Etihad kicks off Dubai airshow with mamomth Boeing 777-9X, 777-8X and 787-10 order

by Devesh Agarwal

From top, clockwise, Boeing CGI of Etihad 787-10, 777-8X, 777-9X

United Arab Emirates' (UAE) national carrier, Etihad Airways PJSC, kicked off the Dubai Air Show with a massive order for 56 wide-body Boeing aircraft with options to purchase for an additional 26 aircraft taking the quantity up to 82 at a list price valuation of $25.2 billion.

The Abu Dhabi-based carrier's order includes 25 777X airplanes, comprising 17 777-9Xs and eight 777-8Xs, subject to program launch. Etihad Airways is the first airline to order the 777-8X and will be a launch customer of the airplane, which is expected to enter service around the end of the decade. The order includes options and purchase rights for 12 additional 777X airplanes.

The airline also ordered 30 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners, the high-capacity, medium-haul, and longest member of the Dreamliner family. Combined with the carrier's previous orders for 41 787-9s, today's order makes Etihad the world's largest airline customer for the Dreamliner family with a total of 71 787s on order. The order includes options and purchase rights for an additional 12 787-10s.

Today’s announcement also includes the milestone 1,000th Boeing 787 Dreamliner to be ordered.

Etihad also ordered one Boeing 777F freighter which is based on the 777-200LR.

The 777X is the upgrade of the venerable Boeing 777 family featuring new composite wings as seen on the 747-8 and 787 family aircraft, along with new GEnx engines which GE promises will be about 10% more fuel efficient. The 777X

The Boeing 777-9X is a stretched, more fuel-efficient version of Boeing ultra-popular 777-300ER. Typically seating 400 passengers, the 777-9X will be capable of flying the same distances as its predecessor, but with up to 40 more passengers, with lower operating costs and reduced fuel consumption per seat. The 777-9X was launched less than two months ago with an order from German flag carrier Lufthansa. Eithad is expected to start receiving its 777-9X from 2020.

The Boeing 777-8X is an upgraded version of the ultra long-haul Boeing 777-200LR, which Etihad recently purchased from Indian flag carrier Air India, to serve the Abu Dhabi – Los Angeles route. The -8X will replace the LRs when the start arriving in 2022. [Read our analysis on why the 777-200LR is ill-suited to Air India's operations]

The Boeing 787-10 is the largest and latest version of the Dreamliner family, typically carrying more than 320 passengers, up to 50 more than the 787-9 which Etihad Airways will introduce late in 2014. The aircraft will be capable of flying between Abu Dhabi and medium-haul destinations such as Dublin or Johannesburg, and it is expected to be deployed on high capacity medium haul routes by the airline. Final assembly and flight test of the 787-10 are set to begin in 2017, with first delivery targeted for 2018. Boeing launched the 787-10 earlier this year, at the Paris Air Show.

All the aircraft in this order will be powered by General Electric GE9X, GEnx and GE90 engines. Etihad ordered 57 GE9X engines which will power Etihad Airways’ 25 new Boeing 777X aircraft, 68 GEnx-1B engines for the airline’s 30 new Boeing 787-10 aircraft, and two GE90-115B engines which will be used on its new Boeing 777-200F freighter.

Etihad Airways currently has 86 aircraft in operation, with more than 80 aircraft on firm order. Its last major aircraft deal was made at the Farnborough Air Show in 2008, where Etihad Airways announced firm orders for 100 aircraft, including 45 Boeing aircraft, in a long-term order which was at the time one of the largest in aviation history.

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GE Aviation testing new composite fan blades for the GE9X engine

by BA Staff

Image courtesy GE

GE Aviation has begun testing on its new composite fan blades for the GE9X, the next-generation GE90 engine that will power Boeing’s 777X aircraft. This validation test is the first of several testing programs GE has planned this year for the GE9X fan module.

The first round of fan blade tests occurred in June at the ITP Engine testing facility in the United Kingdom and focused on validating the new composite material for the fan blades. The results were very positive. GE plans a second round of tests at ITP later this summer to further validate the new fan blade composite material and a new metal material for the fan blade leading edge.

This fall, GE plans to run Universal Propulsion Simulator (UPS) fan performance tests on a fan rig at a Boeing facility in Seattle, Washington. Work is already under way on the fan rig and facility for these tests.

Bill Millhaem, general manager of the GE90 Program at GE Aviation.

“The GE9X fan blade will feature new high-strength carbon fiber material and a steel alloy leading edge,” “This new material, along with a higher fan tip speed, will improve the efficiency of the low-pressure turbine (LPT) and deliver more than 1.5 percent fuel efficiency improvement compared to the GE90-115B engine.”

The GE9X fan module incorporates several unique features. The GE9X front fan will be the largest of any GE engine at 132 inches in diameter and include a durable, lightweight composite fan case similar to the fan case on the GEnx engines which power the Boeing 787 and 747-8 aircraft. Compared to a metal fan case, the composite fan case will lower the weight by 350 lbs. (approximately 160 kg) per engine.

The fan blades in the GE9X engine will be fourth-generation composite fan blades. GE Aviation developed the first composite fan blade for its GE90-94B engine in 1995. Composite fan blades are also featured in the GE90-115B and GEnx engines. GE has accumulated 36 million flight-hours with composite blades and anticipates accumulating more than 100 million flight-hours when the GE9X enters service later this decade.

The GE9X engine will have 16 fan blades, which is fewer blades than the GEnx and the GE90-115B engines. This fan blade reduction is possible as a result of advancements in three-dimensional (3D) swept design that enables engineers to create a more swept design and large fan chord. The new high-strength carbon fiber material allows the blades to be thinner than blades made from current carbon fiber material, with the same strength and durability. These improvements will drive fuel efficiency improvements and hundreds of pounds of weight reduction from fan blades and the structure needed to support them.

The lower blade count and new carbon fiber composite material will enable GE Aviation to increase the fan tip speed. The increased tip speed will improve the efficiency of the LPT, enabling a reduction in the LPT blade count and contributing to the engine’s fuel burn improvement.

The GE9X engine for Boeing’s 777X aircraft will be in the 100,000 pounds thrust class with a 10 percent improvement in fuel burn over today's GE90-115B. Key features include: a 132" fan diameter; composite fan case and fourth-generation composite fan blades; next-generation 27:1 pressure ratio high-pressure compressor; a third-generation TAPS (twin annular pre-swirl) combustor for greater efficiency and low emissions; and ceramic matrix composite (CMC) material in the combustor and turbine.

GE Aviation has been conducting tests on new materials and technologies for the engine during the last few years. Along with fan blade tests at the ITP Engine testing facility in the United Kingdom, GE Aviation will test a high-pressure compressor rig at GE’s Oil & Gas facility in Massa, Italy, this month. The first engine will test in 2016, with flight-testing on GE’s flying testbed anticipated in 2017. Engine certification is scheduled for 2018.

The GE9X will follow the highly successful GE90-115B engine that entered service in 2004. Rated at 115,000 pounds of thrust, the GE90-115B engine includes such performance-enhancing features as a 3-D aero compressor and wide-chord, swept composite fan blades for greater efficiency. The dual annular combustor emits no more than 40 percent of the hydrocarbons allowed by today's international standards. In addition, today's GE90-115B engines have been enhanced to reduce fuel burn by 3.6 percent from the 2000 launch specification.

More than 1,500 GE90-115B engines have been ordered by customers for their Boeing 777-300ERs, 777-200LRs and 777 Freighters. In 2011, the GE90 engine experienced its most successful order year and accumulated airline and freighter operator commitments for 400 engines, surpassing the 250 engine commitments record from 2007.

Snecma of France and IHI Corporation of Japan are revenue-sharing participants in the GE90 program.

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Infographic: Boeing 777 engine manufacturers' shares

by Devesh Agarwal

The Asiana Boeing 777-200ER which crashed at San Francisco International airport was powered by Pratt and Whitney PW4090 series engines.

Three engine manufacturers have offered power plants for the Boeing 777. Pratt and Whitney offered the PW4000 series. Rolls Royce offered its Trent 800 and General Electric offered its GE90 series.

The infographic below shows the share of market each manufacturer has on the 1,113 Boeing 777s delivered till date.

Since the last few years, GE90-115B and GE90-110B are the exclusive engine series for the currently manufactured 777 variants - the 777-300ER, 777-200LR, and the 777F freighter. So eventually it will have a 100% share of the market. Even on the upcoming 777X project, GE is expected to remain the sole source supplier with a new upgraded engine.

Boeing 777 - share of market for engine manufacturers

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Videos: Behind the scenes of an A380 departure and an engine inspection

Our two videos today come courtesy Air France.

Have you ever wondered what happens around your plane while you are waiting for your flight to board and depart? In first video, Air France reveals an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the frenetic activity performed by hundreds of people prior to the departure of an A380. Next go behind the scene at Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) and see the inspection and maintenance of a GE90 engine, the largest civil aircraft engine in the world, from its arrival at the Air France hangar to the test phase at the new Air France engine test cell.





Below is a detailed graphic showing the engine inspection and maintenance process.

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Night photos from Delhi Indira Gandhi international airport - the Boeing 777 collection

Continuing our photo essay (see part one) on the night photography at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), thanks to the support of the kind friends at Delhi International Airport (P) Ltd. (DIAL) and the DGCA, today is the Boeing 777 collection.

The 777 is largest twin-engine airliner in the world, along with being one of the most popular, and the most profitable for its manufacturer, Boeing.

The newer 777-300ER, 777-200LR (both of which form bulk of Air India's long distance fleet), and Freighter variants feature the largest engines in aviation history, the General Electric GE90-115B or -110B1 engines. The GE90-115B, has a fan diameter of 3.25 metres or 10ft 8in. This photo offers a size comparison between the GE90 and the earlier engines used to power the venerable Boeing 747.

The GE90 has a distinct "moaning" sound when it starts. It is music to us plane spotters. Play the video to hear it. Anywhere in the world, if you are within earshot of an airport, or on-board a 777-300ER or 777-200LR flight, keep an ear out for the sound.

Air India Boeing 777-200LR (also called 77L in airline parlance) VT-ALE (equipped with the GE90-110B)

Emirates airline Boeing 777-300ER (77W) A6-ECK (equipped with GE90-115B)

Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300 (773) 9V-SYF (not an ER. Equipped with Rolls Royce Trent 800 RB212 engine)

Thai Airways Boeing 777-300 HS-TKB (equipped with Rolls Royce Trent 800)

We request you to please encourage these photographers via a comment on the photo site.

Photos are used with permission of the photographers who retain full copyright. Pictures may not be used without their specific permission.

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Photo: Rolls Royce Trent XWB - one mother of an engine

A picture is worth a thousand words. The picture below shows the size of the new engines like the Rolls Royce Trent XWB, the GE90, the GEnx, that power the jetliners of today.

Crew of the maiden flight of the Rolls Royce Trent XWB engine

Share your thoughts.

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Audio and Video: The moaning of GE90-115B - the largest commercial jet engine

Ask any plane spotter about the General Electric GE90-155B engines and you will get a universal thumbs-up. The largest engines fitted on any commercial jet, two GE90's power every Boeing 777 made today; the -300ER, the -200LR, or the freighter.

Put the engine size in perspective. Compare the ground engineer near the nose wheel.

To give you an idea of size, the diameter of the engine (11 ft 3 in or 3.429 m) is just a little less than the fuselage diameter of the Boeing 737, and at take-off thrust the engine swallows more than two million cubic feet of air per minute. More technical details can be read here.

Apart from its size, what spotters love about the engine is the unique "moaning" sound it makes the engine turbine fired at start-up.

All commercial jet engines today, are started using compressed air. The compressed air is produced by the auxillary power unit (APU) located in the tail of the aircraft and fed via ducts to the engines. This are blows the engine blades around through a series of gearbox, shafts, and starter. When the engine blades are sped up to a certain point, fuel is injected into the engine and ignited. At this moment the GE90 produces its signature moan and the engine starts.

This is what the engine start-up sounds like from outside



This is from inside the cabin

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Video: Emirates Boeing 777-300ER take off from Bangalore

Bangalore Aviation regular Aditya Kamath recently flew the Emirates Boeing 777-300ER from Bangalore to Dubai.

He made a video of the take off. Turn the volume up high to hear those great GE90-115B engines.



Visit Aditya's Flickr page to see some more photos from his trip.

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The world's largest aircraft engine, the GE90-115B found on all Boeing 777-300ERs and 200LRs

I have always loved the General Electric GE90-115B engines which exclusively power all Boeing 777-200LRs and 777-300ERs. The super large size and low throated moan when operating just tickles me.

GE90-115B fitted on Emirates Boeing 777-300ER A6-EBL

The GE90 series are physically the largest engines in aviation today, the GE90-115B, has a fan diameter of 3.25 meter (10ft 8 in). The engine has a larger diameter than most smaller airliners such as the Bombardier CRJ family or the Embraer ERJ. In fact it is only slightly smaller than the 3.7 metre cabin width of the Boeing 737. The diameter of the engine allows it to spin at slower revolutions and makes for a more quieter engine.

It performance specifications are equally impressive.

• Maximum Thrust: max at sea level: 115,300 lbf (512.9 kN) ; world record set at 127,900 lbf (568,9 kN) 827 feet above sea level
• Overall pressure ratio: 42:1
• Thrust-to-weight ratio: approx. 6.3:1

Some other notable facts

• Approximative unit price is $24 million
• A GE90-115B delivers twice power of a single engine on the Boeing 747 or the Titanic which is roughly equivalent to 111,526 HP. Compare this to the 100~150BHP produced by the average car.
• At take off thrust, a GE90 engine ingests around two million cubic feet of air per minute.

However, all these performance does come at a price. GE90 engines can only be airfreighted in assembled form by outsize cargo aircraft such as the Antonov An-124 'Condor', presenting unique problems if a 777 was stranded in a place without the proper spare parts.

The GE90 is being used as the platform for development of new GEnx engine which will power the Boeing 787, 747-8. Across the Atlantic a separate GE90 derivative engine for the Airbus A380 called the GP7000 which is used by Emirates airline, is being developed by Engine Alliance, a cooperative venture between GE Aircraft Engines and Pratt & Whitney.

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