PARIS — GE Aviation’s Avio Aero is working near- and long-term solutions to address a balky component on the EuroProp International (EPI) TP400-D6 engine, four of which power the new AirbusA400M tactical airlifter.
The component, a propeller gear box (PGB) designed and produced by Avio Aero of Italy, revealed multiple technical issues earlier this year, though only one of the problems persists, says Philippe Petitcolin, CEO of French aerospace supplier Safran, whose Snecma motors division is a major partner in the EPI consortium.
Airbus says the PGB issue involves the cracking of a component known as the input pinion plug, which in some cases can result in the release of small metallic particles into the oil system, where they are found by a magnetic chip detector.
As a result, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued an Airworthiness Directive mandating immediate on-wing inspection, followed by replacement if evidence of damage is found, or else return-to-service and continuing inspections.
Airbus says while this problem does not constitute a safety issue, it did cause an inflight engine shutdown on an A400M in service with the U.K.
“As a partner we are fully supporting Avio in solving the problem as soon as possible,” Petitcolin told investors during a first-quarter earnings call April 26. “We are applying with EPI a two-step approach, with an interim fix which is going to be ready in the next few weeks.”
A more definitive solution will take “months,” he said.
In the meantime, Airbus has delivered three A400M airlifters this year, all to the U.K. Although the company is still targeting a total of 20 deliveries this year, that figure is being negotiated with A400M contracting authority Occar, which manages the procurement of the aircraft for partner nations Belgium, the U.K., France, Germany, Luxembourg, Malaysia and Spain.
During the investor call, Petitcolin also said Safran is closing in on the completion of a joint venture combining its space activities with those of Airbus Defense and Space to form Airbus Safran Launchers (ASL). The deal has drawn the scrutiny of the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, which has questioned ASL’s planned purchase of stock ownership in the Arianespace launch consortium, a roughly 34% stake that is currently held by French space agency CNES.
“We are making good progress. We are expecting the signing very soon,” he said of the ASL merger, adding that the company has already answered the European Commission’s first round of questions, and more recently responded to a series of follow-ups. “We expect the joint venture to be fully operational on July 1.”