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Delicate coatings forpowerful protection

Summer/Autumn 2007

■ Technology + Science ■ Customers + Partners ■ Products + Services

High-tech envelope forthe engine

The eye in the sky

MTU Aero Engines Holding AGDachauer Straße 66580995 Munich • GermanyTel. +49 89 1489-0Fax +49 89 1489-5500www.mtu.de

The next generation

REPORT 32 REPORT

EditorialThe next generation 4 - 7

Delicate coatings for powerful protection

The repair mavens

8 - 9

10 - 13

A thousand tons for a good fit 14 - 15

High-tech envelope for the engine

Flying high under the Silver Fern

16 - 19

20 - 23

Service to customers

The eye in the sky

Mini-engines power mega-model

Airborne paintings

24 - 25

26 - 27

28 - 29

30 - 31

Desert graveyard 32 - 35

News

Masthead

36 - 39

39

Contents

MTU MaintenanceHannover’s engine trendmonitoring system continu-ously watches engine con-ditions. Early fault diagnosisthus prevents costly conse-quential damage.6

The next generation


MTU, jointly with its strategic partner Pratt & Whitney, isworking on future engine technologies. Its engine compo-nents may be the answer to the needs of single-aisle aircraftin the pipeline.Page 4

An MTU team of experts hasdeveloped a new coatingsystem. The coating hasenormous strength and willlong endure the impact ofsolids carried in the air.Page 8

Engine fairings are sophis-ticated systems. They willhave to meet stringent requirements imposed byengine makers and air-framers alike.Page 16

High-tech envelopefor the engine

The eye in the sky

Cover Story

Technology + Science

MTU Global

Customers + Partners

Products + Services

Anecdotes

Reports

Dear Readers:

Climate protection is grabbing headlinesglobally. In aviation, too, protecting the en-vironment is an issue, and we’re making astrong contribution in the matter. However,demands to quit leisure flights and for peopleto spend their vacations at home will not getus anywhere.

Identified to be one of the major climateharming culprits has been carbon dioxide(CO2), a greenhouse gas. It occurs in manyareas and in aircraft is produced during thecombustion of fuel in the engine. Even if,viewed soberly, air traffic adds no more thana few percentage points to global CO2 emis-sions, we still should leave nothing undoneto make our products “cleaner”. After all, wewant the aircraft to remain what it is, a majormeans of global transportation at everyone’sdisposal.

MTU has for decades been optimizing air-craft engines. One of our current key pro-jects is the geared turbofan. We’re develop-ing and building, together with our strategicpartner Pratt & Whitney, a demonstrator en-gine. Based on the PW6000, it will make itsfirst run in the latter half of the year, withflight testing to begin next year. MTU’s con-tribution is its high-speed low-pressure tur-bine and, moreover, its tried and testedPW6000 high-pressure compressor, both ofwhich are key components of the concept.

The new geared turbofan promises to reducefuel consumption by up to 15 percent and besubstantially quieter than conventionalengines. Also, it will be less expensive tomaintain. In our estimation, this type of

engine is the optimum propulsion system forthe successor generation of today’s AirbusA320 and Boeing 737 families. We’ll have thenew engines up and running in time for theflight testing of the new aircraft. They shouldbest be implemented under the banner oftoday’s IAE. That consortium has done a verygood job fielding the V2500 and is practicallypredestined to make the successor a world-wide winner as well.

This much is clear: The next generation ofaircraft can achieve the necessary efficiencyimprovements only if it is powered by opti-mum engines. That’s not what we are sayingbut the aircraft manufacturers themselves.The engine makes or breaks the aircraft, andwe’ll do as best as we can.

Udo StarkChief Executive Officer

REPORT 54 REPORT

The next generation

MTU is gearing up for the future. In current research projects it is collaborating with its strategicpartner Pratt & Whitney on the next generation of engines. The new engine incorporates advancedshort- and medium-haul technologies to sustain envisioned successors to the popular Airbus A320and Boeing 737 aircraft families.

By Silke Dierkes

There is a frenzy of activity in the sky, andsigns of it ever relenting are few. Ever morepeople are crowding into airliners. Expertsassume that air passenger counts will havedoubled by 2020. These are rosy prospectsfor the aviation industry. But to keep somuch growth from harming the environmentand escalating fuel prices from cutting intoticket sales, airframers and engine buildersare challenged to embrace new ideas. Theseare to cut their airliners’ fuel consumption,

manufacturing and maintenance costs andalleviate their noise and contaminant emis-sions.

The Advisory Council for AeronauticsResearch in Europe (ACARE) is pushing for80 percent less oxides of nitrogen emissions,50 percent less carbon dioxide emissions,and 50 percent less fuel consumption.Engines will play a key role in these loftygoals that call for novel technologies and

Innovative inner workings: the new geared turbofandemonstrator of MTU and Pratt & Whitney.

innovative components. The engine will haveenormous significance also for the next gen-eration of Airbus and Boeing short- andmedium-haul transports. The successors tothe best-selling A320 and B737 are expectedto hit the marketplace by about 2015 and therequirements for their engines will unar-guably be tough.

MTU and its partner Pratt & Whitney areaccordingly maturing concepts to providethrust for tomorrow’s needs. In their quest,development engineers are betting on thegeared turbofan, which is an entirely novelcommercial engine construction. A reduc-tion gear is used to uncouple the turbinefrom the fan, the pair conventionally beinginterconnected by a common shaft. Discon-nected, the large fan can be allowed to runslower and the turbine faster than in conven-tional engines. In this fashion, the two sys-tems operate to best effect. That improvesthe engine’s efficiency and reduces its noise.The partnership’s joint geared turbofan dem-onstrator bases on the PW6000, the enginepowering the small Airbus A318. MTU takesto the venture its high-speed low-pressureturbine, an optimized version of the Cleantechnology demonstrator.

“Since the speeds are higher than with con-ventional low-pressure turbines, it must sat-isfy exacting demands,” explains Dr. ChristianWinkler, who heads new business develop-ment, commercial engines at MTU. To meetthese demands, the engineers have alteredstructural mechanics and developed newmaterials. “That accentuates our expertise inhigh-speed low-pressure turbines, which are

Cover Story

6 REPORT REPORT 7

tive traditional expertise: “The new high-pres-sure compressor is part of the fourth enginegeneration and a consistent upgrade of itspredecessors.”

The eight-stage, highly efficient compressorhas an extremely high, 17:1 compressionratio. Its blisk construction and positivelycoupled rotor disks make it extremely light-

For interesting multimedia services associated with this article, go to:http://www.mtu.de/107NGSAE

For additional information, contactDr. Christian Winkler+49 89 1489-8663

key to the efficient operation of a geared tur-bofan,” he adds. The first run is slated forend-2007. After further ground tests, thegeared turbofan is expected to fly in 2008.The flight tests will involve a retrofitted A340and a B747. The tests aim to demonstratethe production maturity of the concept andconvince aircraft manufacturers and airlinesof the desirability of the innovative engine.Sharp increases in fuel prices may proveanother argument in favor of the new fuel-thrifty technology.

MTU and Pratt & Whitney are moreover devel-oping a new commercial high-pressure com-pressor. This is a somewhat unusual project,the interface between the partners runningmidway through the compressor: MTU isresponsible for the first four stages and Pratt& Whitney for stages five to eight. “Split pro-duction of that type works only in a good andtrusted spirit of cooperation,” Winkler says.The advantage afforded by the new approachis that either partner can leverage its respec-

Inspecting the compressor before its first test run at MTU.

MTU upgraded its compressor test stand for the particular test requirements.

The next generation in the making: the new high-pressure compressor blisk under manufacture.

weight. The latest sibling of the MTU com-pressor family might prove a capable center-piece for the next engine generation. It is aversatile candidate that apart from its use inthe geared turbofan might find applicationsalso in conventional turbofans. Already, ithas successfully completed its first trials:this spring, the compressor went to a testcell at MTU’s Munich facility, where it wastested in terms of efficiency, robustness andstructural mechanics. MTU is responsible forthe entire testing of the component and hasits test cell specifically upgraded for it.Higher input powers make the test cell espe-cially capable. More test lanes and higherscanning rates permit detailed measure-ments to be made. A new feature is that itenables non-contact vibration monitoring tobe conducted of all rotor blades of the eightstages.

“The geared turbofan demonstrator andhigh-pressure compressor put us in a techni-cally outstanding position,” notes Dr. Anton

Cover Story

Binder, senior vice president commercialprograms at MTU. They might prove a solidbasis for a successor to the V2500. Throughthe International Aero Engines (IAE) consor-tium, MTU has a stake in the popular enginefor A320 family aircraft. Which way to go is

still unclear, considering that as an alterna-tive to an entirely new technology like thegeared turbofan, IAE might elect to come outwith an optimized conventional engine in theform of an advanced turbofan. ConcludesBinder: “MTU is ideally positioned for eithertechnology. When sometime in the next cou-ple of years the decision is made to launchone or the other of the next-generation sin-gle-aisle engines, it will find us ready for it.”The single-aisles, or narrowbodies, like theA320 or B737 families have everything goingfor them. Their market share is prognosticat-ed at over 40 percent. Small wonder theengine manufacturers want a part of theaction and have started work on the engineto come.

Light-weight and efficient: the high-pressure com-pressor features blisk construction and a novel inter-locking rotor disk arrangement.

Dr. Thomas Uihlein’s collection of typicaldamage patterns make engineers shudder.The assortment includes compressor bladeswith blunt corners and torn edges. Some arerazor-sharp, others obviously scuffed. Some


By Manfred Ruopp

Air isn’t just pure air. It is laden with, for instance, sand, dust, ice and salt. Engines dislike such foreign erosive sub-stances. Erosion necessitates shorter maintenance intervals and curtails component lives. All of which costs com-mercial and military engine operators a mint. But help is on the way: MTU Aero Engines is developing a novel coatingsystem to beat any prior system of the kind.

of the blades come from an engine flown byrelief organizations, mostly in Afghan desertregions. Notes Uihlein: “That engine hasn’tlasted there longer than a hundred servicehours, if that many.”

The 51-year-old MTU engineer has for yearsbeen grappling with the fact that air after allis a sharp-edged matter. It carries naturalcontaminations like sand or other particlesthat make engines wear faster than you’d

For additional information, contactDr. Thomas Uihlein+49 89 1489-3812

This article is available online at:http://www.mtu.de/107ERCoatE

An MTU worker charges a coating facility.

Sand and dust are critical companions in many flight missions. They are affecting not only the com-pressors but also the turbines of an engine.

Ice and snow can seriously injure an engine’s compressor blades. They are optimally protected,therefore, to benefit life cycle costs.

Electric arc in a PVD facility at MTU’s Munich location.

To the left, a worn compressor blade; to the right,one in its virgin state.

expect. It’s not only takeoffs and landings onsandy runways that hurt the powerplants;the salt crystals and dust particles encoun-tered during intercontinental high-altitudeflights above the oceans also are chewingaway on components to shorten their lives.Uihlein: “Erosion damage, if ever so slight,will still raise fuel consumption one or twopercent.” Alternatively, early replacement ofthe engine components affected will cost theoperators dearly, too.

The best technical approach to protect thecomponents is to keep wear down to a mini-mum to begin with, and this is what Uihlein isafter. In 2002, he assembled an interdiscipli-nary team to develop special protective coat-ings for sensitive engine blades. Three yearslater, the team was honored with an MTUAward to testify to its successful work: theERCoatnt coating system is indeed solvingthe problem effectively.

ERCoatnt builds on the physical vapor depo-sition (PVD) technique MTU has been suc-cessfully practicing for about 30 years. Inthis approach, metal vapor is produced in avacuum, using an arc, and the particles car-ried in the vapor are made to condense on asubstrate opposite it to form a thin film.

The multilayer ERCoatnt coating dramaticallyenhanced the action of the conventional PVDtechnology. The multiple nanolayers of thecoating marry the hardness of ceramic lay-ers with the high ductility of metallic layers.This is achieved by neatly chaining a plurali-ty of metallic and ceramic layers one overthe other. Each layer is extremely thin withinthe nanostructure (10-9 meter) range. Totally,the resultant protective coating adds nomore than five to 50μm in thickness, or thefive to 50 millionths of a meter (10-6 meters).

This structural principle gives the coatinghigh and lasting strength to withstand the

8 REPORT REPORT 9


impact of solids in the air. Its ductility, too, isenormous. Ductility denotes a material’sability to change its form without sufferingmaterial separations. It is a very desirableproperty in engine components subject tohigh rotational speeds and accompanyingvibrations.

Uihlein knows another advantage his methodprovides: “We can coat selectively to suit thelocation of the part in the engine and itsmaterial.” Consideration is also given to theprevailing temperatures in the engine.“Presently, we’re achieving high-temperatureranges of more than 550 degrees centi-grade, and we’re shooting for 650 degreescentigrade next.”

Now that the first experimental engines havetested successfully, work is underway on theregulatory approval for the production use ofthe MTU innovation; development work isexpected to conclude later this year.Regarding the prospects, the engineerobserves: “In the military arena, for one,practically all engines are eligible for gettingthe ERCoatnt coating. In commercial aviation,the short-haul transports will get it first. Butfor the others, too, the advantages affordedby our technology are impossible to ignore.”Especially so as the innovative MTU productwill facilitate customers’ acceptance of theadvanced technology, for most engines willlend themselves to retrofitting with ERCoatnt.

10 REPORT REPORT 11

A technology leader and independent pro-vider of engine maintenance (MRO) services,MTU vigorously presses ahead with thedevelopment of innovative repair techniques.“We aim to be and remain a technologyleader in our market,” says Bernd Kessler,president and CEO commercial mainte-nance. MTU is clearly a step ahead of itscompetition. “We’re combining the know-how of an engine manufacturer, one thatdevelops materials and components, withour MRO background,” explains Bernd Kriegl,who supervises MRO repair engineering.“Our winning approach is we’re transitioningour design and manufacturing know-how toour repair activities, and vice versa. Typically,we’re world-class in blisk technology and soit stands to reason we pretty well know alsohow to repair these integrally bladed disks.”

MTU experts have found a reliable repairsolution even for heavily damaged bliskblades: patching. “We use an adaptive cut-ting process to remove the damaged portionof blade tip or edge by fully automated preci-sion machining. That leaves the load-bearingstructure of the blade intact,” explainsWinfried Lauer, senior consultant, militaryengines. In a next step the blade is thenrestored to its original shape by welding.

For the repair of the blisk’s titanium compo-nents, tungsten plasma arc welding hasproved a trusted approach, because it pro-duces a sound weld. The fully automatedwelding process is performed in an oxygen-free atmosphere to prevent oxidation. “Thereconditioned component is 100 percent free

The repair mavens

While engineers elsewhere may resort to virgin parts to replace worn or damaged ones, the spe-cialists at MTU Aero Engines prefer to repair, also when the parts involved are complex. They pro-duce high-grade reconditioned parts that in terms of quality and reliability are as good as new. MTU’scustomers appreciate the expertise involved: the company’s innovative high-tech repair processesindeed slash their maintenance costs and ensure the repaired parts perform flawlessly and the livesof their engines are extended.

By Nicole Geffert

Blisk repairs are among the most innovative practicesin the industry: shown here are preparations fortungsten plasma arc welding at the Munich location.


12 REPORT REPORT 13

For additional information, contactBernd Kriegl+49 89 1489-3315

To download images associated with this article, go to:http://www.mtu.de/107Repair

of pores in the weld. It’s as good as new,”emphasizes Armin Eberlein from repair engi-neering, military engines. Before the weld ismachined using an adaptive milling processto obtain an optimum contour, the repairedarea is heat treated. “We use induction coilsto generate a local temperature field,” Lauerexplains. “That completely removes thermalstresses induced in the part during welding.”After the subsequent milling process, thepart is compaction peened. This produces acompression stress condition to set off ten-sile stresses arising in the component duringflight service.

“It was on the EJ200 military program thatwe developed comprehensive capabilities inblisk repair, and now our commercial cus-

tomers are benefiting from that as well,”says Bernd Stimper, senior manager, bliskrepair. “We can transfer these sophisticatedblisk technologies to commercial engines likethe PW300, PW500, PW6000, GP7000 andGE90.”

A challenging technique also is the high-tem-perature brazing process that MTU special-ists have developed for the repair of the tur-bine center frame (TCF) in the GP7000 pow-ering the A380 mega-transport. “We de-signed the component and know its stress-es,” says Hans Banhirl from repair engineer-ing, GP7000. The challenge was that the TCFuses a novel material for which so far therehad been no suitable repair procedure.“Repair welding was no option, because ofthe cracks it would produce in the highlyheat-resistant cast nickel alloy,” explainsKarl-Heinz Manier from repair development.He led a team of experts that worked on abrazing material and a heat treat cycle foroptimum strength. Successfully so. SaysBanhirl: “Our new technique is now availablefor the GP7000 production launch.”

“Repair beats replacement” is the mantraalso of MTU Maintenance Hannover. This iswhere Dr. Frank Seidel is responsible forrepair development: “MTUPlus Repair is ourtrade name for the innovative repair proce-dures we use to more flexibly respond toindividual customer requirements. MTUPlus

Repair satisfies demanding criteria likeimproved life and function.” Among theseprocedures is MTUPlus Balance Stripping, anelectrochemical stripping process. What’s sospecial about it is that it strips each blade

separately. Its measuring robot, in use since2006, gages each blade to determine thethickness of the coating to be removed andsee how long it will have to dwell in thechemical solutions. “The reason is we wantto strip only as much of the old coatings asnecessary,” explains Seidel. “We don’t wantto interfere with the original wall sections. Itmakes the blades repairable several timesover, giving them a second, third or fourthlease on life. It goes easy on our customers’pocketbooks without sacrificing any of thequality.”

The same holds true for MTUPlus LaserPowder Cladding, where worn tips of high-pressure turbine blades are repaired bywelding, with a laser beam depositing pow-dered metal, which melts at 1,500 degreescentigrade, on the component. Remainingweld flash is removed by high-precisiongrinding. The procedure produces work of aquality impossible to achieve manually. Thefully automated machine, developed in-house, ensures process stability. SaysSeidel: “We use continuous inspections likeX-ray and others to ensure that the partsgoing into the engine are the highest quality.”

Repair activities at the various MTU locationsare coordinated to leverage synergies, asperhaps on LM2500 and LM6000 industrialgas turbines derived from CF6-6 and CF6-80C2 aircraft engines, respectively. “Pro-cedures we’re developing at MTU Mainte-nance Berlin-Brandenburg for the LM seriescan advantageously be used also on CF6engines at Hannover,” says Christian Hornig,who works in repair development at MTU’s

Ludwigsfelde location. One of the location’sspecial forte is the fully automated adaptiverestoration of the contours of deformed LMseries blades. The need to perform elaboratemanual grinding has been obviated by a five-axis milling machine controlled by sophisti-cated software. “The particular challenge wasto cope with the individual geometries ofblades pulled from current service, eachsporting its own wear pattern,” Hornig elab-orates. The machine gages the actual con-tour and matches it with the original shape.From the actual-versus-specified data it gen-erates a fully automated milling program.According to Hornig, “automating the pro-cess saves time and money and so lets usoffer repairs at affordable prices.”

To further reduce customers’ maintenancecosts by the flying hour, the various repairprocedures remain under continuous devel-opment and improvement. “We’re hoping toexpand our component repair business,”Kriegl says. “We want to outpace the marketand accelerate the introduction of newrepairs.”

An EJ200 blisk being repaired using tungsten plasma arc welding.

Following repair, detailed gaging makes sure theblisk is precisely within tolerances.

Heat treatment, too, is a process step following theactual repair.

MTUPlus Laser Powder Cladding is used to repair wornblade tips.

The plating shop at Hannover uses the balance stripping process, among others.

The five-axis milling machine—here shown at theLudwigsfelde location—restores deformed blades totheir prior contour in a fully automated process.


14 REPORT REPORT 15

A thousand tons for a good fit

A dull thud behind the machine fairing announces that MTU Aero Engines’ new frictionwelding machine has just joined together another pair of engine parts under up to 1,000 tonsof pressure. That’s like twelve locomotives bearing down on you all in one. After fully threeyears of planning and development, Germany’s leading engine manufacturer, in partnershipwith mechanical engineering company KUKA Aerospace Group, is revolutionizing the manu-facture of compressor rotors with a novel machine of theirs.

By Manfred Ruopp

Since this spring, the machine has beenserving in the production of rotating compo-nents like blisks and spools. Its highly pre-cise action makes it unique in the world: itjoins components together to tolerances often hundredths of a millimeter. The techno-logy behind it was developed as part of re-search projects, with funds provided by theFree State of Bavaria and the BavarianResearch Foundation. MTU assumed overseven million euros of the cost. Partners inthe venture were Munich Technical Universi-ty, the Erlangen-Nuremberg Friedrich Alex-ander University, the Bavarian ResearchFoundation and the Bavarian EconomicsMinistry.

For friction welding, one member of a joint isclamped in place on a rotating spindle whilethe other is attached opposite it on a tail-stock. When a given speed is reached, thecontacting surfaces heat up by friction towelding temperature. Simultaneously, upset-ting pressure is finally applied to completethe welding process.

What makes the new machine so unique areits two spindles with premounted flywheelson it, a previously unparalleled arrangement.Unlike on conventional single-spindle ma-chines, variable centrifugal masses can sobe applied from 500 to 45,000 kilograms persquare meter. The upsetting pressure is infi-nitely variable from 100 to 1,000 tons to suitthe component under work.

Gerhard Bähr, who heads blisk production atMTU, views the investment in the high-endmachine as a strategic decision, one thathelps secure MTU’s technological spearheadposition. “The machine is suited for all of thecompany’s current and pending engine pro-grams.”

In fact, the company’s new engine projectscall for higher upsetting pressures and cen-trifugal masses in friction welding than usedso far. Another consideration is that theincreasingly growing compressor tempera-tures require not only titanium but also moretemperature-resistant materials to be weld-ed, such as the nickel-base alloys Udimet720 or Inconel 718. In the quest for weightand volume reduction, friction-welded jointsare often considered more desirable thanbolted connections. Likely, friction weldingwill spread also to bulkier components.Concludes Bähr: “The requirements for themachine were dictated by the higher weldingenergies needed and the size of componentsit could handle.”

For the production expert, it is not only thetechnical options provided by the machinethat count but moreover, and equally impor-tant, its integrability into the productioncycle. Comparison with previous friction

MTU Global

welding machines makes that obvious: withthem, the machine operators need a crane toheave the tons and tons of flywheels on tothe spindle and manually attach them there,a process that may take as many as one-and-a-half work shifts. Whereas on the newmachine with its automated mass mecha-nism the centrifugal masses are premountedon the spindles. When the desired momentof inertia is entered into the control unit, thecentrifugal masses are individually engagedin the spindle. Setup times are so reduced totwo hours. This, plus the fact that the heat-ing cycle associated with the existing ma-chine is obviated, makes the new machinesuitable for multishift operation.

Toward the end of the friction cycle, caremust be taken to position the members prop-erly in relation to one another, and this iswhere the new machine is again setting newbenchmarks. It easily cuts post-weld runouttolerances in half, to about one tenth of amillimeter. This is made possible by auto-mated laser triangulation measurement ofthe spindles and components relative toeach other and automated adjustment oftheir alignment. This approach opens up newopportunities for near net shape weldingand, in production, novel approaches to theproduction cycle, as for instance with com-plex blisk spools.

A giant of that ilk: the new friction welding machine is 20 meters long and partially buried in the shop floor.

Highly advanced control systems help join compo-nents with maximum precision.

The welding process proper takes only a few sec-onds. It produces an extremely homogeneous joint.

For additional information, contact Gerhard Bähr+49 89 1489-8542

For interesting multimedia services associated with this article, go to:http://www.mtu.de/107Welding

16 REPORT REPORT 17

High-tech envelope for the engineWhile one A380 takes off at full thrust from the Toulouse runway,the landing lights of the next Airbus mega-transport are already seenflashing in the distance. A little later, the approaching superjumbotouches down. Its thrust reversers bring the giant to an amazinglyquick stop. That’s the everyday testing scenario at Toulouse, wherethe airliner and its systems are tested in depth. That also goes forthe engine nacelles, which are certified as part of the airframe, notthe engine.

By Patrick Hoeveler

Electrically actuated thrust reversers,sophisticated noise attenuators, low weightat enormous dimensions: these are justsome of the challenges for modern enginenacelles. On the fairings for the GP7200engine powering the Airbus A380, the engi-neers are breaking new ground. This neces-sarily calls for a close dialog among all in-volved, nacelles forming a highly engineeredinterface between airframe and engine.

“Most people tend to believe an enginenacelle is just a sort of tube wrappingaround the engine; what they can’t see isthat actually it is a very sophisticated sys-tem,” explains Benoît Gosset, who heads thelarge nacelles division of Aircelle in Toulouse.A SAFRAN company, Aircelle manufactures

fairings for such engines as the Pratt &Whitney PW6000 for the Airbus A318 andthe Engine Alliance GP7200 engine for theA380. The main challenges are posed byweight and acoustics: the aircraft manufac-turers want nacelles to be as light as possi-ble and allow as little noise to escape aspossible, according to Gosset. “Weight is amatter of the materials used. A large part ofthe nacelle is made of composite materials.But aluminum, titanium and steel are usedas well.” The entire system should be tem-perature resistant and safely sustain distor-tions. Aerodynamics, too, is an importantissue, to keep drag down. A nacelle typical-ly includes some 4,000 parts, almost half ofwhich go into the thrust reverser.


18 REPORT REPORT 19

For interesting multimedia services associated with this article, go to:http://www.mtu.de/107Nacelles

For additional information, contact Wolfgang Gärtner+49 89 1489-2803

nacelles for the IAE V2500 and otherengines.

For the GP7200 engine fairings, the engi-neers have gone the extra mile. For a firsttime in their practice, they have made thrustreverser actuation electrical, as they havethe opening mechanism of the fan fairing.The heavy fairing opens electrically at thepush of a button, no longer hydraulically as inearlier programs. When you are facing thefinished product, a weight around two tonsseems little considering the tremendoussize, what with an overall length of 8.50meters. You could comfortably put an AirbusA320 fuselage into the four-meter diameternacelle.

Apart from the enormous size difference, theengine fairing is configured much like thosefor the smaller PW6000 or other engines. Forturboprop engines, however, there are somesignificant dissimilarities: unlike a turbofan,

In the development effort, cooperation be-tween engine maker and nacelle manufac-turer sets in early. “The nacelle people are inon the game from the outset, to define inter-faces and mountings,” explains WolfgangGärtner, GP7000 program director at MTUAero Engines. Many of the auxiliary systemslike fire extinguisher, pumps and electricaladapters need accommodating in a maximallyspace- and weight-saving manner. The manyinterfaces make the nacelle a rather complexpiece of equipment. “The tricky thing is todefine the interfaces and neatly separateroles and responsibilities.” Depending on theprogram, either the airframer or the enginebuilder is responsible for doing the integra-tion work and compiling the specifications tobe met. “An engine fairing must be a perfectfit for engine and airframe, and that makescommunication with the airframe manufac-turer mandatory for us,” confirms PeterInman, manager business development atGoodrich Aerostructures, which provides the

a turboprop has no thrust reverser mecha-nism. “Also, with propeller engines, the airissuing from the intake below the propellerhub—that’s what we call the chin intake—firstneeds deflecting into the annular engine


inlet,” explains Dr. Wolfgang Gärtner, whosupervises TP400-D6 development at MTU.“Apart from that, there’re hardly any differ-ences between fairings for commercial andcomparable military applications.”

When the design engineers worked on theenvelope for the GP7200, they pursuedsome new avenues. In the lip of the airintake, for instance, hot air from the engineis swirled in cyclone fashion. The air intakeitself, much as on other nacelles, is linedwith composite elements to dampen thenoise. Visible joints have here been eliminat-ed, however. The upper layer has ports rout-ing the noise into the honeycomb core andso damping rather than reflecting it. A fur-ther perforated layer in the interior stillenhances that action. The thrust reversersystem, too, is noise-optimized through theincorporation of 75,000 holes. Fitting theengine with this envelope, also called pod-ding, takes about twelve days. First, in theengine build-up (EBU) phase, specialistsinstall some 30 subcomponents, such as pip-ing and flanges. On the GP7200, the work is

performed by Goodrich. That done, the unitgoes to Aircelle, where it is fitted with theintake lining, the mounting bracket and theexhaust nozzle. On a special frame, the work-ers then install the composite fan cowl andthe thrust reverser, checking them for per-fect fit.

While the novel nacelles are still in theirinfancy, design engineers on either side ofthe Atlantic are already working on futuretechnologies, mostly for noise damping.Sawtooth-shaped rear nacelle edges mighthelp create further savings. These chevrons,as they are called, optimize the mixing of thefast air stream issuing from the engine withthe ambient air to reduce the noise heard onthe ground and by passengers in the aircraft.That type of air swirling, however, at times

boosts fuel consumption, because engineefficiency drops a little. To minimize thatphenomenon, chevrons made from a shape-memory alloy may be used. As a result of thehigh temperatures, they will at takeoff benddownward into the exhaust gas stream tolower the noise. During cruise, they will cooland retract into their original position toagain reduce fuel consumption. It’s still tooearly in the game to use these chevrons inactual applications. But chevrons or no,today’s engine nacelles incorporate morehigh-tech content than first meets the eye.

The PW6000’s swing-up fairing provides optimumaccess for maintenance.

Not just a mere envelope for the engine: nacelles, like the CF6’s here seen, significantly reduce noise and fuel consumption.

20 REPORT REPORT 21

Air New Zealand aircraft are sporting theSilver Fern on their tail fins. Called “koru” bythe Maori natives of the South Pacific islandstate, the fern symbol signifies the begin-ning of all life and aptly fits the current AirNew Zealand image. The profitable airlineand Star Alliance member that after a nar-row escape from insolvency in 2001 hasradically changed its product, fleet androute network now is one of the most inno-vative in the business. Hardly rangingamong the heavyweights in the industry, AirNew Zealand with its 94 aircraft and 7.3 mil-lion passengers carried annually is geo-graphically far remote from the world’s pop-ulation centers, discounting Australia’sSydney and Melbourne. From its main base,

Flying high under theSilver Fern

By Andreas Spaeth

Air New Zealand has a long history, its predecessor company having provided flying boatservices to Australia and operated to destinations in the South Pacific already back in 1940.Following turbulent years and a near brush with bankruptcy in 2001, the company, now aStar Alliance member, reinvented itself and by now counts among the most innovative of itskind. Driving its success has also been its adopted practice of outsourcing its engine MROwork to MTU Maintenance Hannover.

it takes fully 12 to 14 hours to fly to theAsian metropolises or the hubs on the U.S.West Coast. Also remember that with its 3.8million people, New Zealand is not much ofa home market, either. Intercontinental busi-ness travel, normally the most productivesource of revenue for the big carriers, mat-ters little to the airline, for which touristtravel is key. While at first sight those fac-tors are a drag for airlines, the carrierexpects to profit from them. Says WelshmanEd Sims, group general manager inAuckland: “Our small size lets us adapt andmove quickly whenever necessary.”


TEAL, Air New Zealand predecessor company, in1946 acquired Short Sandringham flying boats toserve its routes, among them Auckland-Sydney.

22 REPORT REPORT 23

This article is available online at:http://www.mtu.de/107ANZE

For additional information, contact Nils Fenske+49 511 7806-390

London Heathrow, flying to Auckland fromthere via Los Angeles. Of late, it also sends ajumbo jet every night from London toAuckland in the opposite direction, via HongKong, on a route that in flight time (21 to 24hours) and miles is almost exactly identical.

The airline has been in business for over 60years, surviving times good and bad. OnApril 30, 1940, its predecessor company

The company realigned operations at abreakneck pace. When it introduced Boeing777-200ERs into service in November 2005,it significantly changed its long-haul course,with eight of the large twin jets today basedat Auckland. The interior of the transports,too, saw some radical changes, the first-class configuration being scrapped on longroutes in favor of a new Business Premiersetup in which the seats are configured in a

herringbone layout. They extend intoabsolutely flat beds 2.07 meters long andcompartmented by high vertical walls oneither side. Also, the route network wascleared out, with unprofitable routes like thatto Singapore being canceled and new prom-ising destinations added, notably the newShanghai route. Since October 2006, AirNew Zealand has been flying around theworld. In Europe, it traditionally serves only

Tasman Empire Airways (TEAL) launched fly-ing boat operations to Australia. In 1961,TEAL was taken over by the government andlater renamed Air New Zealand, on April 1,1965. In October 1989 the company was pri-vatized and its shares listed on the Aucklandstock exchange. After its affiliate AnsettAustralia went bust, the company in fiscal2000/2001 posted a loss of 612 million U.S.dollars, the largest ever incurred by a com-

pany in New Zealand. The white knight thenwas the government, which took 80.2 per-cent of Air New Zealand’s stock and hasbeen hanging on to it ever since. Thatmarked the beginning of the airline’s rapidrecovery. In 2002/2003, it already madeclose to 100 million U.S. dollars in profits. Bynow, under the leadership of its chief execu-tive officer Rob Fyfe, Air New Zealand has defacto again become a serious factor in theindustry. “We were very dynamic for an air-line of our size with our strategic decisions inthe last months,” is how Rob Fyfe sees it.

That also includes a decision, taken last year,to close its own engine maintenance opera-tions in Auckland and outsource the engineMRO work. The company’s 34 GeneralElectric CF6-80C2 engines, which powerpart of its Boeing 747-400s and 767-300ERfleet, plus spare engines, are now beingmaintained by MTU Maintenance Hannoversome 17,000 kilometers away. Fyfe praisesthe effectiveness of the cooperative effort:“By outsourcing the work to MTU the cost ofmaintaining our engines was lowered by 30percent and the turnaround is 50 percentquicker now.”

According to Fyfe, Air New Zealand Cargohauls eight to ten engines a year to Germanyin its Boeing cargo aircraft. “We would takeabout 120 days per engine, MTU does it in50 to 60 days,” says a pleased airline CEO.“That’s mostly due to smooth logistic organ-ization,” explains Nils Fenske, who at MTUMaintenance Hannover is the director sales,Australia and Pacific Rim. Also, according toFenske, MTU is known for its flexibility in

Minor engine work, like here on a Boeing 767, is per-formed in Auckland.

17,000 kilometers away from Auckland, the CF6-80C2 engines are supported by MTU’s maintenance facility in Hannover.

The innovative Business Premier Class seats are driving Air New Zealand’s success.


spare parts provisioning, which otherwisenecessitates lead times of between one andsix months when ordering new parts. MTUfurther uses a so-called flowline principle tofacilitate the teardown and reassembly ofengines, which is a tough job consideringengines contain some 30,000 individualitems. Adds Fenske: “Since we’re repairing alot of engine parts in our high-tech shopsand buying relatively few new parts from out-side sources, costs are bound to come downappreciably.” He continues to say: “With itswell-known reliability and quality standard,

Air New Zealand is our key customer in theregion.”

Already, the airline is planning ahead: AirNew Zealand is presently mulling the addi-tion of 23 new routes, many of which cannotbe served until 2010 and after, when the firstof the eight ordered Boeing 787-9s will bedelivered, for which the New Zealanders con-stitute the launch customer. Independentlyof that, Air New Zealand has largely achievedits current goal: “We want to be marketleader on all routes we serve—and that isalready the case everywhere with the excep-tion of Hong Kong where Cathay Pacific stillleads,” says a proud CEO.

24 REPORT REPORT 25

To download images associated with thisarticle, go to:http://www.mtu.de/107SupplyE

For additional information, contact Dr. Sorina Seitz+49 89 1489-8339

Service to customersMTU Aero Engines stands for tradition, high-technology and top-notch quality: where in the past, predecessor com-panies helped the first powered aircraft make it into the air, the company today is a force to be reckoned with and atechnology leader in several disciplines. The German expert for all things engine now offers its products and servicesalso singly. A new function, Supply Business, is responsible for marketing the individual offerings.

By Elisabeth Wagner

MTU has developed its expertise and contin-uously honed it over decades: from develop-ment to recycling, the company is versed inall engine product and service facets. Theentire bandwidth of its portfolio will now bemade available also to other manufacturers:“Our philosophy is ‘one face to the customer’and that’s how we intend to provide cus-tomers, mostly in aviation, with tailored solu-tions in the shape of products and servicesthat are normally forming part of MTU’s over-all offerings,” says Dr. Sorina Seitz, whosupervises the new MTU activity. She hasassembled an effective team of marketingand sales engineers selected from a varietyof disciplines: “Our work focuses very clearlyon meeting individual customer require-ments.”

Aircraft engines come under fierce stresses,having to satisfy maximum performance,safety and reliability requirements. MTU, inhundreds of cooperative ventures and mani-fold contracts, has demonstrated its exper-tise to become a universally desirable, reli-able partner. The industry is permanently inneed of special manufacturing machines,test facilities and engineering services thatprovide the very best modern technology isable to provide. A one-stop shop, MTU pro-vides manufacturing, finishing, repair andtesting, plus the entire supply chain behindit, for products earmarked for rough environ-ments.

Ranking among the leading global players inthe engine business, MTU is a pacesetter invarious technologies. It excels in four differ-ent areas: low-pressure turbines, high-pres-sure compressors, engine control units andrepair/manufacturing techniques. In commer-

cial MRO, it is the world’s largest independ-ent provider of engine maintenance services.Demand for high-tech products and serviceslike MTU’s is growing in other industries aswell. In the booming power generation busi-ness, for instance, many applications call forrotational friction welding techniques. Forindustrial gas turbines, the energy generatedin rotational friction welding by large inertiamasses is used to optimally join dissimilarmaterials. Similarly, MTU’s spin test standsare of special interest to the automotiveindustry, as is its surface finishing savvy.

A blisk stage is being gaged on an automated measuring machine.

MTU’s offerings are the best available in allessential individual aspects of engine manu-facturing, and the company’s Supply Busi-ness function knows how to combine theminto nose-to-tail solutions. Customers areprovided maximum quality over the entireprocess chain. Whether it’s project planning,consulting, manufacturing, testing, trouble-shooting or maintenance, it’s all single-pointsourcing.

The engine manufacturer gave a taste of itscapabilities late in March at Munich’s Aero-space Testing Expo 2007. At this, the largestEuropean trade fair for aerospace inspectionand test systems MTU premiered the wholegamut of its inspection and test expertise.The debut proved to be a hit. Seitz noted:“We met with very encouraging acceptance.Small wonder: MTU combines exceptionalknow-how with mature inspection and testmeans ranging from the smallest probe tothe largest engine test cell, and that inGermany is a unique offering.” The MTU hall-mark, here and elsewhere, is best possiblequality and reliability.

Products + Services

A blisk stage of the EJ200 low-pressure compressoron a high-speed milling machine.

This deburring machine sports an integrated measur-ing system.

Tuesday morning, 8:00 a.m. on the dot, aBoeing 747 freighter aircraft operated byU.S.-based Atlas Air takes off uneventfullyfrom the Hannover runway. Nor are there anymalfunctions noted on its return flight theday after. But still, the aircraft has to under-go an unscheduled engine check. MTU’s en-gine experts suspect that damage occurredsomewhere along the compressor vane actu-

ating chain. Subsequent inspection confirmsthat some component in the system hadindeed been damaged. So the problem canbe rectified right then and there. “Supposesmall damage like that goes undetected, itmight trigger some tremendous engine failurethat would cost a mint to repair,” figuresIvaylo Krastev, a powerplant engineer at MTUMaintenance Hannover.

Detecting defects early before they mature isthe job of the engine trend monitoring (ETM)system, a new, innovative building block ofMTU’s maintenance concept. “ETM meansmonitoring an engine fleet using a PC-basedsystem on the ground,” explains Dr. AndreasKreiner, ETM project manager at MTU.During takeoff and cruise, the aircraft sys-tem records critical engine data like pres-sure, temperature and vibrations. Theseparameters are radioed directly or via satel-lite to a network on the ground. The ETM sys-tem retrieves that data from the network andmatches it against computations from acomparable engine model. In this manner,deviations from the standard curve becomereadily apparent. When a defect is noted, suit-able maintenance action is organized. Heavysecondary damage and costly repairs are soprevented.

To make sure such valuable prevention workssafely, the ETM system needs to satisfytough requirements: it must be available24/7, and disruptions are anathema. Over98.5 percent is the minimum reliability de-manded. Also, the system is on continuousduty and must not be deactivated for anyduration exceeding four hours. Tolerancesare far from liberal: precise prognosticsdetect the slightest of variations from themodel.

At MTU Maintenance Hannover, ETM waslaunched in September 2005. “Here at

For additional information, contactDr. Christian Zähringer+49 89 1489-6796

For interesting multimedia services associated with this article, go to:http://www.mtu.de/107ETME

Hannover we clearly recognized the need forit when we did a technology project calledadvanced monitoring,” Kreiner says. At thattime, there had been a similar system inplace at the MTU facility. “Except that userswere missing some important functions,”according to Kreiner. So an interdisciplinaryproject team went to work on a solution ofits own, one that would clearly benefit cus-tomers. It does: the CF6 engine fleet of Atlas

A JetBlue Airways technician photographed inspecting a V2500 on the ground.

This damage, a broken link on a V2500 compressor stator, was detected early. This prevented a major failure.

Air and the V2500 engines of JetBlue Airwayscan now be monitored and repaired ever somore efficiently.

However, the MTU experts, much like thesystem they created, are not taking time out.They’re already working on improvements,hoping to expand the system’s functionality.“Short-term, we want to implement someextra functions customers want. We’re alsothinking about evaluating the data via theInternet,” says Dr. Christian Zähringer, who issupervising the updating effort. Also, theETM system’s diagnostics capabilities are tobe upgraded, permitting it to process addi-tional data, like that from the oil system. “Wealso want to expand ETM to cover additionalengine types,” according to Zähringer.

Plans are also to widen the field of applica-tion to include other MTU locations, likeLudwigsfelde. In Munich, having a finger onthe pulse of the engine already pays divi-dends. Says Zähringer: “We’re learning somevaluable lessons in practical engine applica-tions. Such information comes in handy inthe engine development phase, too.”

REPORT 2726 REPORT

Products + Services

The eye in the skyBy Odilo Mühling

Under permanent observation: At MTU’s maintenance affiliate in Langenhagen, data emitted from airborne enginesis continuously monitored. A novel engine trend monitoring system on the ground compares the data from the wingwith that of a reference engine, providing vital cues to the health of the airborne engine. Accurate prognostics andearly failure diagnostics so prevent costly consequential damage.

from airfields and specifically designatedtakeoff and landing surfaces. The modelholds a ten-liter supply of kerosine, enoughto sustain a twelve-minute flight demonstra-tion that so far has fascinated thousands ofspectators.

REPORT 2928 REPORT

For additional information, contactSabine Biesenberger+49 89 1489-2760

For interesting multimedia services associated with this article, go to:http://www.mtu.de/107MegaModel

Reports

Mini-engines powermega-model

By Andreas Spaeth

One after the other, the four engines, each barely the size of a water bucket, begin to buzz and slowly rev up. Tomake sure they deliver the specified twelve kilograms of unit thrust, Peter Michel dips his hand into the exhaust gasstream. The German aircraft model freak has built the world’s largest jet-powered airplane model, an Airbus A380replica. On flight displays, it enthralls spectators in Germany and abroad.

The mini-engines are custom-manufactured,costing 3,500 euros apiece. The originalA380 powerplant, the GP7000, in which MTUAero Engines has a role, is 4.75 meters longand weighs six tons, but its small replicas,too, pack a tremendous wallop for their size.When Michel is sure the four engines are all

running at maximum takeoff power, he useshis remote control to cycle the model A380’selevator, rudder, wing slats and speed brakesthrough their motions just like the pilots ofthe true mega-transport will to check theirproper function before takeoff. They all mustrespond flawlessly to Michel’s thumb-operat-

ed commands, radioed to them via twoantennas, before he proceeds to taxi thesmall giant to the runway and take it ele-gantly into the air after a short takeoff run.

From the excitement, drops of sweat areforming on the model maker’s forehead at

each takeoff, no matter how routinely heoperates his remote control. The A380model, after all, is the finest piece he hasproduced in 20 years of impassioned modelbuilding that produced radio-controlled mod-els of the Boeing 747-400, Concorde andother jet-powered jumbos. With his latestmega-model, the retired master motorcarmechanic from Ingelheim operates theworld’s presently most intriguing airplanemodel. In his basement shop and working allby himself to original drawings Airbus lenthim, the 64-year-old has produced a uniquespecimen that is unparalleled anywhere inthe world. It has cost him in excess of 2,000working hours and a tidy sum of money thatcould have bought him a near-luxury classcar.

For a model airplane, the dimensions areimpressive indeed: the model is 4.80 meterslong, has a wingspan of 5.40 meters and anempennage 1.65 meters high. lt weighs fully70 kilograms and in every detail is a high-fidelity likeness of the original airplane thatweighs in empty at 277 tons. Since the A380midget brings more than 25 kilograms to thescales, the German Federal Office of CivilAeronautics (LBA) has ruled it needs a serv-ice license. But at least Michel didn’t have toobtain a separate operator license for it; healready had one for a prior model, a 60-kilo-gram Boeing 747-400. “That requires somesort of basic pilot training,” explains themodel builder. “One that primarily teachesyou to get and keep the thing in the air.”

During the aircraft certification process, theLBA examiners put the model builder and hisshowpiece through gruelling tests, loadingthe model’s wings with 75-kilogram sandbags to prove it can safely survive three-times the force of gravity. But made of styro-foam, balsa and plywood—coated with fiber-

glass and carbon fiber composites especiallyon structural parts—the model refused tobreak down under the cruel LBA tests.

Flying at speeds of up to 120 kilometers anhour, the jet model carries its own three-mil-lion-euro insurance and boasts a noisemeasuring chart plus a flight log recording alltakeoffs and landings. “That’s about thepaperwork a private pilot needs,” lamentsMichel in exasperation of so much red tape.Like true aircraft, the model airplane is notallowed to take off just anywhere in thecountry, being cleared for operation only

The model’s fuselage is mainly balsa and plywood. At particularly highly-stressed places the model isreinforced with fiberglass and composites.

At first sight, the model takes off very much like theoriginal.

Prior to the next takeoff, Peter Michel—here dressed in red—takes great pains with every littledetail.

REPORT 3130 REPORT

Beauties on the catwalk: During the annualNATO Tiger Meet exercise, the colorfullypainted fighter aircraft take center stage.“These custom-painted jets always catch theeye,” notes Burghard Jepsen, who has donethe painting on most of the colorful birds. Heuses his spray gun to airbrush not only air-

craft for the meet of the squadrons with wildcats in their coats of arms, but often addscolor also to military aircraft parading atanniversaries or other events.

A very special instance of aerial art sits atthe main gate of MTU’s Munich factory. The

Airborne paintingsIt is not only with aircraft enthusiasts and model makers that custom-painted combat air-craft are the vogue. Air force squadrons are investing much effort in creating unique worksof art on their warbirds. A very special instance of such artistic sense can be found on MTUAero Engines’ Munich premises: the first privately owned German Tornado. After over twodecades in service, the former strike fighter now symbolizes the close cooperation thatexists between the German military and MTU.

By Patrick Hoeveler

To download images associated with thisarticle, go to:http://www.mtu.de/107Paintings

For additional information, contactUlrich Ostermair+49 89 1489-3621

retired Tornado symbolizes the long years ofcooperation between MTU and the GermanArmed Forces and, moreover, “documentsthe still closer ties between us since theinauguration in 2003 of the industrial-mili-tary cooperative model of engine mainte-nance,” says Ulrich Ostermair. He supervises

At the Tiger Meet, the participating squadrons vie forhonors with spectacular paint jobs.

The special decorations are getting ever splashier, like on this “Blue Lightning” Tornado of fighter bomber wing 31 “Boelcke”.

license programs/cooperative models atGermany’s leading engine manufacturer andhad a major role in getting the strike fighterdesignated “43+86” to Munich. “The Tornadois the first aircraft type where MTU wasactively involved in engine development. Thespecial paint scheme says that this is a piece

Reports

of German Air Force (GAF) equipment nowput to some other use.”

Enter Burghard Jepsen. “First, we needed tostrip the old paint job, considering that thecamouflage paint didn’t mix well with thenew colors.” Next came two coats of primerplus a black topcoat before Jepsen and histeam of four focused on the detail work. Theempennage was held in stone grey to sug-gest the solid cooperation practiced be-tween GAF and MTU. Finally, Jepsen addedthe logos of the two partners. A special high-light are the RB199 engine silhouettes on

either side of the aircraft. Concluding thefour days of work, done at the Erding airbase, was a three-layer coating of clear tita-nium varnish.

Jepsen remains uniquely responsible for hiswork as long as his objets d’art are flying.The German military has strict notions aboutthe paint jobs: it wants the paint to remainintact for about a year, regardless of anystorms the jet would have to fly through, andit also requires the paint job to wash off with-out resort to poisonous chemicals. “If sud-denly a mission arises, the paint has to comeoff pronto,” says the man from northern

Germany. “It takes about two hours, using ahigh-pressure cleaner.” He remembers itwasn’t easy the find the miracle paint heneeded. And “it took two years or so until theGerman Federal Office of Civil Aeronauticsfinally approved it for flying operations.”

The special paint does not come cheap. Fora tailfin alone, the price of the almost sixliters needed for the job may run around4,000 euros. Mostly, the members of thesquadron pay it out of their own pockets andso the pride of ownership matches theexpense. In such cases, Jepsen may now and

then choose not to charge for his work at all,billing only the cost of material. He has agrowing number of private customers, too,who want to have their property adorned. Sohe has brightened up even complete busi-ness jets and commercial aircraft. But hemaintains that “combat aircraft are the bestadvertising you can have, and they’re themost fun to do.”

REPORT 3332 REPORT

Desertgraveyard

How do you dispose of a veteran jumbo jet? Many elderly, but increasingly also new excess com-mercial aircraft are parked in the Arizona desert in the hope, initially, that they’ll be returned to fly-ing duty. The evenly dry desert climate and extensive care prevent corrosion and halt the agingprocess. Some of the jets indeed return to revenue service, but others again fall prey to the hungryteeth of wrecking grabs and the searing heat of cutting torches.

AnecdotesIt’s a dramatic sight: The nose of the aged jumbo in theformer livery of United Airlines rises steeply into the dark-blue sky. The giant aircraft is suspended at a strangecant as if on a still from an action movie. Except there isno action whatever, the entire scene seems deserted,with a loose elevator clattering in the wind. A big rein-forced concrete slab is secured to the aircraft nose witha steel wire to keep the jumbo from involuntarily takingto the air in sudden gusts. Sitting there in the Arizonadesert, apparently dead to the world outside, is not justthis one 1971 vintage United veteran; hundreds of furtherelderly widebodies are keeping it company. What you seemost often are Boeing 747-100 and -200s, as well as747SPs. More than 60 jumbos are sitting in Maranaalone on the grounds of the Evergreen Air Center, theworld’s largest parking lot for commercial transports.Apart from them, Airbus A300s, Lockheed TriStars, DC-10 und -9s and MD-80s are dominating the desert airportbetween Phoenix and Tucson in Arizona’s south.

By Andreas Spaeth

REPORT 3534 REPORT

For additional information, contactSabine Biesenberger+49 89 1489-2760

This article is available online at:http://www.mtu.de/107Graveyard

Anecdotes

While most of the aircraft here are waiting toget back into the air, chances for a come-back are slim for the airplanes parked in thedesert. Since the terrorist attacks onSeptember 11, 2001, and the deep crisis ofmany airlines, especially U.S.-based, the air-craft parking lots and graveyards in theAmerican deserts are experiencing an unex-pected boom: while in the ’90s, 700 to 1,000of the 15,000 commercial transports exist-ing worldwide were mothballed, that numberrose to 2,400 about a year after the attacks,which compares with the 2,000 or so stillparked today. Apart from Marana, Arizonahas two more major parking lots: inGoodyear near Phoenix and in Tucson. Attimes, some 400 jobless transports congre-gate there. A very impressive sight also is thesite of the Davis Monthan Air Force Basesouth of Tucson, where thousands of sur-plus military aircraft are assembled, pluslarge fleets of commercial veterans, likeBoeing 707s.

At Evergreen in Marana, the first make-or-break test came during the Asia crisis in thelate ’90s: “At that time, we temporarily had30 brand-new jets sitting around here,among them many Boeing 747-400s ofwhich airlines like Philippines, Korean Air,Asiana and Garuda had not taken delivery,”said Wally Flannery, a 35-year veteran withEvergreen. He went on to explain: “With

Boeing, we have the status of an officialdelivery center, which means we can transfersuch planes directly to new takers.” The for-tunes of the global aviation economy, then,

reflect very much in the inventory sitting onthe 185-hectare Evergreen grounds beforethe background of the jagged SawtoothMountains. Nowhere in the world have asmany aircraft ever been parked as here, andscrapped, too: a total of 1,500 planes sincethe ’70s. And still counting: so far, each yearsome 180 airliners are being stripped world-wide, many of them in Marana. During thepast ten years, the share of first-generationwidebodies among scrap candidates—earlyBoeing 747 models, as well as DC-10s,Lockheed TriStars and Airbus A300 andA310s, most recently also Boeing 767s—hasbeen growing.

Often, the engines are worth more than theold aircraft themselves, and Evergreen is stillcashing in as much as half a million dollarson the sale of a single jet engine, tested andrecertified, naturally. The operators profitfrom the investments made in advancedengines and innovative maintenance. Themajority of the 150 jets, no less, that wereparked at Marana after 9/11 and went backinto revenue service from there had engineswith MTU content. The Evergreen people arenot only parking and wrecking aircraft, theyare also doing all types of modification. Most

Retired B-52s at the Davis Monthan Air Force Base.

On a retired DC-10, the rear engine has already been removed.

Awaiting metal recycling are veteran engines stacked up near Tucson, Arizona.

prominent customer is the NASA spaceagency, which continually has one of its twoBoeing 747 shuttle carrier aircraft over-hauled and serviced here. “It’s a cool job andwhat’s more, there’s money in it,” enthusesAl Sharif of Evergreen Marketing.

Even if only ten percent of the Evergreen AirCenter’s revenue comes from storing air-craft, it’s a very special business nonethe-less. Ambient conditions are ideal: the drydesert air and only very rare summer rainsjust about preclude corrosion, a fuselage’sworst enemy. But still, there’s more to it thanjust parking an aircraft and waiting for it tobe sold or wrecked. In accordance with cus-tomer’s instruction, landing gears are cov-ered with foil, and windows and all openingsare taped over. That keeps the intensive sun-shine from damaging the cabin interior, and

owls, rattlers and swarming bees from set-ting up house in the aircraft. To keep thetemporarily grounded Marana fleet airwor-thy, a definite maintenance schedule needsto be observed. At certain intervals, theparked jets are moved to keep their tiresfrom deteriorating. Also, workers are regular-ly actuating stabilizers and flaps and startingthe engines. Importantly, the doors are fre-quently opened to circulate the air inside.“You can park a widebody for 1,000 bucks amonth, and we get a 750-buck monthly stan-dard charge for a smaller aircraft,” Flannerysays, allowing a small grin to creep acrosshis face. “It costs you more to park a car indowntown New York.”

Wrecking is not an overly gentle job: a grabswings and tears large metal chunks out ofthe fuselage. When cannibalized, a jumbo-

transport yields a respectable 68 tons alu-minum and other waste metal to be recycledand perhaps turned into beer cans. “In amatter of three days, we’re turning a Boeing747 into 20 containers of metal scrap,”explains Flannery. “They fetch about 20,000dollars from a scrap dealer.” Each year, sometwo dozen widebody aircraft end their life-cycle in Marana. Add to that just as many ofthe smaller jets. “It’s sure to break thehearts of visiting pilots,” Flannery says.

NEWS

REPORT 3736 REPORT

MTU’s CEO Udo Stark departs after three years atthe helm.

MTU anticipates strong growth also in 2007MTU Aero Engines Holding AG foresees sus-tained growth in the current year. Revenuesare targeted to rise by eight percent, to 2.6billion euros, and adjusted EBITDA to 365 mil-lion euros, a 15 percent gain. In fiscal year2006, MTU grew its revenues 11 percent,from 2.18 billion euros to 2.42 billion euros.Concurrently, profit from operational activi-ties (adjusted EBITDA) grew at an above-aver-age rate, to 318.2 million euros, whichexceeded the previous year’s level, 238.7

* adjusted due to proportionate consolidation of 50 % interest in MTU Maintenance Zhuhai

Udo Stark to depart MTU at year-end

million euros, by 33 percent. Net income(adjusted) also showed appreciable gains.After 53.1 million euros in 2005, it more thandoubled, to 121.8 million euros, surpassingits 115 million euro target by six percent.

“2006 was a very successful business yearfor MTU. We have consistently beaten our tar-gets throughout the year,” summarized MTUCEO Udo Stark. “The aviation industryexpects continued growth in 2007. MTU is

well placed to benefit from this situation andwill once again achieve growth rates wellabove the general market level. We expect tosee a significant improvement in our reve-nues and operating results.” Driving thegrowth will largely be commercial enginesales and MRO. Both segments had been thegrowth drivers also in 2006. With an increasein revenues of 12 percent in the first quarterof 2007 MTU continued on its growth track.

MTU Aero Engines profits appreciably from ahefty order from China: the V2500 contractfrom China Southern, worth 1.35 billion U.S.dollars, translates into more than 110 millioneuros in revenue for the Munich-based com-pany. China’s largest airline has orderedfrom International Aero Engines (IAE) con-

China Southern orders V2500 engines for 50 A320 airliners

MTU supports theTyne through 2017

sortium V2500 engines to power 50 newAirbus A320 family transports. IAE has alsoassumed responsibility for the maintenance,repair and overhaul (MRO) of the engines.MTU Maintenance Zhuhai of China will havea major role in that work.

The V2500 is very popular especially on the Asianmarket.

Airbus A320 of China Southern with two V2500 engines.

The Tyne delivers 4,150 kW.

MTU Maintenance Hannover and Cathay Pacific have signed a contract for themaintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of CF6 engines operated by the airline.The contract, whose term is indefinite, covers 15 CF6-50E2 engines providingpower for Boeing 747-200F transports operated by the Chinese airline.

Bernd Kessler, MTU Aero Engines president and CEO commercial maintenance,said during the contract signing ceremony: “Cathay Pacific is one of the world’smost highly reputed airlines. We’re proud to have won a customer like that.” Thecontract may have a ripple effect, according to Kessler, seeing the airline is glob-ally recognized for its superior quality and reliability.

Hannover to support Cathay Pacific CF6 engines

MTU Aero Enginesin million eurosRevenues

of which OEM businessof which commercial engine businessof which military engine business

of which commercial MRO businessEBITDA (calculated on a comparable basis)

of which OEM businessof which commercial MRO business

Net income (IFRS)Net income (adjusted)Earnings per share (adjusted)Cash flow from operating activitiesResearch and development expenses

of which company-funded R&Dof which outside-funded R&D

Capital expenditure

Order backlog, adjusted to eliminate effects of U.S. dollar exchange rateOrder backlog

of which OEM businessof which commercial MRO business

MRO order value of contracted engines, in U.S. $Number of employees

2006

2,416.21,483.1

993.5489.6954.7318.2217.7103.4

89.1121.8

€ 2.25209.8169.980.689.3

114.1

Dec. 31, 2006

3,563.73,342.33,218.4

124.14,847.0

7.077

2005*

2,182.71,434.8

943.4491.4766.9238.7162.477.832.853.1

€ 0.97291.7171.983.888.185.7

Dec. 31, 2005

3,580.93,580.93,433.8

147.54,195.1

6.930

Change

+ 10.7 %+ 3.4 %+ 5.3 %- 0.4 %

+ 24.5 %+ 33.3 %+ 34.1 %+ 32.9 %

+ 171.6 %+ 129.4 %+ 132.0 %

- 28.1 %- 1.2 %- 4.0 %

+ 1.4 %+ 33.1 %

Change

- 0.5 %- 6.7 %- 6.3 %

- 15.9 %+ 15.5 %+ 2.1 %

MTU Aero Engines CEO Udo Stark for per-sonal reasons does not intend to renew hiscontract with MTU, which runs out at the endof 2007. Stark, MTU’s chief executive officersince January 2005, commented: “I’ll besixty this year and that’ll be the right time tostep aside and launch a change of genera-tions at MTU.”

Chairman of the supervisory board JohannesP. Huth said: “Udo Stark has shaped MTU ina decisive phase and has led the company toan independent publicly listed company. Hehas prepared MTU for the challenges of glob-al competition and fully completed histasks.”

MTU Aero Engines has renewed thelicense agreement for the support ofthe Rolls-Royce Tyne engines power-ing the Transall. The agreement willnow run until 2017 and cover thecomplete in-service phase of the mili-tary transport, which is slated to beretired in 2015.

“This partnership with Rolls-Roycedates back to the mid-60s,” said Dr.Stefan Weingartner, who heads updefense programs at MTU. “The Tyneis one of the most reliable enginesworldwide.”

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MTU Aero Engines photo archiveRaimund Stehmann, MTU Aero Engines photo archivePratt & Whitney, MTU Aero Engines photo archiveAirbus, Boeing, MTU Aero Engines photo archiveMTU Aero Engines photo archiveKUKA Aerospace Group, MTU Aero Engines photo archiveRaimund Stehmann, EuroProp International, MTU Aero Engines photo archiveToni Marimon, Andreas Spaeth, MTU Aero Engines photo archiveMTU Aero Engines photo archiveAtlasAir, JetBlue Airways, MTU Aero Engines photo archivePeter Michel, Andreas SpaethPatrick Hoeveler, MTU Aero Engines photo archiveGerhard Plomitzer, Andreas SpaethCathay Pacific, China Southern Airlines, General Electric, JetBlue Airways, Statoil, U.S. Air Force, MTU Aero Engines photo archive

JetBlue has extended a 2005 contract for thesupport of V2500 engines from 10 to 15years. That boosts the value of the order by1.7 billion euros to 2.4 billion euros, makingit the largest contract of the type MTU AeroEngines has ever won. Of the almost 400engines involved, 116 will be the advancedSelectOne version, to be delivered to JetBluestarting 2009. It excels through lower fuelconsumption and maintenance costs.

MTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg willprovide support services for the GeneralElectric LM series of industrial gas turbines(IGT) operated by oil exploration companiesStatoil ASA, Norsk Hydro Produksjon andExxonMobil Exploration and ProductionNorway AS. These industrial gas turbines arefinding use on oil rigs in the North Sea andinstallations on the Norwegian mainland.

Massive JT8D orderfrom USAF

MTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburgwins significant IGT contracts 2-3:

4-7:8-9:

10-13:14-15:16-19:

20-23:24-25:26-27:28-29:30-31:32-35:36-39:

Dr. Uwe Blöcker has been appointed presi-dent and CEO of MTU MaintenanceHannover, effective March 1, 2007. He re-places Ferdinand Exler, who had led the com-pany for five years. Blöcker has been workingin aviation for 17 years, holding various man-agement positions at Lufthansa and othercompanies. He has gained internationalexperience in China, Ireland and other for-eign locations.

Dr. Wolfgang Konrad has been appointedpresident and CEO of MTU MaintenanceBerlin-Brandenburg at Ludwigsfelde, effec-tive February 1, 2007. He succeeds AndréWall. In earlier positions, he supervised vari-ous areas of BMW Rolls-Royce Aero Enginesat Dahlewitz. He accumulated internationalexperience in both his studies and profes-sional career.

MTU Aero Engines and Pratt & Whitney willjointly provide some 80 JT8D-219 engines topower surveillance aircraft of the U.S. AirForce. The engines will equip 19 four-engineJoint STARS aircraft.

“This represents yet another step towardestablishing MTU on the U.S. defense mar-ket,” explained MTU CEO Udo Stark. “It waswith the aid of Pratt & Whitney, our partnerof many years, that we were able to achievethis win.”

Dr. Uwe Blöcker new CEOat MTU MaintenanceHannover

Dr. Wolfgang Konrad takeshelm of MTU MaintenanceBerlin-Brandenburg

MTU Aero Engines has increased its work-share in the General Electric F414 militaryengine and secured a stake in the predeces-sor F404 model. For the two programs, itproduces the high-pressure compressorspool and other components. Over the entirelife of the two programs, the present stake of5.9 percent translates into revenues of morethan 900 million euros.

MTU increasesF414 stake

MTU wins JetBlue contract, the largestMRO deal in its annals

The Ludwigsfelde IGT experts have contract-ed to perform scheduled and unscheduledrepair and overhaul on about 40 percent ofthe LM gas turbine fleet in service. The sys-tems are used for oil and gas exploration andpower generation.

With its A320 fleet, JetBlue is the world’s biggestV2500 operator.

Joint STARS bases on the old Boeing 707 airframe.

The V2500 is MTU Maintenance’s most significantprogram.

Just added to MTU’s portfolio: the GE F404.

Offshore oil rigs are among the major industrial gas turbine applications.

Bernd Kessler, MTU Aero Engines presidentand CEO commercial maintenance, com-mented: “JetBlue ranks among the fastestgrowing and most successful airlines of theworld. The new contract testifies to the enor-mous trust the company places in us.”

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