acquire an interest in folio will be components of the Eurofighter Programs, explains, one thing was immedi- for the foreseeable future. That is why MTU has secured a stake. local industrial companies. In Saudi Arabia, Typhoon’s EJ200 engine. The Kingdom’s fly- ately apparent: “Our colleagues from MEPC MTU Aero Engines has decided to explore we have recently taken a stake in MEPC, an ing squadrons have ordered 72 of these jets, are superbly trained professionals who new opportunities and take up activities In the long term—starting from around engine maintenance company. some of which have already been delivered. demonstrate outstanding technical skills.” in other regions of the world. We dis- 2025—unmanned systems will be taking on Further additions will be the T56, the propul- cussed the company’s plans and objec- an increasingly prominent role. Unmanned What are the key issues to focus on in the sion system used in the four-engine C-130 Apart from equipping MEPC staff with the tives with Michael Schreyögg, Senior Vice combat aerial vehicles will call for new pro- Arab region? Hercules military transport aircraft, and the necessary expertise, the German engine President, Defense Programs. pulsion systems and we are working on the Our initial focus is always on the customer. PT6, which powers helicopters and propeller- experts are also helping the company to set technological groundwork for these future Establishing close contact with our cus- driven aircraft in Saudi Arabia. up repair and test procedures on site. MTU’s Mr. Schreyögg, in which regions do you see systems today. tomers, understanding their needs and Successful talks: Mohammed N. Fallatah, President specialists will also be providing advice on a potential for growth with MTU military being able to respond to them “on the spot” of Alsalam Aircraft Co. Ltd. (left), and Michael Schreyögg, MTU Senior Vice President, Defense The planned expansion will lead to changes constructing a test rig—an essential element products? How can MTU gain a foothold in the Middle obviously makes a local presence essential Programs. in both personnel and space requirements. if MEPC is to become the number one choice I think the Arab world is definitely a key East market? and secures us an important competitive Staffing levels are set to rise significantly of maintenance shop not only for the Royal region, and India, too, has a strong de- There are various ways of accessing this edge. Our goal is to transform MEPC into state-of-the-art engine control system fea- over the coming years to deal with the addi- Saudi Air Force, but for the entire Middle mand for combat aircraft. In general, with market. One of them is to sell the engine the leading provider of military engine MRO turing integrated maintenance manage- tional workload, and the existing building will East. the engines for the Eurofighter Typhoon along with the weapon system to the cus- throughout the entire region and ultimately ment. This system is used by the German Air be replaced by a new, substantially larger and the Tiger helicopter, we hold a very tomers in an all-in-one package deal. In this to bring our high-tech, our expertise and new Force and also in Italy, in both cases with facility. With the foundation stone soon to be solid presence all over the world in ongo- case, MTU shares in the new business jobs to the Arab world. great success. The technology is comparable laid in the airport industrial zone, the facility ing marketing campaigns. through the sale of the components it con- to that used in the Eurofighter. In collabora- is scheduled to be up and running by 2011. tributes to the propulsion system. Besides, What are the next steps you will be taking? tion with Diehl , Rolls-Royce and How do you think the military market will we can also offer efficient support concepts Apart from activities in the area of engine BAE Systems, we are working on a concept For additional information, contact Preparations for the new engine programs Michael Schreyögg develop? directly to the end customer. In doing so, we maintenance, repair and overhaul, MTU has for the Tornado fleet of the Royal Saudi Air are currently in full swing in Saudi Arabia and +49 89 1489-4766 In the medium term it is clear that trans- benefit from the excellent reputation we the capability to offer services also in the Force that will save the customer money Germany, with MEPC staff receiving inten- portation capacities are going to be enjoy for our proven repair technologies field of modern health monitoring systems. and improve the availability of the weapon For interesting multimedia services sive RB199 training at MTU and work on the associated with this article, go to: increasingly important, with significant worldwide. The repairs we have developed For Tornado operators, we developed a system. EJ200 scheduled to follow. The first group has www.mtu.de/209MEPC

8 Cover Story 9 The industry has grown accustomed to see- ing airlines operating in the Middle East cre- ating such headline news. Apparently, it is Growing even in still possible to generate significant growth in the Gulf region at present. Etihad Airways is a prime example. If the company actually does decide to exercise all of the options and additional purchase rights that it has difficult times signed, the value of the engine orders might even increase to 14 billion U.S. dollars. By Achim Figgen

It was the largest individual contract signed at this year’s Paris Air Show: Etihad Airways placed an order for 239 engines in a deal worth approximately 6.7 billion U.S. dollars. Only one year earlier, the airline from Abu Dhabi had caused a stir at the Farnborough International Airshow with its order for 100 aircraft—in which the new engines are to be installed—including Boeing 787s, Airbus A320s and A380s. Abu Dhabi’s national airline is continuing to expand, even in these difficult times.

The state-owned flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates—Etihad is a shortened form of the country’s name in Arabic—has only been in existence since 2003, but already oper- ates a fleet of 45 aircraft, including the three freighters flown by Etihad Crystal Cargo. Passenger numbers have risen at a steep rate, from a modest 340,000 in 2004, the airline’s first full year of operation, to over six million four years later. In 2009, the air- line aims to increase this figure by 15 per- cent to reach the seven-million mark. It is not an unrealistic target, and if Etihad suc- ceeds the carrier, which operates ten flights a week from Frankfurt to Abu Dhabi and daily flights from Munich, will rightfully be able to claim the title of the fastest-growing airline in the world.

10 Customers + Partners 11 And the airline’s growth is likely to continue, given that its fleet and route network, which currently serves over 50 destinations on all continents with the exception of South America, are being continuously expanded. In 2009, Etihad Airways launched regular services to Astana in Kazakhstan, Athens, Istanbul, Larnaca on the island of Cyprus, and Melbourne, and increased the frequency of flights on numerous existing routes. Once- daily nonstop flights between Abu Dhabi and Chicago will be offered for the first time this fall.

At the same time, a code-share agreement with American Airlines is due to enter into force, permitting cooperation on internation- al routes linking the United States and Europe with Abu Dhabi and on domestic routes inside the United States. Since March 29 and July 1, respectively, Etihad has been sharing routes with Qantas (on several domestic routes in Australia and on the hop between Melbourne and Auckland in New Zealand) and with Jet Airways (between Abu Dhabi and Delhi and Mumbai). “Both of these code-share agreements open up new desti- nations and/or offer a wider choice of flights to our customers, who will benefit from greater flexibility in their travel plans,” says a pleased Udo Fischer, Country Manager Germany at Etihad, emphasizing the particu- lar advantages offered by these arrangements for passengers traveling from Germany. Etihad Airways equips ten A380s with GP7000 engines. No less than eleven additional passenger air- liners are scheduled to enter service this Hogan as he announced the major engine describes as being “intrinsically linked to the the engine types ordered at Le Bourget: the Program Director Wolfgang Gärtner. “That but hopes to break even by next year at the year, to meet the needs of the airline’s ex- deal at the Paris Air Show in June. Hogan is exciting and ongoing development of Abu V2500 for the A320 family, the GP7000 for makes three good reasons for an airline to latest. If it fails to meet this target, this can panded operations. “Despite the tough eco- confident that he will succeed in positioning Dhabi, as well as of our engine and aircraft the mega-transport, and the review its choice of engine and finally opt for hardly be blamed on a lack of publicity nomic challenges currently facing the avia- Etihad as one of the world’s leading airlines manufacturer partners.” GEnx for the . Dr. the GP7000,” the expert adds. And that’s through sponsorship arrangements. The tion industry, Etihad Airways continues to and Abu Dhabi, the hub of the company’s Anton Binder, MTU Senior Vice President, precisely what Etihad has done. Etihad Airways logo features prominently on roll-out its long-term expansion plans in a operations, as a global center of business These words are music to the ears of MTU Commercial Programs, emphasizes the im- the shirts worn by players of England’s measured, considered and controlled man- and tourism. He has no doubts concerning Aero Engines, given that the German manu- portance of such contracts at a time when The engines played a not-to-be-underesti- Manchester City Premier-League football ner,” affirmed Chief Executive Officer James the future of the company he leads, which he facturer supplies components for three of the major airlines in North America and mated role in the Arab airline’s most recent team and on the Ferrari team’s Formula-1 Europe are exercising caution in terms of purchase decision. “Environmental compati- racing cars. And when Jenson Button, new orders. bility was an important criterion,” confirms Sebastian Vettel and other great champions CEO Hogan. Indeed, it would seem that his compete in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Etihad Hence, MTU was all the more delighted to airline generally considers this to be a very Airways will be present as the eponymous hear that Etihad had opted for the GP7000 to important aspect. In March 2009, Etihad sponsor at this year’s inaugural event, and equip its A380 fleet, after having initially Airways became the Gulf-region launch cus- every year thereafter. selected the rival Rolls-Royce Trent 900 for tomer for the V2500 SelectOne, which boasts the first four super-jumbos that it had a one-percent reduction in fuel consumption

ordered. The airline reconsidered its choice and correspondingly lower CO2 emissions as of engine at the point when it decided to aug- compared with its predecessor. ment its order to a total of ten aircraft. “The For additional information, contact GP7000 has a strong record of reliability and Like many other airlines operating in the Dr. Anton Binder +49 89 1489-2884 equals the Trent 900 in terms of perceived region, the relatively young airline has re- noise levels. At the same time, its fuel con- cruited its management team from among For further information on this article, go to: Etihad has its headquarters at Abu Dhabi International Airport. sumption is lower,” explains MTU’s GP7000 international experts; it is still flying at a loss www.mtu.de/209Etihad

12 Customers + Partners 13 An aircraft that adds a whole new dimension On top of an order from Lufthansa/SWISS ment. Two variants of the commercial airlin- drum up orders: “The CSeries is the perfect By Patrick Hoeveler for more than 30 aircraft, Bombardier has er are being built: the CS100 for 100 to 125 aircraft for these times: Airlines now look also picked up an order for 20 of the jets passengers and the CS300 for 120 to 145 how can they can survive for the next five The CSeries marks Bombardier’s attempt to break into the market for aircraft with more from Lease Corporation International (LCI) passengers. Both variants are designed to years and look at fuel burn, maintenance as than 100 seats and close the gap between regional jets and short- and medium-haul aircraft. in Ireland, which has also taken options on a burn 20 percent less fuel than current air- well as operating costs and the right-sizing The Canadians are certainly making a convincing argument: their new commercial jet is both further 50 aircraft. Additional firm orders craft of this class. The CSeries commercial of aircraft. It is a good time to develop an cleaner and quieter than previous models, and operating costs are set to be reduced by up to are likely to follow soon: the Canadian air- jets are expected to be ready for their first aircraft now to be ready when the recovery 15 percent, not least thanks to its geared turbofan engine. The first customers have already craft manufacturer anticipates that more flight in 2012, and their entry into service is is there,” explains Benjamin Boehm, Vice been won over and have submitted orders. than 6,000 aircraft will be required over the scheduled for 2013. President, Programs, Bombardier Commer- next 20 years in the 100- to 149-seat cate- cial Aircraft. gory, and the company expects the CSeries Despite the precarious global economic sit- to garner a major share of this market seg- uation, Bombardier is optimistic that it can

14 Customers + Partners 15 The promising specifications have certainly impressed Lufthansa, which has ordered 30 From snowmobiles to aircraft which will be operated by its sub- sidiary SWISS. “This order is a very strong passenger jets endorsement of the program. Lufthansa and SWISS are extremely well respected cus- Bombardier embodies the American dream tomers with strong technical experience that in Canadian style. When the young me- will help us work well together,” affirms chanic Joseph-Armand Bombardier began Boehm. The new CS100s will be replacing the developing snowmobiles in the 1930s, he Swiss airline’s existing fleet of four-engined unwittingly laid the foundations for a global Avro RJ100s. SWISS expects to take delivery corporation. His company was established of the first CS100 in 2014, with 20 of the air- in 1942. craft on order to be received within two years and the remaining ten to follow from When Bombardier died in 1964, his son-in- 2016 onwards. law Laurent Beaudoin took the reins of the company, making some major additions to In its own words, the airline’s reasons for The first flight tests of the geared turbofan were performed on the wing of a Boeing 747SP. its portfolio and buying up a number of choosing the CSeries included passenger other companies. In the early 1970s, comfort, lower operating costs and reduced its optimum range of speeds. This results in Apart from scoring high in the field of inno- Bombardier entered the rail transportation noise and CO2 emissions. “SWISS is investing a higher bypass ratio, which is an essential vative technologies, the engine has also con- market and immediately won its first major over one billion francs in the new fleet and is factor in reducing fuel burn. tributed greatly to the ultimate success of order: the delivery of rail cars for the setting new standards as regards ecology this aircraft, which was first presented at the Montreal subway. The Canadian company and noise,” emphasized former SWISS CEO MTU Aero Engines has a 15-percent stake in Farnborough International Airshow in 2004. became the world’s leading manufacturer The CSeries is Bombardier’s new family of business jets. Christoph Franz when he announced the pur- the PW1524G program for the CSeries and At that time, the CSeries failed to attract any in this field, and in 2001 even took over chase of the new aircraft in March 2009. contributes the first four stages of the eight- customers and the project was put on ice in rolling stock equipment manufacturer gional jet program, which paved the way acquisition of de Havilland Canada from According to the airline, operating costs per stage high-pressure compressor, as well as January 2006. The planned date for the air- Adtranz from DaimlerChrysler. for the success Bombardier enjoys today Boeing in 1992. available seat mile will be around ten percent the high-speed low-pressure turbine. Produc- craft’s entry into service was deferred from as the world’s third-largest aircraft manu- below those of the RJ100, while noise levels tion of the first components, including the the original target of 2010 to 2013, to be In 1986, the company started to venture facturer. The same year also saw the take- Bombardier’s revenues totaled approxi- are likely to be reduced by up to 15 decibels. integrally bladed rotors, or blisks as they are able to take advantage of new developments into the aviation business when it took over of aircraft manufacturer Shorts based mately 19 billion U.S. dollars in the last fis- also called, of the compressor and the air- in engine technology. The breakthrough came over ailing government-owned aircraft in Northern Ireland, followed by the pur- cal year, around half of which was gener- Alongside the use of weight-saving materials cooled vanes for the low-pressure turbine, has at the end of 2007 when the decision was manufacturer Canadair. Three years later, chase of Learjet one year later. The region- ated by its transportation and aviation in the airframe—46 percent of which is to be alreaded started. “Strategically, the PW1524G finally made to use the geared turbofan, even in 1989, Bombardier launched the CRJ re- al jet segment was rounded off by the businesses. made from composites—savings will primarily is one of our most important programs be- though the airlines had initially expressed come from Pratt & Whitney’s geared turbo- cause the CSeries is the forerunner of a whole skepticism. All doubts were swept aside fan engine. The unique feature of the geared new generation of single-aisle aircraft, also in after flight tests of a PW1000G demonstrator turbofan is a reduction gearbox that decou- terms of technology,” enthuses Dr. Christian which was derived from the PW6000 and put ples the fan and the low-pressure turbine, Winkler, Director Business and Partnership through its paces on the wing of Pratt & allowing either component to operate within Development & New Programs at MTU. Whitney’s Boeing 747 flying test bed and of an .

“The airlines were impressed by the outcome of the tests,” says Winkler. He adds: “Relia- bility is still the most important criterion for airlines. It must match that of existing engines.” Winkler himself is optimistic about the engine’s prospects: “The data gathered during the flight tests gives us confidence that we can achieve the reduction in fuel consumption we were aiming for. Our launch customer, Lufthansa, has also expressed great satisfaction with the engine’s noise lev- els and performance on an Airbus A340.”

For additional information, contact Dr. Christian Winkler +49 89 1489-8663 More than 100,000 Bombardier rail vehicles are in operation in countries around the globe. For further information on this article, go to: www.mtu.de/209CSeries

16 Customers + Partners 17 Cool ceramics to cope

Dr. Thomas Cosack essentially wants what “The problem is that there are not really any ly drilled holes that penetrate the turbine everyone working at MTU Aero Engines in materials that can withstand such high tem- blade walls. In operation, the blades are thus Munich wants, namely to boost the efficiency peratures for long enough,” explains Cosack. protected by a film of air that prevents them with hot gases and service life of aircraft engines. His basic Virtually all known materials would either from coming into direct contact with the hot premise is clear: “From a thermodynamic per- immediately melt or are simply not mechani- exhaust gas. “However, even these measures By Denis Dilba spective, all we have to do is to increase the cally strong enough to cope with such high only work up to a certain point,” emphasizes operating temperature of the engine and we temperatures, particularly not when used for Cosack. “These were actually the findings They are no thicker than a sheet of paper, and yet ceramic coatings help turbine blades with- would immediately achieve higher efficiency.” rotating turbine blades. Only through some that led to the development of ceramic ther- stand the searing heat of exhaust gases. Acting as thermal shields, they extend the service Unfortunately, this is easier said than done, technical trickery can some candidates, such mal barrier coatings back in the early 1980s life of the most highly stressed engine components while helping achieve higher operating because when Cosack refers to the engine’s as nickel-base alloys, be beefed up to with- in the first place.” efficiencies, and that translates into lower fuel burn and reduced emissions. Operated as a operating temperature, he means the enor- stand such hellish operating conditions: exot- joint venture of MTU and French engine manufacturer Snecma, Ceramic Coating Center (CCC) mous figure of 1,650 degrees Celsius—the ic alloy components, such as molybdenum, specializes in precisely these types of high-tech coatings. temperature at which the exhaust gas niobium and cobalt, boost temperature stream from the combustion chamber hits resistance and can be combined with sophis- the turbine. ticated air cooling systems consisting of fine-

18 Technology + Science 19 (EB-PVD). CCC uses the latter technique. Zirconium oxide coats applied by EB-PVD develop in the form of adjacent columnar crystals. MTU’s expert Cosack explains fur- ther: “This structure superbly compensates for the different thermal expansion charac- teristics of the ceramic protective coating and the metallic nickel-base alloy.” Thermal barrier coatings applied using the EB-PVD process have a substantially longer service life than those produced by plasma spraying. “And on top of that, plasma spraying would anyway block up the delicate air holes and ducts,” adds Goossens.

The EB-PVD method may be better suited for the purpose, but the downside is that it must be performed in a high-vacuum environment. As Goossens explains: “That significantly cur- tails the capacity of this process.” The zone in which coating takes place has a volume of just 20 liters. One of the most significant challenges is to stack the blades in a way Turbine blades shortly before coating. that allows as many of them as possible to be coated simultaneously without adversely move the components so that the vapor is Yet despite the benefits, Goossens stresses affecting the quality of the end product. evenly distributed over every part of the that careful thought has to go into deciding blade,” explains Goossens. The coating pro- which components to coat due to the costs Once the components have been moved into cess, including loading and unloading the involved. However well the thermal barrier the coating zone, an electron gun fires a machine, may take up to one-and-a-half coatings work, the current rule of thumb is beam onto a rod composed of the ceramic hours. that “we only apply coatings in cases where material for the future protective coating. there is no viable alternative.” His aim is to This generates a surface temperature of But the effort is certainly worthwhile consid- push down the cost of coating to such a level around 3,000 degrees Celsius, causing the ering the higher operating temperatures that even less stressed components can be ceramic material to evaporate in a flash, at achievable in the engine. Cosack sums up treated: “That would significantly boost their which point it is deposited onto the cleaned the benefits: “We can improve thermal effi- service life.” and pre-treated turbine blades. The period of ciencies and can cut down the amount of time the blades are exposed to the ceramic cooling air that we have to channel off from For additional information, contact vapor varies with the required thickness of the compressor, plus we boost compressor Dr. Thomas Cosack the coating and the geometry and size of the efficiency and the life of the turbine blades.” +49 89 1489-5088 components being treated. “The art of this All this leads to a significant reduction in fuel For further information on this article, go to: process is to determine how to rotate and consumption. www.mtu.de/209CCC

Everything under control: The coating facility is high-tech at its best.

The basic idea behind these coatings, which Snecma now applies thermal barrier coat- down to the blade material. The coating tech- are generally just a few hundred micrometers ings to around 60,000 turbine blades a year, nique used must therefore make sure that thick, is to insulate the turbine blades from and the trend is upwards. The thin, yttrium the cooling holes and ducts remain intact the flow of hot exhaust gases. “As its name oxide-stabilized zirconium oxide films enable and do not get blocked, a challenge that the implies, the thermal barrier coating works by engineers to pull off a rather impressive feat specialists at the CCC have successfully preventing heat conduction,” explains Ben by increasing the operating range of the overcome, according to the coating expert. Goossens, Director of Ceramic Coating Cen- high-temperature nickel-base alloys beyond ter (CCC) in the French town of Châtellerault. their actual melting point. Goossens empha- In general, explains Goossens, there are two Founded in 1999, this joint venture for high- sizes that this only works if the heat is re- methods of applying these eminently useful tech coatings of MTU Aero Engines— moved by the air cooling system faster than layers to the turbine blades: plasma spraying Germany’s leading engine manufacturer—and it can penetrate the thermal barrier coating and electron beam physical vapor deposition The blades are prepared with utmost care. The components are clamped into holders by hand. Finished blades after successful coating.

20 Technology + Science 21 “The idea of setting up centers of compe- rent total of seven CoCs is to strategically research—which obviously continues to be tence (CoCs) came about surprisingly quick- channel its fields of research and develop- extremely important—it also intends to pur- Enhanced cooperation ly,” recalls Dr. Erich Steinhardt, Senior Vice ment into specific areas of specialization in sue a more product-oriented approach in President, Technology at MTU Aero Engines order to make its work more efficient. “We these joint research projects, explains Dr. in Munich. It was back in 2004 that this major were in the fortunate position of being able Rainer Walther, MTU’s Senior Manager, By Denis Dilba shift in thinking took hold. Although plenty of to pick and choose the most highly skilled Technology Networks. He emphasizes that efficient cooperative ventures had been up institutes,” admits Steinhardt. this is inevitably a delicate business because MTU Aero Engines has adopted a new strategic direction for its collaboration with universities and research institutes. and running for many years by that time, they “we have to open ourselves up a bit and The company has founded seven centers of competence (CoCs) over the last three years, which aim to encourage the generally tended to be based more on person- But there is a further essential factor that is reveal some of our expertise to the universi- best minds in each separate field to work together on highly specific topics and products. This new approach makes al relationships than on a defined strategy, at least as important as academic expertise, ties involved.” To ensure that this valuable existing cooperative ventures significantly more efficient than before—for both sides. as an internal MTU survey ascertained. namely reliable, close collaboration over the knowledge is protected, MTU only enters Steinhardt emphasizes: “We were determined long term. This is a key issue since MTU into contractually secured partnerships. to change that.” One of the key goals MTU intends to break new ground in the centers hopes to achieve by having founded the cur- of competence. Apart from conducting basic

22 Technology + Science 23 Even when only two partners are involved, Centered research this level of cooperation requires a huge At five locations in Germany, MTU cooperates with amount of fine-tuning, as evidenced by the 21 institutes at five universities as well as with the fact that the contract negotiations in 2006 German Aerospace Center (DLR). Research is conducted with Munich Technical University (TUM) to within seven centers of competence (CoC). set up the first Design & Production CoC took around one year to complete. The work on Center of competence the contract achieved results that proved to “Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul” be highly satisfactory for both parties. In with Leibniz University Hannover and addition, it provided a useful blueprint and Laser Zentrum Hannover (LZH) an enhanced environment of trust for the founding of subsequent CoCs, as Walther en- thusiastically explains: “In the case of RWTH Aachen University, it took us just a few weeks to finalize the contract.” Center of competence “Compressors” with RWTH Aachen University Once the contractual loose ends have been tied up, the parties face a win-win situation. “Since the founding of the Compressors CoC, we have been handling more than double the A high-tech compressor subjected to testing at the Institute of Jet Propulsion and Turbomachinery number of joint projects,” confirms Professor of RWTH Aachen University. Dr. Peter Jeschke, who heads up the Institute of Jet Propulsion and Turbomachinery at engineer, he emphasizes how much MTU de- collaboration. Since mid-2008, researchers in Center of competence RWTH Aachen University. Four doctoral stu- pends on this kind of cooperation, explaining Aachen have been working with MTU’s pro- “Engine 2020+” dents from his institute and from the that although the company obviously has its prietary TRACE program for computational with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production own development department, most MTU fluid mechanics. Jeschke points out the ben- in Cologne Engineering are currently working for MTU employees caught up in their daily work efits: “This makes it easier and quicker for us on the Tolerant Airfoils project. This project would struggle to find the time to devote sev- all to exchange results.” In certain centers of sets out to investigate how the aerodynamic eral hours to basic research topics. competence, MTU computers have been design of compressor blades can be en- employed right from the word go. hanced to make the manufacturing process “Successful collaboration in the centers of more cost-efficient while maintaining the competence not only relies on young, well- “We are really pleased with the work in the Center of competence same level of performance. educated students and doctoral candidates, centers of competence, especially the way in “Turbines” but also on non-professorial support staff,” which it is being conducted,” affirms with the University of Stuttgart “The research work is now significantly more stresses Dr. Jochen Gier, Senior Manager, Steinhardt. He praises the mutual trust and application-oriented and has obtained sub- Technology Projects, Turbine at Germany’s the frank, open nature of the steering com- stantially more funding,” Jeschke enthuses. leading engine manufacturer. These are gen- mittees that meet every six months, adding: Frank von Czerniewicz, MTU’s Project erally senior engineers who hold things “It’s exactly the kind of atmosphere you need Manager, Compressor Technologies, adds: together over the course of several years, in order to have frank discussions on things Center of competence “We benefit from working with students and carrying over knowledge from one project to that aren’t working out quite as well as ex- “Design and Production” doctoral candidates who are familiar with the the next. In the Turbines CoC—which involves pected and how to improve them.” And it is with Munich Technical University (TUM) very latest methods of research.” A trained the Institute of Aircraft Propulsion Systems not only MTU that is pleased with the new (ILA) and the Institute of Aerospace Thermo- system. “We are getting clear feedback show- dynamics at the University of Stuttgart—this ing that people’s motivation is very high. Our topic is particularly crucial, since the new Rig university partners are constantly coming up 455 turbine demonstrator is on permanent with new, interesting and innovative projects Center of competence loan from MTU to the University of Stuttgart. and potential solutions,” enthuses MTU tech- “More Electric Engine” Gier explains: “The senior engineers who are nology network coordinator Walther. The fact with University Munich familiar with Rig 455 are an absolutely indis- that MTU has recruited some outstanding pensable part of helping to train up students high-potential staff from these cooperative rapidly and efficiently.” The ILA’s Director, ventures bodes extremely well for the future, Professor Dr. Stephan Staudacher, is delight- adds Steinhardt. ed to provide these resources: “We do our Center of competence very best to justify the huge vote of confi- “Future Concepts” dence that MTU has demonstrated by loan- For additional information, contact with the Bauhaus Luftfahrt systems institute ing us their test rig.” Dr. Erich Steinhardt +49 89 1489-2483 in Munich Doctoral students from Munich Technical University Coordinating which computer programs the For further information on this article, go to: in Garching cooperate with MTU experts. partners use is another means of improving www.mtu.de/209CoC

24 Technology + Science 25 Aiming at high targets

By Bernd Bundschu

The latest addition of the MTU family is up and running: MTU Aero Engines Polska, based in Rzeszów in south-east Poland, was officially inaugurated in late May 2009. MTU’s most recent affil- iate has all three areas of capability in engine construction—development, production, and repair— combined under one roof. Furthermore, plans are to make the new MTU location a center of excel- lence for the development of uncooled compressor and turbine airfoils within the next few years.

MTU Aero Engines Polska has been set up on a stretch of land about seven hectares in size and approximately ten kilometers north of Rzeszów city center in close proximity to Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport—a greenfield site before work started there a year ago. Since then, MTU has invested more than 50 million euros in the construction and equipment of a modern complex occupying an area of 18,000 square meters and having two sepa- rate wings: one houses the development and administration offices, and the other accom- modates the production and repair areas.

“When the foundation stone was laid in July 2008 there was nothing here but a tent, but we had this ambitious plan of having our new facility operational within just one year,” recalls Krzysztof Zuzak, President and CEO of MTU Aero Engines Polska. “We can now proudly say that we have achieved that goal.” And at a record-setting pace: it took a mere nine months from groundbreaking to starting operations at the beginning of April this year.

26 MTU Global 27 The shop went operational with an initial workforce of 200 people, but this number is expected to increase to more than 400 by the year 2012 depending on how the market develops. There is no shortage of well-trained staff in this region, with Rzeszów offering both a university and a polytechnic. Rzeszów is also the regional capital of the Sub- carpathian Voivodeship (a Polish administra- tive district) and an economic, scientific and cultural center of south-east Poland. Almost 170,000 people live and work here.

Favorably situated on the banks of the Wislok River, Rzeszów is an important traffic and communications hub. Located around 90 kilo- meters from the Ukrainian and approximately 100 kilometers from the Slovakian borders, it already is a point of intersection for major east-west and north-south routes. The new expressway from Radom to Bucharest via Rzeszów will soon be the shortest connec- tion between the Scandinavian countries and south-east Europe, while the planned A4 high- way is designed to connect western Europe to Ukraine, Russia and the Balkans. Its planned route lies in the direct vicinity of the international Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport, which is served by the German carrier Lufthansa and other airlines.

The Wislok valley with Rzeszów at its heart is also known as “Aviation Valley” in homage to the Polish aircraft industry that had its cen- ter here long before World War II. Today, the The youngest MTU company has an advanced, well-equipped machine park. excellent qualification of the local workforce and low wage levels have combined to attract produce components for Soviet aircraft and machining from Munich to Rzeszów.” Polska successfully passed the audit and is at MTU in Munich. They mainly develop com- Polska a center of excellence for the devel- foreign investors. Aviation companies such modernizing them or starting up new busi- now certified to supply the airfoils and mod- ponents and control units, and design pro- opment of uncooled compressor and turbine as Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky and Snecma ness activities, which means that MTU’s new The young company passed the first tests of ules. duction and test facilities. Over the next few airfoils, boosting its appeal to skilled profes- have been taking over factories that used to shop finds itself in excellent company. its capabilities with flying colors: in mid-April, years, plans are to make MTU Aero Engines sionals still further. the Federal Office of Civil Aeronautics (LBA) The IAE customer audit also served as prepa- MTU Aero Engines Polska boasts a broad conducted the audit required for 21G certifi- ration for an upcoming audit by the U.S. Integration into MTU’s network of companies portfolio of products and services, including cation, which involved a meticulous review of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). FAA is running smoothly, and the new team in the development and production of low-pres- all the processes in the assembly area and representatives will be taking a close look at Rzeszów is already involved in a number of sure turbine airfoils, the assembly of low- occurred in parallel with the initial assembly the production of components for the important engine projects, yet there is still a pressure turbines and parts repair. “The peo- of a PW2000 super module. In addition, rep- PW2000 and V2500 programs, a verification lot of work to be done. “Training and qualifi- ple working here use state-of-the-art, highly resentatives from Pratt & Whitney Canada process that will confirm the status of MTU cation of our Polish staff at other MTU loca- efficient machinery and apply advanced (P&WC) scrutinized the assembly of the Aero Engines Polska as an approved supplier tions is still going on,” explains Zuzak. “What repair techniques,” explains Richard Maier, P&WC modules for the PW300 and PW500 to IAE and Pratt & Whitney. “I’m tremen- we need above all right now is operational who as MTU Project Manager had been series. As a result, approval has been granted dously satisfied with the progress we have practice, because we want to improve our responsible for setting up the new plant. The to supply these engine modules directly from made here,” enthuses Zuzak. He has reason delivery capabilities and—more importantly machine pool is not yet complete, and equip- Rzeszów to Canada. In late June, a represen- to look ahead with confidence “as the entire still—rapidly increase efficiency and produc- ment will be added in accordance with a tative of International Aero Engines (IAE) vis- team has been so committed to make sure tivity.” three-year project plan for the shop. “We are ited the Rzeszów facility to audit V2500 com- we stay on track.” currently installing various production facili- ponent production. The exercise primarily For additional information, contact ties,” says Head of Operations Tilmann focused on the manufacture of low-pressure Another thing that is running on schedule is Krzysztof Zuzak +48 17 77 10 315 Kloppe. “A large modern twin-table lathe is turbine airfoils and the assembly of the low- the building-up of engineering capacity at the MTU Aero Engines Polska’s workforce has grown to set to arrive in October. We then have various pressure turbine module for the V2500 and new location. There are now 46 engineers Assembly of the first low-pressure turbine module. For further information on this article, go to: 200 employees. plans for next year, including shifting vane the V2500 SelectOne. MTU Aero Engines working in Poland for specialist departments www.mtu.de/209Polska

28 MTU Global 29 The C-5 Galaxy is a heavy logistics cargo loading from two sides. The Galaxy’s cargo The C-5 Reliability Enhancement and Re- transport aircraft developed to provide bay doors can also be opened unusually engining Program (RERP) was launched by strategic airlift and logistical support to U.S. wide, permitting outsized equipment to be the U.S. government to upgrade its C-5 fleet Upgrading Goliath combat and supply units. Almost as long as loaded far more rapidly and tanks and trucks for the 21st century. Among other things, a soccer pitch (75 meters), as tall as a six- to be easily driven in and out. To further the program is designed to replace the story building (20 meters) and with a huge facilitate loading, the parked aircraft can be engines with newer ones—four per aircraft—, By Bernd Bundschu wingspan (68 meters), this is a uniquely lowered hydraulically on its landing gear to make improvements to the avionics includ- superlative aircraft. Featuring a cargo bay truckbed height. The Galaxy can swiftly carry ing providing a “glass cockpit”, and enhance At one stage the biggest aircraft in the world, the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is still a giant of the skies. The U.S. Air that is over four meters high and almost six out intercontinental transport of up to 150 the electrical and fuel systems, ultimately Force has been flying this long-haul cargo aircraft for four decades and plans to keep it in service until 2040. Half of meters wide, its large front and rear cargo metric tons of cargo, and can take off and transforming the C-5 into the C-5M Super the U.S. Air Force’s 114 aircraft are now being modernized and the obsolete TF39-GE-1C engines are being replaced doors allow simultaneous loading and un- land on relatively short runways. Galaxy. by the enhanced CF6-80C2L1F variant. MTU Aero Engines participates in this GE Aviation engine program.

30 Products + Services 31 The initial conversions have already been hours,” explains Josef Moosheimer, Senior When the Galaxy was being developed at the completed, and Lockheed Martin delivered Manager, Program Coordination, GE Pro- start of the 1960s, the Pentagon was looking the first C-5M to the U.S. Air Force on grams at MTU in Munich. “The 12 engines for a suitable propulsion system. U.S. manu- December 10, 2008. The aircraft is stationed achieved a combined total of 7,400 operat- facturer General Electric (GE) came up with at the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center at ing hours.” The new CF6-80C2L1F turbofan an engine design featuring a larger fan than Robins Air Force Base in Georgia. Two further engines from GE Aviation not only offer usual. The result was the TF39, the world’s aircraft followed and were delivered to Dover around 75 kN more thrust than the obsolete first high-bypass turbofan engine. The advan- Air Force Base in Delaware in February 2009. TF39: “They also burn less fuel and are much tage of this innovative technology is that the By the year 2020, the plan is to convert 52 more reliable, quieter and, crucially, more engines burn far less fuel—a factor that duly aircraft of the more modern C-5B and C-5C economical to maintain,” adds Wolfgang impressed the people in charge and won GE types to the Super Galaxy standard but to Hiereth, MTU’s Director, GE Programs. The the contract for the Galaxy engines. exclude the oldest C-5A-type aircraft, which U.S. Air Force has ordered 208 engines plus will no longer be updated. a number of spare engines. In fact, the Super The CF6 turned into a genuine success story Galaxy’s engines are largely equivalent to the for GE, with the commercial engine variant Prior to their delivery to the U.S. Air Force, the commercial CF6-80C2 with just some minor for the Douglas DC-10 marking the U.S. com- three now enhanced C-5M cargo aircraft suc- modifications. “Developing a brand-new en- pany’s entry into the commercial market in cessfully completed an extensive test flight gine would have simply been too expensive,” 1971. In that same year, GE signed a co- The aircraft are being upgraded with the GE Aviation CF6-80C2 engine to give them more thrust. program in the United States. “Between explains Hiereth. “It goes without saying that operation agreement with the still-fledgling 2006 and 2008, around 5,200 test points the CF6-80C2L1F is a state-of-the-art sys- company MTU in Munich covering the pro- . As a risk-and-revenue-sharing and test facilities. The enhanced CF6-80C2 were flown over the course of 1,100 flight tem.” duction of CF6-50 components for the partner, the German engine manufacturer came into service in 1985, scoring particu- The CF6-80C2 took on responsibility for sophisticated tech- larly high thanks to the new standards it set nical components of the two-stage cooled for efficiency and reliability. The contract for The CF6-80C2 is a two-spool high- high-pressure turbine. In the 1980s, the CF6 collaboration on the Super Galaxy engine bypass turbofan for medium- and long- gradually became the most popular engine was inked in May 2003, with MTU taking on haul wide-body aircraft. It has a digital for medium- and long-haul wide-body aircraft responsibility for a 9.1 percent share of the electronic control system and is de- such as the Boeing 747 and 767, the Airbus program. signed for on-condition maintenance. models A300, A310 and A330 and the The low-pressure turbine is equipped McDonnell Douglas MD-11. The CF6 family “Participating in a foreign military engine with active clearance control. MTU continued to grow, eventually comprising the project is a sign of the high regard in which produces stator vanes and rotor versions CF6-50, CF6-80A, CF6-80C2 and our company is held,” comments Hiereth, blades, stage two disks, heat shields CF6-80E1. Since entering into service in “and it represents a huge advantage when it and diffusers for the high-pressure tur- 1971, these engines have completed more comes to future contracts. That’s because bine of the engine and contributes the flight hours than any other high-thrust com- there are essentially three key things that pressure balance seal for the low- mercial engine. determine a manufacturer’s position in the pressure turbine. market: prominence, reliability, and quality. Specifications Having had such a positive experience with All of which MTU can rightly claim to offer.” Thrust: 233–282 kN the successful collaboration on the CF6-50, Air mass flow: 780 kg/s GE was keen to get MTU on board once again Bypass ratio: 5.31:1 for the CF6-80. In this follow-on project, the For additional information, contact Pressure ratio: 32:1 German company additionally participated in Wolfgang Hiereth Length: 4,267 mm the engine post-design engineering phase, as +49 89 1489-3501 Engine diameter: 2,692 mm well as in materials testing, vibration testing For interesting multimedia services Weight: 4,472 kg of critical assemblies and the manufacture of associated with this article, go to: engine components for prototype engines www.mtu.de/209CF6

The cargo floor can be lowered to truckbed height, which permits even tanks and trucks to be rapidly loaded and unloaded. Turning of a CF6-80 turbine disk. Maintenance, repair and overhaul of CF6 engines is performed at MTU Maintenance Hannover.

32 Products + Services 33 Eurofighter Typhoon air power in Styria

By Martina Vollmuth

A Hercules C-130 appears on the horizon and only minutes later is flanked by two Eurofighters. The military jets intercept the aircraft and force it to land, accompanying it all the way down—to the applause of over 280,000 thrilled spectators at the air base in . This was not a real-life Eurofighter mission, but a public demonstration by the of the Eurofighter’s defense capabilities during the AirPower09 air show at the end of June. The event marked the first time the Eurofighter took part in a flying display in Austria.

The skies over the Austrian region of Styria ing. The spectacular maneuvers by some of To accommodate the ultramodern fighter jet, office space and new quarters for the pilots. (Steiermark) were buzzing with activity dur- the best military teams, including a special infrastructure was created at the An eye-catching feature is the modern archi- ing the last weekend of June, as Hinter- the Patrouille Suisse and the , air base and the 60-year-old facilities were tecture of the new drive-through aircraft stoisser Air Base in Zeltweg, jointly with the as well as the Flying Bulls Aerobatics Team— completely overhauled. “In total we invested bays for the combat jets. In an emergency, federal state of Styria and the company Red flying solo and in formation—were enthusias- 140 million euros in the renovation project,” the first jet can be rolling down the runway Bull, hosted the AirPower air show for the tically applauded. But the undisputed star reports Lieutenant Colonel Reinhard Zmug. for takeoff within three to five minutes; two third time, offering a breathtaking program turn, in the sky and on the ground, was the The General Staff officer was placed in Eurofighters are kept on permanent alert. As of events. Visitors were able to admire over Eurofighter. charge of “Fliegerwerft 2” at the end of Zmug explains: “Our mission is to monitor 200 aircraft representing every era of pow- March last year for a period of more than and protect Austrian airspace.” ered flight—from bi-planes to modern fighter The Alpine republic possesses 15 such air- one year. New buildings have been con- jets—and stunning displays of acrobatic fly- craft, all of which are stationed in Zeltweg. structed to house the simulator and provide

34 Reports 35 The first Eurofighter arrived at Hinterstoisser Air Base two years ago in July. The very next day, Johann Achter of MTU Aero Engines took up his new post in Zeltweg. He is the EJ200 technical representative responsible for engine maintenance and support during the introduction of the weapon system in Austria. “He is absolutely the right man for the job,” says Air Base commander Zmug. Achter is not only technically very competent but also knows how to quickly establish con- tact with the appropriate people at MTU when necessary. Achter can only return the compliment. He very much appreciates the proficiency of his Austrian colleagues in the working environment: “What impresses me most is their high standard of education and their professional attitude.” During the 2008 European Football Championships, Eurofighter Typhoons took to the skies to Everyone at the Air Base is delighted with the secure the airspace over Vienna. Eurofighters that have replaced the old Draken fleet. No less than 400 people, enthusiastically, adding: “The engine is fabu- is scheduled to be completed next year. “We including 120 military personnel, look after lous, especially with MTU’s reliable digital aim to accumulate a total of 1,100 flight the high-tech aircraft and its engines. In engine control unit. It is small, compact, and hours by the end of 2009,” recounts Zmug. addition, "Fliegerwerft 2" is responsible for extremely powerful. It’s simply amazing what Each training flight takes about 50 to 60 min- basic maintenance of the Saab J-105 and the it can do.” utes. The Austrian Eurofighter pilots were Maintenance of both the Austrian Eurofighter Typhoons and their EJ200 engines occurs at Zeltweg Air Base. Pilatus PC-7 and takes care of the air-traffic trained by the German Air Force at Laage Air control facilities. “Even without the after- Introduction of the new weapon system in Base. “By 2015, we hope to have 18 to 23 forces focuses on the training of Austrian one each with EADS and the Eurofighter and burner on, the Eurofighter gains altitude three Austria started in the last months of 2008 Eurofighter pilots,” says Zmug. Cooperation military staff and is proceeding smoothly. Eurojet consortia. Engine maintenance will Convinced by the EJ200’s times faster than the Draken,” says Zmug and continues throughout 2009. This phase between the German and Austrian armed Apart from the Eurofighter pilots, technicians be carried out by Germany’s leading engine performance also undergo qualification training in manufacturer in Munich that will send indi- Germany. The first group has completed its vidual modules requiring repair to the Eurojet The support arrangement for the training courses in Kaufbeuren. The second partner companies having manufactured Austrian engines is based on an group is trained on-site in Zeltweg, and the them—either Rolls-Royce in the United entirely new form of contract. Where- third one is still in the learning phase. “In all, Kingdom, Avio in Italy or ITP in Spain. The as all previous agreements with cus- 120 persons will have to be qualified, among power-by-the-hour contract with MTU guar- tomers relating to the aircraft and its them aircraft technicians as well as test and antees a turnaround time of 25 days. engine were concluded by the Euro- systems engineers,” according to Zmug. fighter consortium, now, for the first Meanwhile, the Austrians are gaining more time, the Eurojet engine consortium The air forces of the two neighboring coun- and more experience with the aircraft and its has directly negotiated a contract with tries also support each other when it comes engine. As Zmug reports: “It took us two the Austrian armed forces. “This is to the procurement of material, under terms days to complete our first engine replace- also an advantage for MTU, because it defined in a mutual supply support agree- ment. By the spring of 2009, we only needed provides us with the direct contact that ment. “We get a lot of components from our a few hours.” After the first months of work- allows us to respond better and more German partners,” says Zmug. The Austrian ing with the Eurofighter, he is now proud to promptly to the needs of the Air Force officer is very appreciative of their help and say: “We can confidently handle the system.” in Austria,” says Ernst-Jürgen Rieser, does his best to respond quickly and flexibly Deputy EJ200 Program Director at when they in turn need assistance. “We are MTU Aero Engines. always ready to help out if they need parts— even if it means sending them the only spare The engine has been well received by we have available.” Austria is the Eurofight- the Austrians. Rieser reports: “We fre- er’s first export customer and as such quently receive feedback from people intends to collaborate closely with the other who have been particularly impressed Eurofighter nations through further coopera- by the performance and outstanding tion agreements. For additional information, contact reliability of the EJ200. And that’s not Ernst-Jürgen Rieser only the pilots but also the mainte- +49 89 1489-3742 The has signed three serv- nance technicians working for the ice and support agreements with Eurofighter For further information on this article, go to: Austrian Armed Forces.” The aircraft are housed in drive-through aircraft bays that are up to the latest standards. aircraft and engine manufacturing partners— www.mtu.de/209Eurofighter

36 Reports 37 Hardly anyone boarding a passenger aircraft at airports in extreme geographical loca- systems check and gulping down a cup of today would be able to imagine the chal- tions such as El Alto. “We have to test how mate tea to prevent altitude sickness— lenges these aircraft have had to overcome the systems perform at this altitude in order essential in a place with such thin air. Then Hot and high before entering revenue service. The situa- to confirm that our theoretical calculations the engines are started while the support tions that this Airbus A319 had to master in are correct,” explains crew member Christian team watches, shivering, from the sidelines: By Andreas Spaeth Bolivia are essentially unheard-of in every- Krahe. despite it being summer in South America, day flight operations. Yet these tests are the the thermometer has only reached minus Shortly after flying around 7,021-meter-high Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Andes, the Airbus A319 heads for only way to determine safe limits for pas- The night is still pitch black at the Bolivian one degree Celsius at this early hour and the La Paz. Located at almost 4,000 meters above sea level and situated in a basin surrounded by the high altiplano, La senger services, and indeed the only way to capital’s airport. Well before dawn, minibus- aircraft is covered with a thin layer of frost. Paz is the highest capital city in the world. The destination of this trip from Hamburg to Bolivia is El Alto, one of the obtain flight certification for new aircraft. es ferried the 21 members of the crew and Towering above it at a height of over 6,000 world’s highest airports. With a runway of almost four kilometers and a field elevation of 4,050 meters, it is the per- When it comes to checking engine perform- support staff out of the deep valley basin meters, the Illimani volcano massif forms an fect choice for the specified series of high-altitude tests that new aircraft are required to pass. ance, one of the most crucial aspects in- where La Paz still slumbers at this nighttime impressive panorama in the early morning volves the hot-and-high tests that take place hour. The technicians begin by running a light.

38 Reports 39 The A319 taxis to the runway. For the air- vital to know how the engines behave in a craft, which has a take-off weight of approx- thin-air, high-altitude environment—in some MTU also runs altitude tests imately 52 metric tons, the thin air means cases combined with extreme heat. There- at ground level that it needs twice as much runway length to fore, the regulatory authorities have stipulated take off as under normal conditions—almost separate tests for each type of engine. Before the hot-and-high testing of an three and a half kilometers. Less lift is pro- aircraft prototype can begin, the duced here due to the lower air density, so Following the test series in La Paz, another newly developed engines must have higher speeds and much more engine power A319 powered by V2527M-A5 engines took completed up to 3,000 hours of tests are needed to get the aircraft into the air. off for Bangda Airport in Tibet, which—at on ground test facilities. “You need to One of the most important elements of the 4,330 meters—lies at an even higher altitude. be really familiar with an engine test is the simulation of irregularities, such Airbus test pilot Richard Monnoyer was high- before you carry out extreme tests in as when the crew is testing take-offs with full ly pleased with the results: “The test flights real life,” explains Ralf Breiling, thrust alternately on the left and on the right demonstrated the superb maneuverability of Director, Development Testing, at engines. In other tests, an engine is deceler- V2500 engines perform without a hitch in the thin the V2500-powered Airbus at high-altitude MTU Aero Engines in Munich. Ac- ated back to zero shortly before the take-off air at high altitudes. airports.” MTU Aero Engines has a stake in cording to Breiling, almost 80 percent speed is reached. Back in the aircraft cabin the V2500 program. of flight situations can be simulated the number of seats is limited, since most of adding or extracting water or pumping it from by a compulsory test program on the the space is taken up by tons of test equip- one tank to another, the aircraft’s center of Different airports were used for the most test bed. ment used to process the data from the gravity can be rapidly shifted to create a vari- recent series of tests of the Airbus A380 The GP7000 engines powering the A380 proved capable of withstanding the extreme heat. omnipresent sensors. As Krahe puts it, “it’s a ety of different flight situations. The pilots mega-transport. The hot weather tests were bit like an ECG.” manage to perform a total of eight landings conducted in the United Arab Emirates on pose of the exercise, which was to test the “The most important maneuver we have to during the three-hour series of tests. Each the Persian Gulf. “When we landed in Al Ain super-jumbo’s GP7000 engines, in which fly under the watchful eye of regulatory au- The weight of passengers and cargo in test flight hour costs around ten times as much in the evening, the thermometer still read 42 MTU also has a stake, to verify their ability to thority inspectors is called lapse rate take- aircraft is simulated using barrel-sized water as one hour of normal, scheduled operations. degrees Celsius,” recalls flight test engineer cope with heat and the most extreme oper- off,” explains German test pilot Wolfgang tanks that are installed in lieu of seats. By But these tests are necessary, because it is Jacky Joye. Perfect conditions for the pur- ating conditions. Absmeier, who completed 17 flight hours over the desert together with his English col- league. “We take off with all four engines run- ning at maximum power, then immediately switch two engines to idle while leaving the landing gear down for around ten minutes. This allows us to determine the minimum rate of climb,” he explains, outlining the test conditions. This test serves to demonstrate A GP7000 seen in the test cell of MTU Aero that the two active engines are able to supply Engines’ Munich facility. the necessary thrust without exceeding their MTU operates its own test bed at its limits. Munich location at a relatively modest 500 meters above sea level, while it The A380 also ran through the same proce- can also use the high-altitude test dures in Medellin, Colombia, which is situated facility run by the Institute of Aircraft 2,130 meters above sea level, as well as in Propulsion Systems at the University the Ethiopian city of Addis Ababa at 2,250 of Stuttgart. This facility permits pres- meters above sea level. The hot-and-high sures and temperatures to be varied tests were conducted at around 30 degrees to simulate conditions at cruising alti- Celsius, and the key focus was on the behav- tudes. ior of the kerosene under extreme condi- tions. “Bubbles can form when the fuel gets The largest engines, such as the hot. These tend to cause the pumps to run GP7000 for the Airbus A380, are sim- dry,” explains Absmeier. “We test whether ply too big to be tested as a complete the engines still continue to run and whether unit, so individual modules are tested the kerosene keeps flowing due to the action on rigs one by one. Breiling adds: of gravity.” It may be hot work for the test “There is no way of getting around pilots, but it is an experience they wouldn’t test flights of a newly developed give up for the world! engine in the aircraft it is designed for. This is a requirement of the regulatory authorities, and rightly so, because the For additional information, contact Ralf Breiling only way of checking how the systems +49 89 1489-6636 interact under actual operating condi- tions is on board the aircraft itself.” For further information on this article, go to: www.mtu.de/209HotandHigh

40 Reports 41 Eurofighter Tranche 3 Masthead Healthy business: revenues up, forecast unchanged New man at the helm Editor MTU Aero Engines will benefit substantially MTU Aero Engines GmbH In late July, MTU CEO Egon Behle reported revenues to reach the previous year’s level of profit amounted to 137.1 million euros. The MTU Maintenance Hannover in Langen- from the contract for the Tranche 3 produc- Eckhard Zanger Senior Vice President Corporate Communications strong half-year results and a ten-percent in- around 2.8 billion euros. EBIT margin came to ten percent and is thus hagen has a new President and CEO: tion order for the Eurofighter Typhoon. The and Investor Relations crease in revenues. “Measured against the in line with MTU’s 2009 forecast. Net income Dr. Martin Funk has taken over the contract—concluded in late July 2009—is for Editor in chief present difficult market situation, we are sat- In the first six months of 2009, MTU’s rev- for the first six months amounted to 55.7 reins from Dr. Uwe Blöcker, effective 112 aircraft and 241 engines. Germany’s Heidrun Moll isfied with these results. We are maintaining enues increased to more than 1.37 billion million euros. June 2009. leading engine manufacturer expects to reap our full-year forecast,” he said. MTU expects euros. According to the MTU CEO, operating about 250 million euros in revenues from the Final editor Martina Vollmuth deal. Address MTU Aero Engines GmbH MTU Aero Engines – Key financial data (Figures quoted in million €, calculated on a comparable basis. MTU has a 30-percent stake in the EJ200 Dachauer Straße 665 for January through June 2009 Statements prepared in accordance with IFRS. Figures calculated program. The contract was signed by repre- 80995 Munich • Germany on a comparable basis apply adjustments to the IFRS consolidated sentatives of the NATO Eurofighter and Tel. +49 89 1489-3537 Fax +49 89 1489-4303 results to exclude restructuring and transaction costs and the Tornado Management Agency (NETMA), E-mail: [email protected] effects of IFRS purchase accounting.) Eurofighter GmbH and the EUROJET Turbo Internet: www.mtu.de GmbH engine consortium. Editorial staff MTU Aero Engines H1 2009 H1 2008 Change Bernd Bundschu, Denis Dilba, Achim Figgen, Patrick Hoeveler, Odilo Mühling, Andreas Spaeth, Revenues 1,376.0 1,256.1 + 9.5 % Martina Vollmuth of which OEM business 802.1 758.1 + 5.8 % Expansion started of which commercial MRO business 589.0 513.0 + 14.8 % Layout at MTU Maintenance Manfred Deckert EBIT (adjusted) 137.1 156.8 - 12.6 % Sollnerstraße 73 Dr. Martin Funk of which OEM business 98.4 140.6 - 30.0 % Zhuhai 81479 Munich • Germany 39.9 18.0 + 121.7 % MTU Maintenance Zhuhai started the expan- of which commercial MRO business Funk completed his studies at Photo credits EBIT margin 10.0 % 12.5 % Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische sion of its plant in Zhuhai’s free trade zone at Cover Page: Mark Farrugia in the OEM business 12.3 % 18.5 % Universität Aachen (RWTH Aachen the end of August. A new building will add Pages 2–3 Steffen Honzera; Hoffmann Group; IAE International Aero Engines AG; in the commercial MRO business 6.8 % 3.5 % University) and holds a doctorate in almost another 10.000 square meters of floor MTU Aero Engines photo archive Net income (IFRS) 55.7 80.4 - 30.7 % mechanical engineering. He comes space to the company’s premises, increasing Pages 4–9 Eurofighter GmbH; MTU Aero capacities and helping streamline processes Engines photo archive Free cash flow 66.7 77.2 - 13.6 % from Emcom Technologies, a leader in Pages 10–13 Etihad Airways; Bailey the global vehicle exhaust emission in the shop. At the groundbreaking ceremony, Pages 14–17 Bombardier; Pratt & Whitney; MTU control technology industry, where he Holger Sindemann, President and CEO of Aero Engines photo archive Pages 18–21 MTU Aero Engines photo archive served the role of Vice President and MTU Maintenance Zhuhai, said: “The expan- Pages 22–25 Steffen Honzera; RWTH Aachen; General Manager for Europe and sion was a must for the company’s further MTU Aero Engines photo archive development, as its capacity was already Pages 26–29 Hoffmann Group; MTU Aero South Africa since 2007. Engines photo archive MTR390E maiden flight reached in 2008.” Pages 30–33 Dave Miller; U.S. Airforce; MTU Aero Engines photo archive Pages 34–37 Austrian Ministry of Defense and Successful debut: In late June, the first two Sports; MTU Aero Engines photo MTR390E prototype engines completed their First ground test passed with flying colors archive Pages 38–41 Airbus; Andreas Spaeth; IAE maiden flight in ’s Marignane without Great excitement at General Electric and MTU The 7,500-shaft-horsepower engine will International Aero Engines AG a hitch. “The successful ground tests and the Aero Engines: The GE38 helicopter engine power Sikorsky’s CH-53K heavy-lift helicopter Pages 42–43 EUROJET Turbo GmbH; Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH; GE Aviation; first flight were impressive proof of the successfully performed its first test run in that will replace the CH-53E Super Stallions MTU Aero Engines photo archive MTR390E’s capabilities. This program is very Lynn, Massachusetts, in early July 2009. in service with the U.S. Marine Corps. It is important for futures sales of the Tiger heli- “The test results fully met our expectations,” also considered a suitable candidate for sim- Printed by EBERL PRINT GmbH copter to export customers, because the commented Dr. Robert Bader, who heads up ilar applications in Europe. Kirchplatz 6 new engine helps further optimize the hot- GE38 development at MTU, “and all para- 87509 Immenstadt • Germany and-high performance of the weapon sys- meters were within the predicted range.” Contributions credited to authors do not neces- tem,” said Michael Schreyögg, Senior Vice sarily reflect the opinion of the editors. We will President, Defense Programs at MTU. not be held responsible for unsolicited material. Reprinting of contributions is subject to the editors’ approval. The engine, which is built by MTRI GmbH, a joint venture including MTU, Turbomeca, Rolls-Royce and ITP, is a 14-percent uprated version of the MTR390 engine powering the Franco-German Tiger combat helicopter.

Successful maiden flight: Tiger powered by MTR390E engines. The GE38 being readied for its first run.

42 In Brief 43