Look-ahead think tank High-tech hotbed Lifesaving logistics

Sharedgrowth

Look-ahead think tank

Summer/Autumn 2006

■ Technology + Science ■ MTU Global ■ Reports

High-tech hotbed Lifesaving logistics

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

Dear Readers:

We are getting reams of media reports la-menting the continuous rise in fuel prices.Enormous fuel costs are pummeling airlinesworldwide, and those huge fuel bills won’t goaway anytime soon. If anything, the grim fueleconomics will be getting worse before theyget better, according to the experts. This diresituation accentuates the growing need forfuel-thrifty engines, if it was not apparentanyway.

Engines can be made thriftier by optimizingindividual components. This is where MTUAero Engines has been blazing trails foryears, providing innovative key technologies,typically through its transonic high-pressurecompressor and extremely efficient high-speed low-pressure turbine.

Our latest project is an advanced eight-stagehigh-pressure compressor we’re presentlyimplementing in partnership with Pratt &Whitney, our ally of many years. The com-pressor will make its first run later this yearand is intended for incorporation in a gearedturbofan demonstrator, which by that timewill already feature a novel MTU low-pres-sure turbine. The demonstrator could serveas a baseline engine to power the new gen-eration of short- and medium-haul single-aisle aircraft.

Such aircraft will be commercially viable onlyprovided they burn substantially less fuel andare appreciably quieter and cleaner thanpresent models. This then calls for the gearedturbofan, which satisfies these requirementslike no other engine can.

Our commitment reflects MTU’s philosophy:“Go the extra mile to satisfy your customers’needs.” Happily, doing so, we at once helptake contamination out of aviation.

Editorial

MTU maintains close ties also with its largestsingle customer, the German Air Force. It iscelebrating its 50th anniversary this year,and I gladly extend my sincere congratula-tions to the service. MTU has been workingshoulder to shoulder with the air force sinceday one and has developed a very specialrelationship with it over the decades. You willbe able to read more about it in this issue.

The latest project we’re sharing with the airforce is the industry-military cooperativemodel of engine maintenance, where MTUstaff and air force personnel work side byside, literally. First practiced on theEurofighter’s EJ200 engine, the cooperativemodel has continued to prove its worth, war-ranting its extension also to further militaryengine types. Over the years, it saves themilitary millions of euros and optimally pro-vides it with operational engines.

Being a trusted partner on a common jour-ney into a successful future is and remainsour understanding of a close relationship withour customers, both commercial and military.

Udo StarkCEO

Cover Story

Technology + Science

MTU Global

Customers + Partners

Products

Reports

Anecdotes

Shared growth 4 - 7


Next-generation engines – quieter and thriftier

8 - 9

10 - 13

High-tech hotbed

Turboprop flexes muscle

14 - 15

16 - 17

Progressing in a concerted effort 18 - 19

Newcomers to the shop

High-pressure effort

Lifesaving logistics

Flying palaces

20 - 23

24 - 25

26 - 29

30 - 33

Engines morphed into fire extinguishers 34 - 35

News

Editorial Note

36 - 39

39

Contents

Lifesaving logisticsWhether it’s organ transplanta-tion flights, transportation backhome of sick or injured persons,or evacuation flights from disas-ter areas: aviation and medicineare becoming ever closer allies.Page 26

Shared growth


In the wake of the German Armed Forces’ grand jubilee, the German Air Force, too, this year celebrates its 50thanniversary. MTU Aero Engines has competently and reliably marched alongside the service since day one. Page 4

Inspired by the Bauhaus, Germany’s most renowned schoolof art, design and architecture, a “Bauhaus Luftfahrt”(Aviation Bauhaus) wasrecently founded. Thenon-profit society aimsto become a think tanklaunching into futuristicaircraft concepts.Page 8

With its joint venture partner Lufthansa Technik, MTU ispresently building a new, larger facility near Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur, providing space for new products and technologies. Relocation from Shah Alam will occursometime in 2007. Page 14

High-tech hotbed

REPORT 32 REPORT

REPORT 5

Cover Story

4 REPORT

Shared growth Since its inception half a century ago, Germany’s Air Force, the Luftwaffe, has always been on the job. Under this‘always-on-the-job’ motto, it is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. It was in January 1956 that the first aspiringGerman airmen had reported for duty at the Nörvenich training company. Afterwards, the German Air Force (GAF)units sprung up across Germany. MTU Aero Engines has competently and reliably been working side by side with theservice from day one.

By Martina Vollmuth

The engine maker—rich in tradition and withroots reaching back to the early days of avia-tion—had at all times supplied the servicewith the latest engine and repair technolo-gies, innovative maintenance packages andindividual customer service. It made all of theGAF’s combat, reconnaissance and trans-port aircraft fly, starting in the early yearswith the Piaggio liaison aircraft and F-86Sabre V and VI jet fighters, followed byStarfighters and today’s and tomorrow’sPhantoms, Tornados, Eurofighters/Typhoonsand A400M airlifters taken aloft by MTUtechnologies at a breathtaking pace.

“These past 45 years, we’ve carved outleading positions in the engine building busi-ness,” noted Dr. Stefan Weingartner, whosupervises defense programs at MTU. “Wecan look back on a rich tradition and com-petent track record from the J79 poweringthe Starfighter to the RB199 for theTornado, the Eurofighter’s EJ200 and a num-ber of other engine types. Our customershave always shown great confidence in us,as perhaps best witnessed by the strongrole we’ve been entrusted with on theTP400-D6 engine for the A400M transport.”

Over decades of cooperation, MTU and theGAF have grown ever closer to each other,their cooperation deepening and refining.“Meanwhile, the closeness of our collabora-tion with the GAF is unparalleled in otherindustries,” explains Klaus Günther, MTU’sEJ200 program director. No matter what thechallenge, MTU’s engine experts have invari-ably come up with a helpful solution. Veryhelpful had also been the very close con-tacts MTU personnel was maintaining with

GAF pilots and technicians. In fact, afterretiring from the service, many a GAF veter-an launched a second career with theengine builder.

A partner from day one: BMW Triebwerkbau already had field teams of technicians making sure the GAF’s various engines were ready for the job.

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Cover Story

The beginnings

Among them is Karlheinz Koch. The manag-ing director of Turbo-Union, the consortiummanaging the Tornado’s RB199 engine, hadlong been working with MTU and, beforethat, served in the GAF as a pilot and wingcommander. He remembers the early days:“In the late fifties, the decision to procurethe U.S. Starfighter and its J79 engine setthe stage for the extensive, close type ofcooperation between the German engineindustry, the GAF and the Bundeswehr

Technical Center 61.” He goes on to add:“The General Electric engine was an inspired,robust design of extraordinary supersoniccapabilities. In joint GAF-industry testing, itunderwent various technical modifications tobecome the J79-J1K variant.” The next ver-sion, the J79-17A, then powered the F-4Phantom. Here, again, military-civil team-

work accomplished the feat of doublingmaintenance intervals through jointlyachieved material optimizations and designimprovements.

The next aircraft to appear on the Europeanscene was the Tornado, the first multination-al multi-role combat aircraft. Its engine, theRB199, again was an international effort. Theparticipating nations Germany, the U.K. andItaly bundled their activities under the roof ofTurbo-Union. “Its Starfighter and F-4Phantom engine background predestinedMTU for a major development role in theTornado engine program,” remembers Karl-Josef Bader, who too had done a stint in theGAF. He supervises the RB199 program atMTU and knows the Tornado engine insideout. At the time of its entry into service in1984, Bader served as a maintenance officerwith the GAF. “I was able to apply the lessonslearned in those days and bring them to bearin the Eurofighter EJ200 logistic supporteffort.”

Cooperative model of enginemaintenance

The Eurofighter/Typhoon is the most ad-vanced aircraft in its class. It’s a four-nationproduct, with Germany, the U.K., Italy andSpain jointly building aircraft and engine.Each partner contributes its most advancedtechnologies to the concerted effort. Fromthe engine maintenance aspect, new trailsare being blazed as well. In Germany, MTUand the GAF have launched an industry-mili-tary cooperative model of engine mainte-nance, where the engines are still beingmaintained in a shared effort, but where thateffort, formerly distributed, has now beenco-located at a single site: MTU’s Munichfacility. For three years already, GAF person-nel and MTU staff have here been workingshoulder to shoulder under the industrialleadership of MTU. The advantages are readi-ly apparent: cost and time savings areachieved by pooling resources and reducinginventory capacities.

Further information is available on theInternet at: www.mtu.de/report

For additional information, contact Odilo Mühling+49 89 1489-2698

Coming in from the cold

When after the German unification theformer German Democratic Republic’s(GDR) troops were integrated into theWest-German military, the shiftingwind blew a cold-war phantom into theGAF’s purview: the MiG-29, a Russianfighter bomber prodigy the West hadso far known mostly from hearsay. TheGDR’s most advanced combat aircrafteasily matched the better fighters theWest could field at the time. At theGAF, the MiG-29 became the shiningstar of its fighter arsenal.

All MiG-29s were surrendered to theGAF at Preschen and until retired serv-ed in the “Steinhoff Fighter Wing 73” atLaage near Rostock. Pilots of Westernair forces were hot to try the MiG tosee how good it really was. Their con-sensus was that the spooky bird

“The new concept is a win-win situation,”emphasizes Martin Majewski, head of MTUcustomer support: “The GAF detaches main-tenance mechanics to MTU, but also youngofficers with a graduate degree in engineer-ing. They’re assigned to program control andproduct support. The military personnelwork side by side with MTU staff on manycomplex tasks, such as spare parts manage-ment and requirements forecasting, or dam-age investigation and product tracking. Theystimulate us in our work, communicatingtheir experience and practical know-how. Inreturn, they help the GAF maintain its engineknow-how.”

The cooperative model has been so success-ful that it is currently being expanded toinclude further engines. According toWeingartner, “we’ll also be repairing theRB199 (Tornado), the J79 (Phantom) and theRR250-C20 (PAH-1 helicopter)”. While theEJ200 and J79 will be repaired at MTU’sMunich facility, work on the other two

engines will occur at MTU’s Erding branchfacility in future. “This type of cooperationbenefits the armed forces economically,makes sure stringently needed military capa-bilities are preserved and helps secure thejobs of 60 civilian GAF employees,” appreci-ated Dr. Jörg Kaempf, the defense ministry’sdirector general of armaments, last Novem-ber when the expanded maintenance modelwas inked. Ulrich Ostermair, cooperativemodel project manager at MTU, is emphaticthat “the cooperative model marks the cul-mination of the partners’ trusting coopera-tive relationship”.

indeed had deadly talons, and withwhat they had seen they were gladthey never had to seriously go head tohead with it.

The Russian fighter wasn’t retired untilthe Eurofighter was fielded, initiallyagain at the Laage air base. 22 of theMiG-29s were leased under a Nato aidprogram to Poland, where they’re stillflying today.

The EJ200 was the first engine to be maintainedunder the cooperative model.

The Tornado’s RB199 engine will now be repaired in MTU’s Erding branch facility.

The J79, too, now belongs to the family of enginesmaintained under the cooperative model. Its repaircontinues to be done in Munich.

The Tornado with its twin RB199 engines currently forms the backbone of the GAF fleet.

Military pilots called the Starfighter with its revolutionary J79 engine the ‘Porsche of the skies’.

For the GAF, the F-4 Phantom II became a workhorse that because of its robustness could be deployed in multiple roles.

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The partners in Bauhaus Luftfahrt are break-ing new ground, creating an institution that’sunique in Europe. The Bavarian think tank isto serve a systems integration function andforge deeper cooperative ties between the re-search community and industry. The BauhausLuftfahrt is chaired by Prof. Dr. Klaus Broich-hausen, former chief consultant, technologyprograms, at MTU Aero Engines: “Much likethe Bauhaus Dessau, this one will assembleengineers, futurologists, designers anddesign engineers to cooperate across theirrespective disciplines. The Bauhaus Luftfahrtwill marry the competencies of commerce


By Dr. Frank-E. Rietz

Bavaria’s youngest research initiative bears a great name: Inspired by Germany’s most renowned Bauhaus school ofart, design and architecture, the Free State of Bavaria and a triplet of Bavarian aviation players—MTU Aero Engines,EADS and Liebherr-Aerospace—have launched Bauhaus Luftfahrt (“Aviation Bauhaus”). The non-profit organizationhopes to become the preeminent think factory its historic archetype was, blazing trails for a new breed of unconven-tional, cross-company and interdisciplinary research.

and research.” In the endeavor, the aim isnot to pursue in-depth research and competewith incumbent institutions; rather, interdis-ciplinary cooperative efforts and concreteadvanced projects are high on the agenda.The Bauhaus Luftfahrt idea is the brainchildof Peter Pletschacher, noted aviation publi-cist and president of the German AviationWriters Association.

Bauhaus Luftfahrt intends to focus on futur-istic aircraft construction concepts and takethem to application level some time in thefuture. Optimization studies will go hand inhand with environmental compatibility andcost-effectiveness analyses. If tradeoffs be-tween speed and range had so far taken cen-terstage, research will now concentrate onlow consumption, less noise and maximumrange.

Bauhaus Luftfahrt will start off with two con-crete projects. One is a hybrid airliner tomeet the ecological and economic require-ments of the future. The visionary aircraft isto excel through its optimized individual ele-ments and components and unlock newcommercial aviation vistas. The other,dubbed “Advanced Aviation Research”, tar-gets economic issues, attempting to providestrategic forecasts for commercial aviationusing cross-industry investigation and analy-sis methods.

The expertise of Bauhaus Luftfahrt roots inthe competencies of its founding membersand draws on an extensive research and sci-ence network. Explains Broichhausen: “InGermany, we have a number of excellent in-stitutions with which we’re already widelycooperating.” The new research facility has

its home near the Technical University atGarching near Munich. The think tank wantsto be close to universities and research insti-tutes not alone geographically but also incontent. It nevertheless does not expect toconfine itself to the national level but ratherwelcomes companies and researchers fromacross the globe. University notables areinvited to collaborate on projects as visitingprofessors.

The cooperative research venture is well-heeled: The Free State of Bavaria funds two-thirds of the annual budget, the remainingbill being footed by the three founding com-panies MTU, EADS and Liebherr-Aerospace.The institute is staffed with 30 personnel.

Looking forward, Broichhausen says: “WithBauhaus Luftfahrt, the Free State of Bavariaand the industries based here are settingnew markers. You need top-notch research

and successful innovation to keep the eco-nomic setting and employment situationattractive in Bavaria. We believe that’s exact-ly what we’re doing with our cross-systemlook-ahead approach and that in doing sowe’re appreciably boosting the internationalcompetitiveness of the indigenous aviationindustry.”

For additional information, contact Odilo Mühling+49 89 1489-2698



Advanced aircraft may look entirely different from present configurations, perhaps having two sets of interconnected wings.

Engines, too, must not necessarily be mounted under the wing; other arrangements conceivably afford better conditions.

Dr. Thomas Enders and Prof. Dr. Klaus Broichhausenphotographed during the launch event of the BauhausLuftfahrt in Bavaria’s Ministry of the Economy.

Futuristic concepts, such as recuperated engines,are typical Bauhaus topics.

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The target is ambitious: ACARE wants com-mercial jets not just to consume less fuel, itmoreover mandates noise to be halved andemissions slashed 80 percent, from presentlevels. “Engines will have to bear the bruntof it,” explains Dr. Günter Wilfert, a technol-ogy strategist at MTU. Their fuel consump-tion will have to come down 20 percent,noise levels six decibels and oxides of nitro-gen emissions 80 percent.

Engine builders have two alternative optionsto achieve improvements. “The one is to op-timize existing propulsion concepts, and theother is to develop entirely new technolo-gies,” explains Prof. Dr. Klaus Broichhausen,chairman of the newly founded BauhausLuftfahrt think tank. Optimizing means thattechnologists and researchers dissect com-ponents—compressors, combustors and tur-bines—to see where they might be able tosqueeze out improvements. As a rule ofthumb, if you raise the efficiency of a com-ponent by one percent, you reduce fuel con-sumption by up to one percent. InBroichhausen’s estimation, tweaking thecore components—high-pressure compres-sor, combustor and high-pressure turbine—gets you a fuel reduction margin of totallytwo to three percent, while optimizing a fanor low-pressure compressor and low-pres-sure turbine will net you three to four per-cent.

Next-generation engines –quieter and thriftier

Commercial aviation is riding a fast growth track: industry experts see air traffic doubling by 2020. To contain theenvironmental toll this stellar growth will take, the industry is working on thriftier, quieter and cleaner aircraft. TheAdvisory Committee for Aeronautics Research in Europe (ACARE) wants airliners by 2020 to burn 50 percent lessfuel per passenger mile. A daunting challenge indeed, and companies like MTU Aero Engines have for years been hon-ing new technologies to meet it.

By Martina Vollmuth


Improvements can be achieved also by theway engines are operated. Today’s aircraftengines are not just delivering thrust butelectrical power as well, providing the air-frame with current to energize the air condi-tioning system, onboard electronics andhydraulic systems. Says Broichhausen: “Ifyou relieve the engine of these auxiliarytasks, you could trim it down to the basics,making it thriftier.” The power supply for theairframe could then be provided by a stand-alone power generator, and the engine couldbe electrified. Substituting hydraulic compo-nents with electrically actuated equipment,too, would save five to seven percent fuel.

The turbine center frame has a major impact on theengine’s overall efficiency. Its design, therefore,demands painstaking care.

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Yet all potential refinements taken togetherwould not be sufficient to achieve the am-bitious ACARE targets; new technologies areneeded. Broichhausen cautions: “The newengine concepts will work only provided thevarious components are operating at theirvery best.” To make them do that, research

has been underway for years. Jointly withother engine manufacturers, scientists andresearch institutes, MTU is working onadvanced technologies, with the most likelysolutions promised by the geared turbofan,by heat exchanger technologies and by the‘active’ engine.

Geared turbofan

One of the most intriguing next-generationprograms is the Advanced Technology FanIntegrator (ATFI), a joint effort by MTU, Pratt& Whitney, Pratt & Whitney Canada and Avio.This demonstrator features a reduction gearintervening between the fan and low-pres-sure turbine, whereas on conventionalengines the two components are rigidly con-nected by a common shaft. The gearbox de-couples the fan from the turbine, enabling thelarge-diameter fan to run much slower thanon conventional engines, and the turbinemuch faster. In this fashion, both compo-nents can operate at their respective opti-mum speed, lending the geared turbofan en-gine outstanding efficiency and quietness.

Heat exchanger

The geared turbofan can be made still fuel-thriftier if it is recuperated using a heat ex-changer. MTU has demonstrated the utility ofrecuperated geared turbofans under aEuropean technology program dubbed Clean(Component validator for environmentallyfriendly aero engine). In this arrangement,the heat exchanger picks up residual heat inthe exhaust gas stream and dumps it in theair issuing from the high-pressure compres-sor, before it reaches the combustor.Potential fuel savings run as high as 20 per-cent.

The idea itself is not new, but heat exchangershave not caught on, owing to their bulky sizeand poor efficiency. MTU has succeeded in

developing new almond-shaped recuperatortubes that can be packed very densely whileproviding a sufficiently large heat transferarea. After five years in the making, theClean demonstrator in February 2005 ex-celled at the Stuttgart altitude test facility,hitting all targets.

The intercooler is a crucial component of thefuel-thrifty recuperated engine of the future.It is being developed in partnership withRolls-Royce under a new joint project. TheNEWAC (New Aero Engine Core Concepts)program will probably be launched beforeyear-end. Under the program, with MTU asthe lead company, the British engine makerand other European manufacturers, researchinstitutes and universities will be exploringnew core engine technologies.

Active engine

MTU’s role under NEWAC is to develop a so-called ‘active’ core engine. “An engine of thatkind will have, among other novel features, asmart compressor that adjusts to therespective flight regime,” explains MTU’sNEWAC program manager Dr. Günter Wil-fert. This is achieved, for instance, by activeclearance control (ACC), where the width ofthe gap between the blade tips and innercompressor casing wall is actively con-trolled. Early surge detection and surge con-trol, too, will allow the compressor to oper-ate closer to the surge limit. The activeengine also boasts cooling air control:because cooling air extracts energy from theengine, the cold air influx should be meteredjudiciously in accordance with engine power

output—enhancing engine performance andefficiency.

Despite these extensive research endeavors,the engine to satisfy the whole litany ofACARE requirements is still very much in thefuture. It will take time to mature the varioustechnologies, and experts doubt a prototypewill be forthcoming before 2015. From there,series production would still be ten or moreyears away.

For additional information, contact Dr. Günter Wilfert+49 89 1489-4347

Further information is available on the Internet at: www.mtu.de/report

Diagrammatic sketch of a recuperated geared turbofan. This novel propulsion concept holds promise of drasticfuel savings and significant noise reductions.

Highly efficient heat exchangers like MTU’s can mas-sively help reduce fuel consumption.

High-speed low-pressure turbines are among MTU Aero Engines’ chief domains. They are key components ofevery geared turbofan.

The ATFI geared turbofan technology demonstrator is a joint MTU, Pratt & Whitney Canada and Avioprogram.

Next-generation compressors will be clearly more efficient if actively controlled throughout. First tests to thateffect are already underway.


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Going up in Science Park 1, Kota Damansara,near Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur is the‘Center of Excellence’ for high-tech aircraftengine blades of Airfoil Services Sdn. Bhd.(ASSB). The joint venture of MTU AeroEngines and Lufthansa Technik is slated tomove, in summer 2007, from its presentlocation in Shah Alam to Kuala Lumpur. Inthe new 6,000-square-meter facility, not onlylow-pressure turbine blades as before butalso CF6, V2500, CFM56 and CF34 high-pressure compressor blades will be repaired.

MTU Global

High-tech hotbedBy Ute Schwing

Kuala Lumpur is an Asian metropolis boasting mosques, church steeples, Chinese pagodasand Indian temples. The diversity of the Malaysian capital’s architecture and population alsoreflects in its industry. Investors are lured in growing numbers to the vibrant Southeast Asianmetropolis. Also MTU Aero Engines, with its joint venture partner Lufthansa Technik, profitsfrom the favorable local conditions: it is presently building a new, larger facility in the neigh-boring federal state of Selangor.

The expanded portfolio brings with it ad-vanced repair techniques like HVOF (HighVelocity Oxygen Fuel) erosion coating, a ther-mal coating technique which uses keroseneor hydrogen as a fuel to deposit highly-com-pacted coatings on CFM56 compressorblades.

ASSB derives its workload mostly fromLufthansa Technik and MTU. After its reloca-tion, the company will shift production to“flowline”, a mode that speeds up compo-

nent processing. MTU has been practicing itsuccessfully for years. The company furtherbrings to the table its process simulationexperience. ASSB’s relocation will makeitself felt in dollars and cents as well: annualsales are expected to climb to 20 million U.S.dollars by 2010. This will equally benefit thejoint venture partners’ customers: “The en-largement of our joint Malaysian plant comesas part of MTU’s expansion strategy. Theadded blade repair capacities provide ourcustomers with still more cost-efficient

maintenance solutions,” notes Bernd Kessler,MTU Aero Engines president and CEO, com-mercial maintenance.

The joint venture partners will spend 2006building the new facility and getting the pro-duction engineering work done for it. Expertteams at Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg andMTU in Munich and Hannover are busy plan-ning the revamped shop in all detail. The130-people Shah Alam staff will move to theMalaysian capital not until the new facility isup. This will then permit the speedy, smoothintegration of present work processes intothe redesigned shop.

To cope with the new tasks, ASSB will needmore staff. By 2010, the workforce is ex-pected to grow to 500 employees. For thepurpose, the company has partnered,already in 2005, with the country’s AdvancedTechnology Training Centre (ADTEC), whichis presently training skilled workers under itstechnical training effort proceeding in fourvocational education centers. It offers coursesin mechatronics, mechanical machining, pro-duction mechanics, quality control, weldingand other subjects. Plans are also to jointlybuild a company training system. ADTEC isrun by Malaysia’s Ministry of Human Re-sources.

Malaysia very much welcomes the commit-ment of international companies within itsborders. In end-November 2005, ASSB’smanaging director Detlev Jeske received aninvestor appreciation award from the state ofSelangor in recognition of the investmentsASSB has made in the country. Malaysiaspecifically sponsors the establishment of

new technologies. For the purpose, aScience Park has been built in Selangor. Theindustrial zone is conveniently situated neara highway node; the Kuala Lumpur Inter-national Airport (KLIA), operational since1998, isn’t far away; and the country’s westcoast is a mere 35 kilometers distant. KualaLumpur boasts a direct connection to PortKlang, Malaysia’s largest seaport.


For additional information, contact Martin Köster+60 5522-6757

Starting in 2007, the ASSB joint venture’s portfolio will be expanded with advanced repair techniques for engine blades ex the low-pressure turbine and high-pressure compressor.

The lease for the new company premises is inked: Lee Chui Hiong, ASSB deputy managing director, Detlev Jeske, ASSB managing director, Dato Jabar, general manager SSIC State Selangor, Martin Köster and representatives of the real estate owner (from left).

The expanded facility will need well-trained skilled workers. Partnerships to that effect arealready underway.

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Turboprop flexes muscleThe EuroProp International (EPI) engine con-sortium is smoothly stepping through itsprogram, purposively and promptly passingmilestone after milestone. Late in Februaryit achieved its most recent stage win whenin France’s Istres the TP400-D6 to powerthe emerging A400M military transportuneventfully completed its first run with thepropeller mounted. The achievement wonplaudits from the attending 100 or so high-level guests from Airbus Military, theOrganization for Joint Armament Cooper-ations (OCCAR), the European AviationSafety Agency (EASA), the governments ofthe participating nations and the partnercompanies.

Under a blue spring sky, the Western world’smost powerful turboprop engine effortlesslyrotated the mammoth eight-blade Ratier-Figeac propeller, fully achieving the accept-ance test specifications. “This first run againwitnesses EPI and its partners’ resolve tolive up to strategic European defenserequirements,” noted EPI’s managing direc-tor José Massol.

On the heels of the acceptance run, furtherperformance and functional checks arebeing conducted at the open air test facilityof Snecma (SAFRAN Group), with over 1,000measurements scheduled. Last October,running on a test stand at MTU MaintenanceBerlin-Brandenburg, the engine had alreadyshown what it was worth, albeit without apropeller.


For additional information, contact Martina Vollmuth +49 89 1489-5333

MTU Global

MTU engine technicians are readying the TP400-D6 for its firstofficial run at Ludwigsfelde. The first trial phase was successfullycompleted at the local test stand. Thereafter, the engine went toFrance’s Snecma for further test runs.

Snecma’s control center in Istres.This is where all the data collectedduring the first propeller-mountedtests are converging.

A TP400-D6 with propeller and nacelle mounted: Technicians aredoing final checks before running the propeller for the first time.

Meanwhile, at ITP in Spain’s Ajalvir, the sec-ond TP400-D6 engine was assembled andinstrumented for testing at MTU’s Ludwigs-felde site and the altitude test facility of theCEPr test center in France’s Saclay.

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For additional information, contact Dr. Jörg Sieber+49 89 1489-2513

Customers + Partners

Progressing in a concerted effort

MTU Aero Engines’ conviction is that research needs wiggle room to thrive. For innovative propulsion systems arethe outcome of complex development processes that originate in curiosity and ideas, springing from a visionary forcethat blossoms best when unfettered by commercial interests. Concepts holding promise are then pursued to produc-tion maturity in a second step. In that sense, MTU sees itself as a partner of science, sponsoring innovation potentialalso beyond the confines of the company turf.

By Andreas Park

Aircraft engine construction has undergonetremendous change in the past 100 years.While the Wright Brothers in 1903 still hadonly a 12-horsepower four-cylinder engine topower their first flight, the Airbus A380mega-transport today commands the enor-mous takeoff thrust of four times 76,500pounds. Intervening between these two land-marks are many decades of research anddevelopment in which engineers and scien-tists from across the globe worked inces-santly to produce ever better engines. Theirdrive and commitment today is needed morethan ever. Because in view of the acceleratedgrowth of commercial aviation and dwindlingnatural resources, engine solutions areneeded that resolutely lower fuel consump-tion and achieve ever higher efficiencies.

They will become a reality, however, onlywhen the world’s best experts from everydiscipline pool their knowledge and method-ically channel it into innovative propulsionsolutions true to the motto ‘jointly towardsprogress’, a maxim MTU champions throughcooperative activities with research institu-tions and universities worldwide. They gener-ate valuable contacts with the independentresearch and development community. Dr.Jörg Sieber, who supervises innovation man-agement at MTU, says that the resultingknow-how network actually is more of astaged model. “We enter into science part-nerships in three different stages of intensi-ty. We begin with a regular technology dialogwith the professional public, then transitionto discussions with our expert circles on se-lect advanced technologies and finally endup with long-term technology partnerships.”

For MTU, interdisciplinary collaboration hasbecome a priority, considering that the de-velopment of innovative engines demandsknow-how of enormous breadth and depth.Expertise is required from the most diverseareas, such as aerodynamics, thermodynam-ics, sensor systems and materials research.This is why MTU brings together specialistsfrom industry, science and research on indi-vidual technology topics. The ‘compressorexpert circle’ initiated in partnership with theDLR German Aerospace Center, for instance,hooks up some 30 scientists of diverse back-grounds. “In a sense, we’re seeing ourselvesalso as some type of moderator pulling thedisciplines together and so unleashing newstimulus,” explains Sieber.

MTU’s part in all this is to focus on the imple-mentation of new technologies. Its prime con-

cern is to take innovative products to pro-duction maturity. In contrast, at universitiesand research institutes, research proceedsentirely free of commercial targets. This free-dom is an essential requirement, for it pro-vides scope for new ideas. MTU thereforefunds select research projects, but makes noattempt to steer them. “This creates a win-win situation,” says Prof. Dr. Klaus Broich-hausen, chairman of the Bauhaus Luftfahrtand former chief consultant, technology pro-grams at MTU. “The scientists are affordedentirely new options, and the company ben-efits from forthcoming results.” MTU there-fore funds universities and research insti-tutes to the tune of three million euros annu-ally. Add to that more than two million eurosa year spent on concrete project sponsor-ships. These moneys are funding some 80institutes and 150 research projects globally.

Additionally, MTU experts also accept lec-tureships at universities, support seminarswith their know-how and assist with degreeand doctoral theses. They further enableexcursions to be made into industrial reality.This proximity to academe is crucial for aninnovation-driven company like MTU. “To de-velop globally leading propulsion technolo-gies, a company also needs the best en-gineers to be had globally,” says Sieber. MTUis winning this talent for itself while theyoung people are still in their studies, and sodiscriminately builds the company’s knowl-edge lead.

Turbine blade with a vapor-deposited zirconium oxidecoating as a heat barrier. This is where MTU is closelycollaborating with the DLR research establishment.

MTU cooperates with the IWS in Dresden to perfectthe laser powder cladding technique.

The Clean demonstrator went through its first test ordeal at the Stuttgart University’s altitude test facility, the only one of its kind in Germany.

MTU and the DLR in Cologne are jointly working onan active noise control program. Going through trialshere are frequency superposition systems.

20 REPORT REPORT 21

Newcomers to the shop

MTU’s maintenance shops in Ludwigsfelde and Zhuhai have expanded their engine port-folios by totally three new engine types: the CF34-8, PW500 and CFM56-5B. That puts thecompany’s network of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) shops on track to providerepair work for entire product families. Benefiting most from MTU’s broadened capabilitiesare its customers, who can be sure they receive reliable one-stop quality service.

By Nicole Geffert

In January 2006, MTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg announced the arrival of a new-comer to its repair shop, the General Electric(GE) CF34-8 engine. This fastest-growingmember of the CF34 family has now beenadded to the Ludwigsfelde engine portfolio.Germany’s Federal Office of Civil Aeronau-tics (LBA) in late January awarded the neces-sary EASA and FAA certifications.

Not that the CF34 is a stranger at MTU: TheLudwigsfelde MRO specialists have beenproviding service support for the CF34-3ever since January 2003. So the team hashad some CF34 exposure, but induction of anew engine type has never been a routinechore. “The first six months of the year wetoiled on the basics, getting the tools andresources ready, feeding the MTU systemswith data, defining the test cell equipmentand writing the software,” recalls projectmanager Jens Arend. The latter half of theyear was devoted to work on the engineproper, qualifying personnel and functionallychecking the test cell and testing hardware.In December 2005, the correlation enginewent on the test stand and the cell wasapproved by GE.

The CF34-8 powers 70- to 90-passengerBombardier and Embraer jetliners, as well aslarge business jets. The engine is expectedto contribute substantially to profitablegrowth at the Ludwigsfelde MRO location.Bernd Kessler, president and CEO, commer-cial maintenance at MTU Aero Engines,noted: “As it stands, the CF34 is the compa-ny’s most significant program at Ludwigs-felde. Adding the -8 will solidify our positionas a globally leading MRO provider in thissegment.”

At this juncture, MTU’s certification comes inhandy, for GE is mounting a retrofit cam-

Products

22 REPORT REPORT 23

Products


For additional information, contact Kerstin Laske+49 511 7806-4401

assembles new engines of either type atLudwigsfelde.

Since March 2005, the team has been pre-paring meticulously for the induction of thePW500 into the repair cycle. Innovationshave been adopted in the shop layout, withpermanently assigned work stations ensur-ing smooth flow of the work through theshop, where JT15D and PW300 engines arebeing repaired concurrently. “The trick wasexpanding the test stand without interferingwith the work in process,” Kuka remembers.“Simultaneously, colleagues were getting thetest stand ready for their newcomer, theCF34-8.” Amidst all the hassle, work pro-

paign. “GE has joined forces with Bombardierto launch a modification program for theolder engine variant powering the CanadairCRJ700 regional jet,” explains Jörn Lindstädt,who supervises CF34 marketing and after-sales at MTU. “We’re assuming most cus-tomers will opt for enhancing the installed500 or so CF34-8C1 engines.” The new vari-ant, the CF34-8C5B1, comes recommendedfor its longer useful life at lower fuel burn.

The staff at MTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg nevertheless keeps pressingahead with new plans. “What we want to dois provide repair for the entire CF34 line,”Lindstädt says. So since February this year,the Ludwigsfelde people have been prepar-ing to tackle the latest version as well, theCF34-10.

So much to do, so little time. Go ask MichaelLandes and his team. Landes heads theoperational end of the Pratt & Whitneyengine business at MTU. His team’s commit-ment nonetheless bore fruit: this February,the company excelled in an LBA audit, receiv-ing PW530A, PW535A and PW545A repairapproval.

That makes Ludwigsfelde the first Europeanmaintenance location for the PW500, a nicedemonstration of regional presence. “Ourterritory—in accordance with the joint ven-ture agreement we have with our partnerPratt & Whitney Canada—will be Europe,Africa and the Middle East,” explains projectmanager Stefan Kuka. Worldwide, 1,800PW500s are presently flying, a numberexpected to grow to more than 2,500 by2010.

MTU’s specialists already are familiar withthe Cessna business jets’ compact engine:MTU provides the low-pressure turbine forthe PW530A and PW545 and moreover

ceeded smoothly and on schedule. The for-mula for success was careful preparation,short lines of communications, and teamspirit.

Part of the formula also was staff training,partially conducted at Pratt & Whitney’s U.S.-based location in West Virginia. AtLudwigsfelde, an instructor from Pratt &Whitney Canada will train the staff in thework on the new arrival. “This is where wecan draw on our PW300 background,” Kukasays. This year, the team figures on 18PW500 shop visits, which are expected togrow to 46 by 2009. A well-trained crewstands poised to handle them.

Work is progressing apace also some 8,600kilometers distant, as the crow flies, whereMTU Maintenance Zhuhai has added theCFM56-5B, after the CFM56-3, to its line ofrepair and overhaul services. The firstCFM56-5B repaired in the Zhuhai shop com-pleted its acceptance run in November lastyear before it was shipped back to its opera-tor. The staff celebrated that day as a first inthe company’s annals: MTU MaintenanceZhuhai is the only MTU shop to provide serv-ice support for the CFM56-5B. The engine

powers A320 family transports and other jet-liners.

“At the time, there wasn’t a single shop in allof Asia approved for the maintenance, repairand overhaul of this engine. Globally, only ahandful of the large OEM shops are licensedto repair the CFM56-5B,” explains MTUMaintenance Zhuhai president and CEOWalter Strakosch.

The entire team is highly motivated and re-lentless in striving for perfection. Launchedin 2002, it took MTU Maintenance Zhuhai amere two years to become the engine MROprovider number one in China. The shop pro-

vides service support for all domestic V2500operators. Presently, it is additionally devel-oping into a CFM56 center of excellence.With its CFM56-5B capability, the companyhopes to win customers in China and otherAsian regions with especially efficient andcost-effective engine services, according toStrakosch. Also China Southern Airlines,MTU’s teammate in the joint venture, is fly-ing the reportedly highly reliable engine.

The minute induction of the CFM56-5B iscomplete, MTU Maintenance Zhuhai alreadyhas the CFM56-7B in its cross hairs. 218personnel are being trained for work on thatengine. The crew is mobilizing for action, and

preparations in the shop are steaming alongin the first half of 2006. Strakosch ispleased: “Once regulatory approval is inhand, we’ll have all major CFM56 familymembers in our portfolio, alongside theV2500-A5.”

The CFM56 family—here shown is the -5B version—is one of the world’s best-selling commercial engines. The PW500 is the smallest member of the Pratt & Whitney Canada engine family in which MTU has a stake.

The PW500 is repaired at MTU MaintenanceBerlin-Brandenburg in Ludwigsfelde.

24 REPORT REPORT 25


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

Products

High-pressure effortIn partnership with Pratt & Whitney, MTU Aero Engines is developing a new high-pressure compressor (HPC) targetedat future engines to power standard-fuselage aircraft. Notably light-weight and efficient, the HPC features a high pres-sure ratio and should be suitable for both conventional and geared turbofan engines. First test runs are scheduled thisfall.

By Achim Figgen

The PW6000 is flying proof of the outstand-ing capabilities of Germany’s leading enginemanufacturer. For the A318’s engine, MTUAero Engines is providing the low-pressureturbine and, for the first time on a commer-cial engine program, also the high-pressurecompressor. Not content to rest on its lau-rels, the company now intends to transitionthe PW6000 know-how and the experiencegained with the Advanced Technology Fan

Integrator (ATFI), for which it again suppliesthe HPC, into further development projects.It believes that solidifying and building itshigh-pressure compressor skills will give it ashot at this technologically sophisticatedcomponent also under engine programs stillon the drawing board.

Jointly with its strategic partner Pratt &Whitney, MTU is developing a new high-pres-

sure compressor aimed at potential enginesto power the next generation of mid-size air-liners. For these aircraft, reductions in fuelconsumption will undoubtedly be a high, ifnot prime priority. Engine efficienciesdepending largely on pressure ratios, thenew HPC is to have a pressure ratio of 17:1or beyond, versus the 11:1 ratio of thePW6000 high-pressure compressor.

For the A318s engine, development hadfocused on minimizing maintenance costs,so the number of stages was kept as low aspossible. To realize the superior pressureratio of the new HPC, however, intentions arenot to raise individual stage loads anothernotch; rather, additional stages are envi-sioned. In a first test setup, eight stages is alikely number, and two more than on thePW6000.

To make sure the maintenance aspect isn’tshortchanged, resort is mainly made to moredurable materials and simplified designs.Lying at the core of these efforts is the inte-grally bladed rotor (IBR), or integrally bladeddisk (blisk), where the individual rotor stagesare coming in one piece. According to Dr.Christian Winkler, who heads new businessdevelopment, commercial engines at MTU,the IBR construction eliminates leakage pastthe blade-to-disk attachment points of con-ventional constructions.

IBRs weigh substantially less than conven-tionally constructed compressor rotorstages. This is a significant considerationadvocating the use of the compressor ingeared turbofan engines, which in the esti-mation of MTU and Pratt & Whitney will playa significant part down the road. The weightsavings are further incremented by a novelapproach: plans are to no longer bolt theindividual rotor disks together but to inter-lock them by positive connection.

Blisks are already finding use on the PW6000engine’s high-pressure compressor, althoughonly in the three forward stages. Owing toelevated thermal stresses in the aft com-pressor region, nickel-base alloys are pre-

ferred there. This high-strength and accord-ingly difficult-to-machine material has so farbeen a tough manufacturing challenge forIBR components. On the new high-pressurecompressor design engineers now want to,and will have to, somehow face that chal-lenge. The bladed disks will still have to beseparable assemblies in the rearmost stages,but that may yet change in the course of thetechnology program.

The two partners each hold 50 percent of theprogram. MTU will contribute the completeforward stages, plus most of the vanes. Itstarted manufacturing the first parts inFebruary. Pratt & Whitney will deliver theremaining components and be responsiblefor the overall test setup.

The PW6000 serves as the backbone of the joint MTU and Pratt & Whitneydemonstrator.

MTU’s high-speed low-pressure turbine is successfully being used in the ATFIdemonstrator and elsewhere.

Already, first disks for the new compressor are being manufactured at MTU’s Munich facility.

As yet, the new high-pressure compressor isbut a technology demonstrator, and specificapplications are nowhere in sight. But whenthe day comes, MTU and Pratt & Whitneywant to be ready for it. The planned testruns, scheduled to begin in Munich in theautumn of this year, are a significant step for-ward in this direction.

REPORT 2726 REPORT

Lifesavinglogistics

A child’s heart on its way to the transplantation room, hospital flights from vacation regions, evacuation afternatural disasters: three key facets of ‘lifesaving logistics’, of an increasingly close symbiosis between aviation andmedicine. It is foremost the aircraft that offers efficient lifesaving transportation with medical care en route.

By Clemens Bollinger

Flying the way it used to be, that’s what theGerman Air Force (GAF) pilots flying humani-tarian missions ought to have down pat. “Intheir indoctrination and continued training,we’re still putting a high priority on flying andlanding by compass needle and stop watch,”says GAF major André Geisler. “After all, wenever know for sure what’s waiting for us atthe destination. Perhaps they have somedecrepit old navaid system running there, ormaybe not, and maybe it just up and diedmeanwhile.”

Commander of an Airbus A310, MajorGeisler is part of the parent cadre of theSpecial Air Mission Wing, Federal Ministry ofDefense, at the Cologne/Bonn airport. It’sfrom this airport that he has flown to all con-tinents, embarked on many trips, travellingwith ‘very important politicians’ and haulingmyriad tons of relief supplies to crisisregions in Asia and Africa, and made thosespecial flights as the commander of a flyingintensive-care unit, the GAF’s AirbusMedEvac transport.

Its MedEvac operations are luring interestedparties from across the globe to the GAFhangars at Köln-Wahn. The acronym standsfor Medical Evacuation, and in this case forthe presently unique capability to pick up asmany as 56 injured people and fly themhome, from wherever they may be, providingmedical care underway. That’s the way it wasin Congo, Sudan, Mexico and most recentlyThailand, where in 2004 a tsunami crippledthe country with an apocalyptic visitation atthe turn of the year.

It was a medical Airbus transport flyingunder the German national ensign that firstreached Phuket to evacuate German citizensand other seriously injured Europeans, andthat steadfastly remained when all other res-cue teams had already flown off in awedanticipation of a second sea wave. At thattime, the flying hospital had not finishedloading yet, and speed and nerve were of the

essence. When the jet finally taxied to thetake-off runway, doctors and medics hung onfor dear life among the aluminum frames ofstretchers holding injured people.

If not earlier, it was since these dramaticdays marked by continuous missions of 80hours and more that the Special Air MissionWing with its very special medical logisticshas been thrust into the spotlight. High-pro-file voices call it a landmark of German for-eign and security politics.

The German MedEvac aircraft are AirbusA310s operated by the Special Air MissionWing. Of the totally seven airplanes, boughtsecondhand in the nineties, four were retro-fitted for multi-role transport (MRT) and oneas a permanently available emergency hospi-tal.

The MedEvac airplane can be aloft just hoursafter the alert. Lieutenant colonel, MedicalCorps, Dr. Karlheinz Fuchs, as the medicalchief, has been onboard on practically all ofthe missions. “The book says we have 24hours to ready for takeoff, but we can do it in

eight or so. What we do is fly medical spe-cialists and medics from all over Germany toour base, assemble them into a team, briefthem, and off we go.”

Reports

REPORT 2928 REPORT

His hopes are for a permanent dedicatedMedEvac outfit to deliver maximum service.Says Fuchs: “So far, we’ve brought totally4,000 wounded and sick people home, andwe haven’t lost a single one of them.” Hecontinues to add, softly: “Even though it wastouch and go now and then.”

Things seemed to be coming to a head whenone not-so-fine day the ground controllers ofsome Arab country, chagrined by a presum-ably missing overflight clearance, threatenedto send a couple of interceptors aloft. TheGAF crew then opted to make a detour andpulled off to keep out of trouble.

“We’re trying hard to keep out of trouble,”says Major Geisler, the commander. “I’d hateto abort a flight, for technical or other rea-sons, with a full load of wounded persons onboard.” The technical reliability of the air-craft engines, all General Electric CF6-80s, isundisputed, however. MTU Aero Engines has

content on those engines, having manufac-tured high-pressure turbine and compressorparts for them since 1972.

For all flights, especially if undertaken formedical reasons, an old pilots’ wisdom holdsthat to fly means to land. “You need the flex-ibility to land as near the sick or injured aspossible,” emphasizes Frank Hegner, pilotand flight operations chief at ADACAmbulanceService. That organization’s twoFairchild-Dornier 328JETs in their yellowGerman automobile club livery, as well as itspair of Beechcraft Super King Air 350 turbo-props, last year picked up 1,800 people frompoints in southern Europe. The main focus oftheir activities were the Aegean Islands andSpain’s vacation resorts.

Founded in 1973, ADAC AmbulanceServiceforms part of an extensively organized healthservice. ADAC delegated its flight operationsto Aero-Dienst in Nurem, a wholly-ownedaffiliate. Aero-Dienst holds flight operations

Reportslicense No. D-002, directly second in line tonational flag carrier Lufthansa, the number001.

Fairchild-Dornier jets and Beechcraft air-planes, which in the summer season arereinforced by additional chartered aircraft asneeded, are the ideal ambulance vehicles.The Fairchild-Dornier jet boasts a spaciouscabin allowing doctors and medics to standupright when tending to as many as elevenpatients. Inside the cabin, noise is subduedthanks to the quiet twin Pratt & WhitneyCanada PW306 engines. MTU developed thelow-pressure turbine and the mixer for thistwo-shaft turbojet engine, and is buildingthem.

Flight operations chief Hegner says: “Call itwhat you will, it’s a true commercial airlinerand gives us the reliability we need. With us,it logs 1,200 operating hours a year, easy; itwould have to withstand a bit more than thatin revenue service.”

Designed for short-haul operations, the leg-endary Beechcraft King Air 350 comes rec-ommended by its runway performance, ashort 600 to 700 meters. This puts hospitalspractically at your door steps, for the King Air

can serve some 200 small airports inGermany alone, and about 2,500 acrossEurope.

For Frank Hegner, his job is all the moreintriguing when viewed in contrast withscheduled airline flying. “That’s almost likedriving a bus. Whereas my 26 fellow pilotsand I get to know a different airport everyweek.”

This applies equally to Klaus Gehrmann,chief of HeliFlight at Reichelsheim. His twin-engine Piper Cheyenne IIIA, marked D-IDIA,has long become a fixture for the groundcontrollers behind the radars of the Germanair traffic control. About three times a weekGehrmann takes off in his “India Alpha” fromthe 730-meter runway in the Wetterauregion, day and night, in all kinds of wind andweather, and very much on his own.

It’s only above 1,500 meters or so up in theair that the ground controller at Europe’s

largest radar center in Langen near Frankfurtcan spot the Piper Cheyenne on his screen,pick it up and guide it through airspace, giv-ing it priority because hospital flights enjoypreferred status worldwide, a kind of flashingblue light on the tail, if you will.

For in medical flying, time isn’t money, it’ssurvival. Especially for the small patients ofthe children’s cardiology center at theGiessen university hospital, not far from theReichelsheim airfield. In that environment, itis readily apparent that the supreme achieve-ments in children’s heart transplantationwould be nil without a lift from aviation.

Lieutenant Colonel, Medical Corps Dr. Karlheinz Fuchs (left) and Airbus Commander André Geisler (2nd onright), ably assisted by other MedEvac specialists from the Special Air Mission Wing, have met challengesacross the globe.

The main operating region of the two Fairchild-Dornier 328JETs of the ADAC ambulance fleet is in southEuropean countries. From there, they are flying sick or injured vacationers home, summers and winters.

The CF6 family ranks among the most popular engines in its class, powering a plurality of widebodies.

In its various versions, the PW306 has several different business jet and regional jet aircraft applications.

For additional information, contact Sabine Biesenberger+49 89 1489-2760


REPORT 3130 REPORT

Reports

Flying palaces

By Andreas Spaeth

For their private air travels, mahogany row executives, heads of state, Arab rulers and billionaires everywhere areincreasingly trading their cramped business jets for spacious modified jetliners of all sizes, including Airbus A380 mega-transports. This is where they can wallow in infinite luxury among such amenities as double beds, showers, steam bathsand temperature-controlled wine cabinets, the vast cabin floor space of their private jetliners easily accommodatingtheir most extravagant furnishing fancies.

For the big aircraft makers, the trend towardprivate jetliners has opened up a new, lucra-tive playing field. It was Boeing that startedthe ball rolling in 1996 with its 737NG-basedBoeing Business Jet (BBJ), which by now hassold over a hundred copies. Youngest scionof the private deluxe airliner family is theBBJ3 that is based on the 737-900ER andprovides maximum creature comforts for asmany as 50 users on 104 square meters of

floor space. And taking VIP air travel to newheights, Boeing plans to launch a VIP 787that offers 214 square meters of cabin spacefor 75 passengers on a plane that with its19,240-kilometer range capability can reachany airport in the world non-stop. The Seattleplanemaker’s European rival Airbus has sofar fought back with its A319 CorporateJetliner (ACJ) but recently begun touting alow-end, A318-based business variant it callsthe A318 Elite. The allure of that plane—optionally powered by the PW6000 engineco-developed by MTU—is that while in a stan-dard version it costs no more than a long-

Sterling elegance pervades the lounge of a Boeingbusiness jet.

Sometime, the Airbus A380 will ply the air as the world’s largest and most luxurious VIP transport.

REPORT 3332 REPORT

For additional information, contact Sabine Biesenberger+49 89 1489-2760


Reports

Bombardier Global Express and Gulfstream550, interior designers and cabin engineersused to have few choices in their interiordesign options other than a few settees, sofabeds and a shower, they are now having thetime of their lives. It blows your mind justimagining the tremendous options the A380gives us, according to Walter Heerdt,Lufthansa Technik’s senior vice president ofmarketing and sales in Hamburg. “It opensexciting possibilities for the interior designand outfitting.” Lufthansa Technik’s (LHT)unit ranks among the globally leading VIPcabin outfitters, having been involved in thisspecialty market since the late sixties; in all,it has transformed 40 aircraft, eleven ofthem Boeing 747s, into airborne palaces. Atthis time, its specialists are busy working ondesigns for a VVIP (very, very important per-son) A380 that elevates luxury to an artform: the royal lounge on the upper decksports a wellness area with a steam bath andexercising machines, plus tastefully decorat-ed bedrooms, the latest in consumer elec-tronics and magnificently furnished functionrooms. And rather than the 550 or so pas-

range business jet listing at 35 to 45 millionU.S. dollars, it offers four times the cabinspace. In terms of spaciousness, moreover,Airbus is about to claim what appears to bean unbeatable record: its envisioned double-deck VIP A380 will offer 602 square metersof floor space, which is some 230 squaremeters more than the U.S. president has onhis Air Force One.

Alongside the private deluxe jetliner industry,VIP cabin outfitters are springing up acrossthe globe. Where frustrated by lack of spaceon even high-end business jets like

sengers crowding the A380 in scheduled rev-enue service, its private cousin will take 30to 140 people aboard, at most.

Cabin outfitters are putting the customerfirst. Already, a New York design office isworking on A380 cabin plans for a potentialArab client wanting to fly the plane to Hawaiinon-stop. Carried onboard will be tempera-ture-controlled wine cabinets, special cabi-nets for exquisite chinaware, and flame-resistant parquet flooring. The designers atLufthansa Technik have seen it all: once, apotentate had a 250-kilogram chandeliersuspended from the cabin ceiling, and someother supreme ruler had aspired to have awhirlpool installed on a Boeing 727. “Butthen you’d have to haul the water for it alongat takeoff and landing, and that costs yourange,” says LHT’s Joachim von Holtzapfel.“Nowadays, practically all VIP jets have ashower onboard. It skimps on water, helpingnon-stop flights to be made around half theglobe,” explains the director of sales for VIPand executive jet services.

The quintessence of VIP jetliners, however, isa pair of specially configured 747-200s, des-ignated VC-25A, that have been providing airtransport for the president of the UnitedStates ever since 1990. When the world’smost powerful man is onboard either air-craft, the radio call sign is “Air Force One”.The twin flying manors are unique in manyways: they boast an anti-missile defense sys-tem, special protection against electromag-netic interference from nuclear explosions,87 telephones (28 of which are interceptionproof), 19 television and eleven video unitsand, allegedly, escape capsules for the pres-ident. They are the world’s only jumbo jetscapable of inflight refueling and have special

engine cooling provisions to keep aloft for aweek, if necessary. They carry up to 100 pas-sengers, their deep freezers holding 2,000meals. Increasingly, also other nations likeJapan and the ruling houses of the Near Eastare employing Boeing 747-400s in their VIPfleets. Industry insiders have been overheardquipping: “Big airplane, big statesmen.”

The 602 square meters of floor space on the two decks of the A380 in its VVIP configuration provide practically unlimited design opportunities.

“Project U” is a Lufthansa Technik individual cabin design offering.

The U.S. President’s Air Force One is theyet unrivaled epitome of VIP flying.

REPORT 3534 REPORT

Engines morphed intofire extinguishers

The turbo extinguisher of the fire brigade ofLudwigshafen-based BASF Aktiengesell-schaft has a pair of Alpha Jet engines pro-ducing water vapor that completely removesthe soluble ammonia gas from the atmos-phere. Moreover, it is only under the protec-tion of the artificial drizzle that the task force

By Andreas Park

Anecdotes

For additional information, contact Sabine Biesenberger +49 89 1489-2760


can go near the tanker to fix the leak. Thiswould have been impossible using conven-tional fire fighting equipment, no other sys-tem providing such formidable dousingpower. The truck can tackle 3,500 squaremeters of fire site at once. With their exhaustjet, its engines atomize huge volumes of

Worms Rhine Harbor: During the unloading of a chemical tanker, large amounts of ammo-nia gas escape. Soon, an ammonia cloud forms and drifts towards the city. Luckily, Germany’smost powerful fire truck, the “turbo extinguisher” operated by BASF’s fire department, quick-ly arrives on the scene. Forming the heart of the truck are twin Alpha Jet Larzac04 engines.

water and catapult a bank of fog up to 140meters wide directly into the seat of fire.

Actually, the working principle of the turboextinguisher is as simple as it is brilliant:Aero engines, contrary to their original pur-pose, are mounted on a truck. On the latest

generation of the BASF turbo extinguishers,the turbo extinguisher II, variable water noz-zles are used to feed up to 8,000 liters aminute of water or water-foam mix into theexhaust jet of the Alpha Jet engines. Theresulting fog extinguishes fires as far awayas 150 meters, removes or dilutes harmfulgases from the air and is alternatively usedalso for cooling industrial equipment. Theversatile extinguishing system deliversunequalled effectivity. The truck, for in-stance, takes a mere minute to douse liquidfires spreading over an area of 300 squaremeters. Amazingly, it is the only vehicle of itskind in Germany. “Actually, the idea isn’t newat all, we merely improved on it a lot,” ex-plains Rolf Haselhorst, who heads the BASFfire department.

The system was originally developed in theformer Soviet Union, where armored vehicleswere fitted with a MiG engine and deployednot only for fire fighting but even for plowingsnow. It was when Hungarian turbo extin-guishers in the aftermath of the first Gulf Warwere successfully used to fight burning oilwells in Kuwait that the system attractedworldwide attention. It still failed to catch on,however, because for commercial use, theMiG engines used at the time were tooheavy, sluggish, damage-prone and expen-sive in fuel consumption and maintenance.“We were nevertheless convinced of thepotential and usefulness of the engine-pow-ered extinguishers,” says Haselhorst andgoes on to explain: “That’s why starting inthe mid-nineties we took to analyzing variousengines, looking for a suitable solution.” Inits effort, the BASF fire brigade was spon-sored by the Federal Ministry of Educationand Research. Successfully so, because by1998 the first truck was operational.

But rather than using one big engine, theengineers opted for a pair of the smaller butcapable and robust Larzac04 engine de-signed for the Alpha Jet. The two-shaft tur-bofan engine was manufactured, beginningin 1975, by MTU Aero Engines in concertwith Snecma (SAFRAN Group), Turbomeca

and KHD. MTU’s manufacturing and supportstake included notably the engine’s hot sec-tion from the combustor inlet to the turbineexit. Until the Alpha Jet was retired in 1997,engines had been built to equip over 500 ofthe fighter/trainer aircraft. After that, MTUhas only been supplying spare parts for theengine. “Luckily we bought a dozen Alpha Jetengines at the time,” Haselhorst says, “evenif that means a lot of hassle and strict secu-rity constraints, considering the engines arecoming under the War Weapons ControlAct.” In 2005, BASF had already commis-sioned the second, upgraded turbo extin-guisher and appreciably expanded its usage

Second generation BASF turbo extinguisher Engines: 2 Larzac04-C6Thrust: 13,100 NFuel consumption: 1,000 l/hSwivel range: +/- 90° horizontally,

+ 45°/- 10° vertically Fuel tank capacity: 3,000 l

spectrum. The system is suitable also fortunnel venting, having successfully beentested for tunnel lengths up to 1,000 meters.It enables the helpers to safely approach thescene of accident. It has engendered grow-ing interest among operators of industrialfacilities and tunnel operating companies.

Supplying the turbo extinguisher with water is a challenge, standard street hydrants failing to supply the enormous amounts of water needed. Use is therefore made of special tank trucks.

REPORT 3736 REPORT

NEWS

Udo Stark was pleased to present robust numbers at

the annual financial results press conference.

Among other advantages, the combination machine

saves much time and hence money.

MTU in 2005 appreciably outperforms general market growth With a twelve percent sales growth, to

2,148.6 million euros, MTU Aero Engines last

year continued on its growth track.

Simultaneously, operating profit grew 35

percent, to 233 million euros. Moreover,

MTU Aero Engines

Order backlog

Sales

of which OEM business

of which commercial engine business

of which military engine business

of which commercial engine MRO

EBITDA (calculated on comparable basis)

of which OEM activities

of which commercial engine MRO

Year’s net earnings (IFRS)

Year’s net earnings (adjusted)

Cash flow from operational activities

Research and development expenses

of which company-funded R&D

of which outside-funded R&D

Capital expenditures

Employment

2005

3,649.2

2,148.6

1,434.8

943.4

491.4

732.1

233.0

162.4

72.1

32.9

51.4

290.1

171.9

83.8

88.1

83.5

6,746

2004

3,408.3

1,918.0

1,375.6

879.9

495.7

575.9

172.2

131.3

42.7

0.2

13.0

72.9

232.8

155.9

76.9

65.9

6,954

Change

+ 7.1 %

+ 12.0 %

+ 4.3 %

+ 7.2 %

- 0.9 %

+ 27.1 %

+ 35.3 %

+ 23.7 %

+ 68.9 %

n.a.

+ 295.4 %

+ 297.9 %

- 26.2 %

- 46.2 %

+ 14.6 %

+ 26.7 %

- 3.0 %(adjusted for spin-off of Atena Engineering GmbH)

cash flow from operational activities very

nearly quadrupled.

“We have met our objectives with a comfort-

able margin. We’ve grown faster than our

markets and substantially reduced our debt,”

said Udo Stark, MTU Aero Engines CEO. Next

year, growth is predicted to be driven largely

by the company’s commercial engine MRO

segment.

Jointly with Deckel-Maho-Gildemeister, MTU

has commissioned a new machine that per-

mits milling and turning operations to be per-

formed in combination. Combining the two

operations, which normally run on different

machines, appreciably reduces turnaround

times, cuts manufacturing and one-time

costs and moreover improves product quali-

ty. Also the variety of tools and number of fix-

tures were reduced. MTU is the field test

customer for this machine.

Novel milling-turning process at work

Dagmar Wöhrl and Udo Stark shown here with a Eurofighter EJ200 engine at MTU’s Munich facility.

Dagmar Wöhrl and Jörg Schönbohm visit MTU

MTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg at IGT Conference

The MTU team, one of the sponsors of the confer-

ence, received the official WTUI badge right then

and there.

Dr. Rainer Martens has been appointed MTU Aero Engines’

new executive vice president and chief operating officer,

effective April 15. He succeeds Dr. Michael Süß, who is as-

suming a senior, executive level position outside the company.

Martens (44) studied mechanical engineering at Hannover

University. He has a long-term background in engineering

management in both the aviation and aircraft engine indus-

tries. From 1997 to 2002, he was production manager at

MTU, and from 2002, headed Airbus’s Bremen facility.

Johannes Huth, chairman of MTU’s supervisory board, noted:

“We’re greatly pleased we secured a veteran industry expert

like Rainer Martens for our managing board, someone with a

wealth of experience in the aviation industry.”

Dr. Rainer Martens appointed new COO

Industrial gas turbine staff from MTU Mainte-

nance and more than 600 representatives

from over 200 other companies in March

attended the Western Turbine Users Inc.

(WTUI) Conference in California. This mas-

sive attendance makes it the largest event of

its kind. Discussions focused on the ex-

change of technical, operational and repair

issues involving the General Electric LM

series of gas turbines.

“What’s so special about the WTUI get-

together is that everybody we meet there

may be a potential customer,” explains mar-

keting manager Uwe Kaltwasser from MTU

Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg, emphasiz-

ing the value the conference has for his com-

pany. Special attention is being paid to the

U.S.-based clientele, the world’s largest for

the LM series. The Brandenburg company

expects to attend future WTUI conferences

as well.

Dagmar Wöhrl on March 27 dropped by for a

short visit to the Munich-based company.

The state secretary at the Federal Ministry of

Economics and Technology had a first-hand

view of Germany’s leading engine manufac-

turer, having MTU’s chief executive officer

Udo Stark show her around and stopping for

a chat with apprentices.

During her visit, Stark said: “We are pleased

to welcome Dagmar Wöhrl at our company, a

politician who assists the federal minister of

economics in especially aerospace matters.”

Two days later, Brandenburg’s minister of the

interior Jörg Schönbohm visited MTU Mainte-

nance Berlin-Brandenburg. He was im-

pressed with the economic growth of the site

and captivated by the new test cell for the

TP400-D6, a focal point of the company tour.

Some 270 MTU staff plus 30 invited guestsin mid-February celebrated, at the GermanMuseum’s Flugwerft Schleißheim, the com-pleted certification of the GP7000 engine.MTU Aero Engines chief executive officerUdo Stark lauded the achievements of allinvolved: “There has rarely been a programpursued at such a fast pace. It’s the mostsuccessful commercial development pro-gram we’ve had in the past 20 years.”

MTU celebrates GP7000 certification

MTU Aero Engines, partnering with EADS,the world’s second-largest aerospace group,and BAE Systems, Europe’s largest defensecompany, is starting a young talent exchangeprogram. This summer, five industrial clerks-to-be, all female, will get to know the U.K.’sBAE Systems in Preston. They will be accom-panied by five prospective aircraft equip-ment mechanics from EADS. In return, tenyoung people from the U.K. will come toGermany this fall to spend three weeks atMTU’s Munich facility and at EADS’sManching location.

MTU, EADS and BAE Systems launch exchange program

Bruce Hughes, president of Engine Alliance,added: “The GP7000 program wasn’t easy,what with five companies, all different, work-ing together.”

Bob Saia from Pratt & Whitney, an EngineAlliance vice president, emphasized thesmooth cooperation among the companies:“Pratt & Whitney and MTU are more thanpartners. We’re a family, and I’m proud tohave MTU in my family.”

Udo Stark, MTU CEO, drew attention to the tight schedule.

< Bob Saia, Engine Alliance vice president, had big kudos for MTU Aero Engines.

Some of the apprentices are very happy; they cantake part in the exchange program.

Flugwerft Schleißheim of the German Museum proved an appropriate backdrop for the event.

MTU Aero Engines and Pratt & Whitney arebuilding a joint geared turbofan demonstra-tor based on the PW6000. It is scheduled torun in 2007 and undergo flight testing a yearafter. To begin with, MTU is providing itshigh-speed low-pressure turbine, a key com-ponent of efficient geared turbofans, for thedemonstrator. To be added later is a novelhigh-pressure compressor, which is currentlybeing developed by MTU and Pratt & Whit-ney.

Dr. Christian Winkler, who oversees newbusiness development, civil programs atMTU Aero Engines, said: “That high-pressurecompressor, with its aerodynamic design,might well become the capable core elementof next-generation engines.”

MTU and Pratt & Whitneybuild joint demonstrator

Late in March, the correlation runs for theCFM56-7B engine at MTU MaintenanceZhuhai’s test cell concluded successfully.This completes repair approval for all CFM56engine models the Zhuhai shop intends tosupport.

“We made five correlation runs to obtain thedata we needed to adapt the test cell to thetechnical peculiarities of the -7B and thesoftware involved,” explained Alan Miao, whosupervises the test cell at Zhuhai.

Alongside the CFM56, also the V2500-A5 isbeing cycled through the Chinese shop.

Zhuhai correlationruns for CFM56-7Bcompleted

Printed by:Graphische Betriebe Eberl GmbHKirchplatz 687509 Immenstadt i. Allgäu • GermanyTel. +49 8323 802-0

Authorial contributions do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editors.No responsibility is accepted for unsolicited material.

Editorial Note

Editor:MTU Aero Engines Holding AGTorunn SieglerHead of Marketing/Communication

Editor in chief:Sabine Biesenberger

Address:MTU Aero Engines Holding AGDachauer Straße 66580995 Munich • GermanyTel. +49 89 1489-2760Fax +49 89 1489-4303E-mail: [email protected]: www.mtu.de

Editorial staff:Clemens Bollinger, Achim Figgen, Nicole Geffert, Andreas Park, Dr. Frank-E. Rietz, Ute Schwing, Andreas Spaeth, Martina Vollmuth

Graphics & Layout:Manfred Deckert Sollnerstraße 73 81479 Munich • GermanyTel. +49 89 30728287

Photography credits:Cover Page:PagesPagesPagesPagesPagesPagesPagesPagesPagesPagesPagesPagesPages

EurofighterEADS, Eurofighter, Luftwaffe, MTU Aero Engines photo archiveEurofighter, Luftwaffe, MTU Aero Engines photo archiveEADS, NLR, MTU Aero Engines photo archiveChristof Eichler, MTU Aero Engines photo archiveLufthansa, MTU Aero Engines photo archiveEuroProp International, MTU Aero Engines photo archiveAirbus, DLR, NASA, MTU Aero Engines photo archiveAirbus, Bombardier, Cessna, Embraer, MTU Aero Engines photo archivePratt & Whitney, MTU Aero Engines photo archive ADAC, Clemens Bollinger, Luftwaffe, MTU Aero Engines photo archiveAirbus, Boeing, Lufthansa, Netjets, U.S. Air ForceBASF, MTU Aero Engines photo archiveMTU Aero Engines photo archive

REPORT 3938 REPORT

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