Leeham News and Analysis
There's more to real news than a news release.
Leeham News and Analysis
- Bjorn’s Corner: New engine development. Part 23. Development risks. September 6, 2024
- If a strike occurs, here’s what Boeing can do September 5, 2024
- China banks on C919, but numbers say it still needs Boeing September 2, 2024
- Bjorn’s Corner: New engine development. Part 22. High Turbine technologies. August 30, 2024
- The A330 for medium haul or twice the frequency with A321XLR? Part 1 August 29, 2024
Bjorn’s Corner: New engine development. Part 20. Temperatures.
By Bjorn Fehrm
August 16, 2024, ©. Leeham News: We do an article series about engine development. The aim is to understand why engine development now has longer timelines than airframe development and carries larger risks of product maturity problems.
To understand why engine development has become a challenging task, we need to understand engine fundamentals and the technologies used for these fundamentals.
We have covered the different areas of a gas turbine except the exhaust (Figure 1). Before we go to the exhaust and the different outputs from a gas turbine Core, we look at the temperatures and how to cope with them in the different sections of a gas turbine.
Figure 1. The gas turbine cycle and its parts. Source: Rolls-Royce: The Jet Engine.
Airbus 1H2024 results: Space business problems lower results
July 30, 2024, © Leeham News: Airbus has presented its results for the second quarter of 2024. The results were impacted by a thorough review of its Space business, which resulted in a quarterly write-off of almost €1bn.
The rest of the group is performing as expected after adjusting for Airbus’ announcement in June that the year’s deliveries of A320/A321 aircraft fell short by 30 units to 770 total, as the supply chain can’t ramp from last year’s 730 to the anticipated 800.
The company announced a 1H2024 profit of 733m€ (1,452m€ 1H2023), on revenue of 28.8bn€ (27.7bn€).
Maeve, P&W Canada team for new hybrid propulsion system airplane
By Bjorn Fehrm and Scott Hamilton
July 24, 2024, © Leeham News at Farnborough International Airshow: Start-up airplane company Maeve and Pratt & Whitney Canada (PWC) have teamed for the design of a new eco-airplane driven by a new type of hybrid electric propulsion system with a target service entry date of 2032.
The M80 aircraft is the latest iteration of a design conceived by Maeve of the Netherlands. It is a 76 to 96-seat twin-engine aircraft that is compliant with the restrictive US pilot Scope Clauses, which limit the size, number, and weight of airplanes operated on behalf of US major airlines. Maeve originally designed a four-engine, 44-passenger electric aircraft called the M01.
Figure 1. The Maeve M80 combines an all-new powerplant from Pratt & Whitney Canada and downward wing droops instead of upward winglets. Source: Maeve.
Bjorn’s Corner: New engine development. Part 16. Compressor air use.
By Bjorn Fehrm
July 19, 2024, ©. Leeham News: We do an article series about engine development. The aim is to understand why engine development now has longer timelines than airframe development and carries larger risks of product maturity problems.
To understand why engine development has become a challenging task, we need to understand engine fundamentals and the technologies used for these fundamentals.
We have covered the problem areas of a compressor and how these achieve power-to-air-pressure conversion efficiencies of over 90% by using advanced 3D airflow modeling. Now, we look at the users of the air from the engin’s compressor.
Figure 1. The gas turbine cycle and its parts. Source: Rolls-Royce: The Jet Engine.
Bjorn’s Corner: New engine development. Part 15. Compressor efficiency.
By Bjorn Fehrm
July 12, 2024, ©. Leeham News: We do an article series about engine development. The aim is to understand why engine development now has longer timelines than airframe development and carries larger risks of product maturity problems.
To understand why engine development has become a challenging task, we need to understand engine fundamentals and the technologies used for these fundamentals.
We covered the problem areas of a compressor last week. Now, we will discuss how modern compressors can have over 90% conversion efficiency from turbine power to air compression.
Figure 1. The gas turbine cycle and its parts. Source: Rolls-Royce: The Jet Engine.
Bjorn’s Corner: New engine development. Part 13. The compressor.
By Bjorn Fehrm
June 28, 2024, ©. Leeham News: We do an article series about engine development. The aim is to understand why engine development now has longer timelines than airframe development and carries larger risks of product maturity problems.
To understand why engine development has become a challenging task, we need to understand engine fundamentals and the technologies used for these fundamentals.
We have covered the need for the axial speed of the core air to decrease and increase depending on the needs of the core engine’s sections. Now, we will start to look at the different parts of the core in more detail. We start with the compressor.
Figure 1. The gas turbine cycle and its parts. Source: Rolls-Royce: The Jet Engine.
Airbus lowers 2024 guidance amid A320/A321 supply chain and space system challenges
Bjorn Fehrm
June 24, 2024, © Leeham News: Airbus issued a press release today where it lowered guidance for 2024.
The release highlighted two areas as the drivers for the update:
- Larger-than-expected supply chain issues for the single-aisle segment (A320/A321), where delivery ramp problems in engines, aerostructures, and cabin equipment mean that the guidance for 2024 goes from 800 aircraft in total to 770. Because of this, the ramp to 75 A320/A321 deliveries per month has been moved out a year to 2027 instead of as previously forecasted 2026.
- The Defence and Space Systems management has, after an extensive review, found schedule, workload, and sourcing challenges for certain Space telecommunications, navigation, and observation programs. Airbus has decided to record charges of around € 0.9bn in the H1 2024 report to cover the problems in these programs.
As a result, Airbus has decided to update the 2024 guidance ahead of its 1H2024 results release, which is on 30 July:
- Around 770 commercial aircraft deliveries (was 800).
- EBIT Adjusted of around € 5.5 billion (was €6.5bn to €7bn).
- Free Cash Flow before Customer Financing of around € 3.5 billion (was € 4bn).
Airbus adds the usual caveats to the guidance:
The Company assumes no additional disruptions to the world economy, air traffic, the supply chain, the Company’s internal operations, and its ability to deliver products and services. The Company’s 2024 guidance is before M&A.
Bjorn’s Corner: New engine development. Part 12. Speed change.
By Bjorn Fehrm
June 21, 2024, ©. Leeham News: We do an article series about engine development. The aim is to understand why engine development now has longer timelines than airframe development and carries larger risks of product maturity problems.
To understand why engine development has become a challenging task, we need to understand engine fundamentals and the technologies used for these fundamentals.
After covering the main thrust-generating device, which we can call a propeller, fan, or open rotor, depending on the application, we now look at the core, which provides the power to the thrust device. And there, we look at how we use the properties of the air as a gas to get it into a state that the gas turbine needs for different sections.
Figure 1. The gas turbine cycle. Source: Rolls-Royce: The Jet Engine.
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Bjorn’s Corner: New engine development. Part 10. Propeller, Rotor or Fan?
By Bjorn Fehrm
June 7, 2024, ©. Leeham News: We do an article series about engine development. The aim is to understand why engine development now has longer timelines than airframe development and carries larger risks of product maturity problems.
To understand why engine development has become a challenging task, we need to understand engine fundamentals and the technologies used for these fundamentals.
Following the last Corner on airframe integration, several comments were made about the definition of propeller, open rotor, and/or fan. So, we’ll explore this further.
Figure 1. Evolution of Wright Brothers propellers from 1903 to 1905. Source: wright-brothers.org
The all-important cabin. Part 2
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By Bjorn Fehrm
May 30, 2024, © Leeham News: We will do an article series about the all-important cabin and its seating for an airliner. The cabin layout and its comfort are the most important part of an airliner for the passenger. For an airline it’s its face to the customer.
We will look at the different types of cabins used and how these use the airliner’s real estate, what the cost is, and what the weight is. With the weight, we can also predict how different cabins affect the aircraft’s performance.
Summary:
- The configuration of the cabin has a large influence on total seating, weight, and cost.
- The relationships change up to 500%.