STOCKHOLM - GKN Aerospace has delivered the first upgraded RM12EP (Enhanced Performance) engine for the Swedish air force's Saab Gripen C/D fleet under a contract valued at approximately 400 million Swedish kronor ($42.8 million).

The work, performed at the company's Trollhattan facility, includes improved turbine hardware and updated engine control software intended to increase thrust, extend operating time and reduce life-cycle costs. The Swedish air force operates nearly 100 Gripen C/D aircraft, ranging from 11 to 23 years old, powered by the RM12, a derivative of GE Aerospace's F404 turbofan. Development of the enhanced EP standard began in 2019.

GKN Aerospace said additional upgraded engines will be delivered on a rolling basis. GKN Aerospace also produces the more powerful RM16 engine, derived from GE's F414, for the newer Gripen E, which began entering Swedish air force service last October under a 60-aircraft order. Brazil has taken delivery of 11 single-seat Gripen E/F fighters from a 36-unit purchase, while Colombia and Thailand signed deals last year to acquire the aircraft.

Source: Flightglobal
Associated URL: https://www.flightglobal.com/defence/swedish-air-force-receives-first-upgraded-rm12ep-engine-for-gripen-c/d-fleet/166763.article
Author: Craig Hoyle 

PARIS - Safran Aircraft Engines is accelerating development of its open-fan engine technology ahead of full-scale ground tests planned for early spring 2025 at the company's Villaroche facility near Paris. The tests will evaluate a front module built around a 4-meter-diameter fan, one of the most visible elements of the open-fan architecture Safran is pursuing through its CFM International joint venture with GE Aerospace.

To date, the French propulsion specialist has logged 400 hours of wind tunnel testing and more than 200 mechanical tests on fan blades produced through resin transfer moulding, covering ingestion and high-cycle vibration scenarios. A new round of wind tunnel tests recently began in Austria focused on icing conditions, while booster evaluations are ongoing at Safran Aero Boosters in Liege, Belgium.

The ground tests, expected to run approximately three months, will include bird ingestion and partial blade-out evaluations as Safran prepares the technology for eventual installation on an Airbus testbed. GE Aerospace will supply a donor core derived from its Passport business jet engine for the flight-test phase, an approach that allows the program to focus on validating the open-fan architecture without waiting for an entirely new powerplant to be developed. Assembly of the first flight-test engine is slated to begin in 2028, with a complete engine targeting flight in 2029.

Source: Flightglobal
Associated URL: https://www.flightglobal.com/engines/safran-advances-system-testing-ahead-of-2027-ground-trials-of-open-fan-engine-front-module/166736.article

MONTREAL - Pratt & Whitney Canada's parent company RTX has unveiled additional details on a hybrid-electric version of its PW127 turboprop engine under a €101 million ($117 million) EU Clean Aviation initiative called PHARES. Launched in early 2026, the program aims to demonstrate a 20% reduction in fuel burn against a 2020 baseline.

The engine, based on an advanced derivative of the 2,750-shaft-horsepower PW127 that powers ATR 42 and 72-series aircraft, will incorporate aerodynamic improvements and new materials alongside a 250-kilowatt Collins Aerospace electric motor mounted on the propeller gearbox. The electric motor will supply roughly 12% of the demonstrator engine's overall power requirement, though Collins Aerospace principal technical fellow Todd Spierling cautioned that figure could shift as the program matures.

P&WC has not yet determined how the projected fuel savings will be divided between improvements to the thermal engine and the hybrid system. A new propeller being developed by Collins subsidiary Ratier Figeac will also contribute to efficiency gains, and the entire package, including a thermal management system, is designed to fit within the existing nacelle structure.

Flight testing of the hybridized engine is slated for 2029 under the ATR-led DEMETRA project, with results expected to inform ATR's decision on the scope of its proposed Evo aircraft upgrade. If ATR proceeds, the Evo would enter service around 2035.

Source: Flightglobal
Associated URL: https://www.flightglobal.com/engines/pandwc-details-hybridisation-plan-for-pw127-engine-that-could-power-atr-evo/166726.article
Author: Dominic Perry