 Front page CFM fills up order book during the showCFM International booked 319 new orders for its CFM56-5B and -7B engines during the 47th Paris Air Show, worth an estimated $2.7 billion. This gives the CFM56 a total of 1,354 orders for 2007. Beyond this commercial success, the Paris Air Show provided a chance to showcase CFM’s environmental achievements. On June 12, a CFM56-7B was tested at Snecma’s Villaroche site using biofuel. The biofuel consists of 30 percent vegetable oil methyl ester blended with 70 percent conventional Jet-A1 fuel. This test was designed to check the operation of a jet engine using a fuel made from biomass, without making any technical changes to the engine. With this type of biofuel, the target is a net reduction of 20 percent in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions compared with current fuels. |
 |
 DiarySILENCE(R) meets targets
The final project meeting of the European research program SILENCE(R) took place in La Baule in Southern France on June 27. Initiated in April 2001, SILENCE(R) has for the past six years focused on developing noise reduction technologies for aircraft engines. Completion of the program demonstrates the capabilities of European manufacturers and research centers to devise innovative noise reduction solutions for future aircraft. Tests done within the framework of the SILENCE(R) initiative delivered excellent results, marking an important step forward in the development of aircraft engines that are more environmentally-friendly. The technologies validated by the SILENCE(R) program have lowered aircraft noise by 5 dB, a significant advance in the Strategic Research Agenda defined by the Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe (ACARE). The objective is a 10 dB noise reduction for aircraft by 2020. |
|
Panorama Spotlight on TP400-D6 and M88Snecma’s military sector products were also featured at the 47th Paris Air Show. Snecma presented a new mock-up of the TP400-D6, the most powerful turboprop engine in the Western world, currently under development. Among the highlights of the Show were breathtaking flight demonstrations by aircraft powered by Snecma engines, including the M88 on the Rafale. Space propulsion adventure continues  Snecma and Thales Alenia Space signed an agreement on June 19 for the supply of PPS® 1350 plasma thrusters for the first Alphabus telecommunications satellite platform. The PPS® 1350 thrusters provide orbital control of the satellite throughout the Alphabus design life. In addition to flexible implementation these thrusters are significantly lighter than conventional chemical solutions, reducing the mass at liftoff for the platform. Arianespace also announced an order for 35 Ariane ECA launchers, which are powered by Snecma Vulcain®2 and HM7B cryogenic engines. New orders for Superjet 100  Italian airline ItAli Airlines has ordered ten Superjet 100 aircraft plus an option for ten additional planes. The regional airliners ordered by the Italian carrier will be powered by 20 SaM146 engines. The SaM146 engines are made by PowerJet, a joint venture of Snecma and NPO Saturn. The next important milestone for the SaM146 will be the first test flight on an Illyushin 76 aircraft at the end of the summer. |
|
