Airbus Military successfully achieved its fifth contractual milestone with the complete A400M engine and propeller run at the end of February 2006. This success not only marks a critical step in the production of the airlifter but also clearly demonstrates that the A400M programme is fully on time and well on track.
It is now almost three years since Europrop International (EPI) was selected as the engine supplier for the A400M.
Working in close cooperation, the powerplant teams in Airbus Military, EPI and Ratier Figeac have worked together to a demanding schedule in order to design, develop and produce a completely new engine/propeller combination to power the new airlifter. The A400M’s engine, designated the TP400-D6, is a three-shaft, high performance gas turbine. It is fitted with a 5.3 metre diameter, eight-bladed, composite Ratier Figeac FH386 propeller.
The engine/propeller combination provides a turbo-prop powerplant rated at a power output of 11 000 shp, thus providing 44 000 shp installed power on each of the four-engined airlifters. This provides the A400M with excellent performance
characteristics enabling it to transport a variety of loads and personnel over long
distances at high cruise speed.
Today, the engine of the A400M constitutes the most powerful turboprop powerplant in the western world.
First engine & propeller run in Istres
A series of test runs of the engine with propeller was conducted culminating on 28 February 2006 with a ceremony organised by the engine and propeller suppliers Europrop International and Ratier Figeac at the Snecma test facility in Istres in the south of France. The objectives of these successive runs were to test the response to engine control and the level of engine stability.
The test on 28 February was witnessed by representatives of the participating European governments, of OCCAR (Organisation Conjoint de Coopération en matière d’Armement) and Airbus Military SL. The powerplant run lasted about 10 minutes from start-up of the turboprop. A first acceleration of the engine reaching ground idle (1000 shp) with a 11° blade pitch angle was followed by a second acceleration to a power level representing flight idle (1600 shp), with propeller blades reaching a 16° pitch angle. The engine was then returned to ground idle and shut down.
With a high degree of stability during the running phase and a good response to command, the engine performed exactly as expected. This was summarized by a customer representative stating that there was ‘no surprise’. The general impression was that the engine was quick to start and made little noise.
The A400M engine with propeller run was the most spectacular event yet in the on-going aircraft development programme.
