In addition to development and manufacturing activities, MTU’ Polish subsidiary focuses on the production of components, module assembly and parts repair. As such, the facility is involved in all major commercial MTU programs, including engines for the Airbus A220, A320 and A320neo families, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 777X jets, and business jet programs for Cessna and Gulfstream. The same applies to General Electric's (GE) LM6000 series of industrial gas turbines. The facility covers the entire value chain, from development - aerodynamic design, structural mechanics and thermodynamic optimization - to production and repair.

MTU Aero Engines Polska's first major growth spurt came in 2012 with the increase in MTU's stake in the V2500. Since then, the site has assumed significant responsibility for logistics, procurement, design and quality assurance in what is currently MTU's largest program.

The second expansion phase began in November 2018. It will add a further 11,400 square meters of floor space to the existing facility within about a year. On the one hand, to make room for new technologies such as additive manufacturing. And on the other hand, to be able to cope with the increasing production quantities of components for the latest geared turbofan engines. With commissioning scheduled for the end of 2019, the site's total operating area will increase to almost 40,000 square meters and will create a growing workforce of over 900 employees.

Source:  MTU Aero Engines
Associated URL: www.mtu.de

The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler electronic warfare variant have accounted for a huge number of F414 engines produced over the past decade, but production has fallen. The U.S. Navy is facing a looming fighter gap as it waits for the Lockheed Martin F-35C carrier variant to complete development, and the service and Boeing have successfully lobbied Congress to extend production of the Super Hornet to keep the F/A-18 line open in case the F-35C is delayed even further. The service procured 24 aircraft in FY19 and plans to acquire at least 84 more from FY20-FY24.

We expect the Navy to continue to extend production until it has a firm handle on the F-35's production schedule and life-cycle cost estimates, since, if the F-35 proves an expensive aircraft to maintain on carrier fleets, the Navy may need to continue to procure both aircraft into the late 2020s.

Meanwhile, Kuwait ordered 28 Super Hornets in March 2018 - 22 single-seat E models and six dual-seat F models. These will be delivered in 2019-2021. The desert kingdom may add to its order in the future. The F414 is also used by Saab's next-generation Gripen fighter. Saab had garnered orders for 96 Gripen NGs by late 2017: 60 Gripen E single-seaters for the Swedish Air Force and 28 Gripen E and eight Gripen F two-seaters for the Brazilian Air Force.

Production of the F404 engine now involves two applications: the Korean-made T-50 jet trainer and its FA-50 light fighter variant, and India's Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has made inroads into the world jet trainer/light attack market with the T-50, an aircraft it developed with the assistance of Lockheed Martin.

The Indian Tejas program has suffered from long delays and is now ramping up production of an initial overweight and underpowered "Mk 1" version of the light fighter. The Indian government is currently planning to acquire over 100 LCAs in the coming years. This initial version of the aircraft is the subject of an ambitious weight-cutting program to increase performance. While even the lighter Mk 1A variant is not suitable for full-spectrum operations, the Indian Air Force is truly desperate to replace its fleet of old MiG 21s and will have to deal with the aircraft's limitations. HAL is developing an upgraded "Mk 2" version featuring the more powerful F414 engine, but it is increasingly likely that this variant will never enter service. We no longer forecast production of the F414 for this application.

One major new application for the F404 is the Boeing/Saab T-X trainer that will replace the U.S. Air Force's fleet of over 400 elderly T-38 jet trainers. The T-X program will create demand for hundreds of new F404 engines during its production run. The aircraft, which will eventually receive a new designation from the Air Force, will also be a strong competitor on the world jet trainer market.

Source:  Forecast International
Associated URL: forecastinternational.com
Author: Douglas Royce, Aviation Gas Turbines 

Cessna plans to terminate production of the Citation X+ in 2019, and demand for the Legacy 650 - a derivative of one of Embraer's regional jets - has fallen as the business jet market turns toward newer designs.

With demand from business jet makers fading, the outlook for the AE 3007 now depends on the military unmanned aerial vehicle market.

The market for the RQ-4B Global Hawk, powered by a single engine, has grown beyond the U.S. Air Force, with the MQ-4C, a maritime surveillance version, being developed for the U.S. Navy. The export market will provide more orders over time, though this very expensive high-altitude reconnaissance UAV will never be produced in high volumes.

Another application is the U.S. Navy's new MQ-25 Stingray UAV. In September 2018, Rolls-Royce announced that Boeing had selected the AE 3007N, a new variant, to provide the single-engine aircraft with 10,000 pounds of thrust and additional electrical power. The initial contract awarded to Boeing covers development and production of four test aircraft. The Navy could buy up to 156 aircraft in a program of record, but it is more likely to buy from 72-84 during the life of the program.

The outlook for the AE 3007 is now tied to the military demand for UAVs. Because the aircraft uses a single engine rather than two as mounted on business jets, production for the Global Hawk program cannot replace lost demand from the business jet segment. The program could use a new civil application for the engine that will provide a new source of high-volume orders.

Source:  Forecast International
Associated URL: forecastinternational.com
Author: Douglas Royce, Aviation Gas Turbines