summer/fall 2008 - mtu aero engines · summer/fall 2008 technology + science ... we expect the...

Optimized bestseller

Summer/Fall 2008

Technology + Science Products + Services Interview + Report

Thrust for SaudiArabia

“Eurofighter – the German AirForce’s system of the future”

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

Making the right choices

Dear Readers:

The German International Aerospace Exhibi-tion, today’s Berlin ILA, was first staged 99years ago. That puts it on the threshold of anew century. Aviation, too, is standing on thethreshold of a new era: In view of impendingclimate change, aircraft need to be quieter,fuel-thriftier and cleaner, and their enginesalong with them. For years we engine makershave been working on novel green technolo-gies and now have found a suitable solutionin the geared turbofan™ engine. Its introduc-tion will mark a milestone in the history ofaviation and readily compare with the adventof the turbofan some 40 years ago.

Pratt & Whitney and MTU have joined forcesto develop the technological base for thegeared turbofan in a plurality of research pro-grams. This amount of groundwork is gradu-ally paying dividends: the geared turbofanhas passed its ground tests with flying colors,and flight testing will be next. These initial en-couraging results have prompted Mitsubishiand Bombardier to select the geared turbofanas the sole engine choice for their next gen-eration of regional aircraft to fly from 2013.We expect the engine demand to run around4,500 units.

If the geared turbofan proves its worth indaily operations, it will be a likely engine can-didate for Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 suc-cessor aircraft. When they enter service inthe latter half of the next decade, the newshort- and medium-haul airplanes are ex-pected to provide appreciable fuel savings.Their market volume will run far above that ofregional aircraft. For MTU, they constitutethe most significant potential geared turbo-fan segment by far. Considering the signifi-cance the V2500 with its sole application in

Editorial

Making the right choices 4 - 7


The fine art of patching

8 - 11

12 - 13

A new brand is born 14 - 15

Desert boom town

A veritable power pack

Thrust for Saudi Arabia

20 - 21

16 - 19

Milestones

Pilotless aircraft

“Eurofighter Typhoon – the GermanAir Force’s system of the future”

22 - 23

24 - 27

30 - 31

28 - 29

Perfectionists in the sky 32 - 35

NewsMasthead

36 - 3939

Contents

Interview with Lieutenant General Klaus-Peter Stieglitz: The Chief of Staff of theGerman Air Force is a pilot himself and regularly flies Europe’s most advanced andcapable fighter aircraft.8

Making the right choices

“Eurofighter – the German Air Force’s system of the future”

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has selected it as the sole engine choice for theMitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ), and also Bombardier will equip its CSeries with it:Pratt & Whitney’s geared turbofan (GTF™) is gaining momentum and is obviouslyhere to stay.Page 4

The Eurofighter Typhoon has scored itssecond export deal winning a contractfrom Saudi Arabia. Worth billions, thecontract is hoped to have a knock-oneffect triggering further sales in theglobal market. Page 24

the A320 family has for MTU, you can imag-ine the significance the new engine will have,being supposed to find takers in both Airbusand Boeing.

The geared turbofan concept carries greatsignificance also technologically: our Claire(Clean Air Engine) technology program re-volves around it. In three steps, we hope by2035 to reduce CO2 emissions by 30 percentand halve the noise. Importantly, none of thetechnologies required for the purpose stillneed inventing; they have all been tried andtested or have been validated for feasibility.The geared turbofan combines latest tech-nologies: a gearbox, a highly efficient high-pressure compressor, and a high-speed low-pressure turbine as a key component. Eventhe components envisioned to optimize it sub-sequently—the counterrotating fan and theheat exchanger—have already been testedand have given outstanding results.

All this makes it very clear that for MTU,technology and cost leadership remain keyto maintaining competitiveness and high-skilled job security in Germany long-term.

Sincerely yours

Egon BehleChief Executive Officer


A new chapter is being opened in theV2500’s book of achievements:SelectOne™ is the optimized version ofthe best-selling engine built by Inter-national Aero Engines (IAE).Page 8


Cover Story

Technology + Science

MTU Global

Customers + Partners

Products + Services

Anecdote

Interview + Report

2 3

Making theright choicesMitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has selected it as the sole engine choice for theMitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ), and also Bombardier will equip its CSeries with it: Pratt &Whitney’s geared turbofan™ (GTF), is gaining momentum and is obviously here to stay. Thatmarks the first step on the road to creating a new product family. MTU Aero Engines is plan-ning to take an approximate 15-percent stake in either of the two GTF versions.

By Patrick Hoeveler

The German engine maker is also betting ona third engine, expecting to take a roughly15-percent stake in the PW810 at the lowerend of the thrust range. It is being built byPratt & Whitney Canada and targeted at thenew Cessna Citation Columbus. While thisengine comes without a gearbox, it never-theless joins the two geared turbofanengines in an extended product family. Dr.Christian Winkler, who heads business

4 5Cover Story

development at MTU, explains: “The com-mon core is scaled and adapted also interms of the materials used. In this ap-proach, the MRJ engine constitutes thebasic version of the geared turbofan.” Takenacross the full life of the programs, theengine trio is worth a potential 12 billioneuros in sales for MTU.

For interesting multimedia services associated with this article, go to:www.mtu.de/108GTF_E

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

6 7Cover Story

The MRJ is a 70-to-90-passenger commercialtransport to enter revenue service in 2013.The MRJ70 will be rated at 67 kilonewtons,the larger MRJ90 at a takeoff thrust of 76kilonewtons. Its market volume is estimatedat 1,500 units. Official program launch isexpected to occur this year. The Japaneseopted for the geared turbofan on account ofits 15 percent lower operating costs. “Amajor part of that is due to its lower fuel con-sumption,” Winkler says.

Compared to today’s best-selling engines inthis thrust class the new design offers areduction of maintenance costs of 40 per-cent according to Robert Saia, Vice PresidentNext Generation Product Family at Pratt &Whitney. “Additionally it is about ten decibelsquieter.”

The big advantage afforded by geared turbo-fans is their reduction gear, which decouplesthe fan from the remaining low-pressure sys-tem. That allows the components to run intheir respective optimum speed ranges toimprove efficiency. “By decoupling the fan itturns at a third of the speed of the rest of thelow-pressure system. This way we can in-crease the speeds of the low-pressure com-pressor and turbine. Thus, for a given thrustrange we can reduce the number of stages ofthe low-pressure compressor and the low-pressure turbine,” the American engineersays.

The concept also enables bigger fan diame-ters to be selected, which in turn makes forlarger bypass ratios and hence lower fuelconsumption. “We try to make the fan aslarge as possible. The slower it turns the moreefficient and quieter it gets,” explains Saia.

At this time, negotiations are underway be-tween MTU and Pratt & Whitney regardingthe size of MTU’s stakes. “We’re seekingmodule responsibility in development andmanufacturing,” Winkler confirms. TheMunich people have set their sights on two

components, hoping to bag a stake in thecompressor, apart from the high-speed low-pressure turbine. For MTU, the bargainingposition looks compelling, not least on ac-count of the Germans’ low-pressure turbineexpertise. That turbine is a key component ofthe geared turbofan. Says Winkler: “On thehigh-pressure compressor, we’re targetingthe stake we already had in the experimentalcompressor. That would be the first fourstages, which is about half the compressor.”

Developed in partnership with Pratt &Whitney, this eight-stage high-pressure com-pressor has its first test phase behind it. “Inthe process, it attained its efficiency and sta-bility goals throughout,” Winkler says. “It hasa high 17:1 pressure ratio and its size is tar-geted at the potential successor models ofthe Airbus A320 and Boeing 737. In a down-scaled version, the compressor will be used,

for instance, also on the MRJ andBombardier’s CSeries engine.”

The aircraft of the Canadian CSeries are con-ceived to seat 110 and 130 passengers, andenter revenue service in 2013, like the MRJ.MTU estimates its market volume at roughly3,000 units in the approximately 102-kilo-newton thrust range. The decisions made bythe regional aircraft makers may point theway for the industry in general. The MTUmanager is confident that “if the geared tur-bofan actually prevails and meets expecta-tions in this domain, that is sure to have aripple effect on the next-generation single-aisle aircraft.”

First results coming in from a geared turbo-fan demonstrator based on the PW6000speak for themselves. “We’ve met specifica-tions for specific fuel consumption and effi-

The next generation of regional jets – the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ).

The geared turbofan demonstrator on Pratt & Whitney’s advanced test facility in West Palm Beach, Florida. The high-pressure compressor developed jointly by MTU and Pratt & Whitney on MTU’s test stand.

ciency,” Winkler emphasizes. The demon-strator features a gearbox and a new low-pressure system including MTU’s high-speedlow-pressure turbine. Compared with thestandard PW6000, fuel consumption is muchsuperior, albeit not yet comparable with laterproduct applications that will come with anew core. Flight tests planned for mid-yearare expected to demonstrate that capabilityalso when airborne. But even idling on thetest stand, the engine has impressed Winklerand his colleagues. “It’s so quiet you can keepup a conversation standing right next to it.”

Optimized bestseller A new chapter is being opened in the V2500’s book of achievements: SelectOne™ is theoptimized version of the best-selling V2500 that International Aero Engines (IAE) brought tomarket over two decades ago. The reliable engine has been refined to reduce fuel consump-tion, boost time on wing and cut maintenance costs. Production launch of the upgrade isscheduled in summer 2008.

By Nicole Geffert

“SelectOne™ comes as a direct response tocustomer demands,” explains Leo Müllen-holz, who heads IAE programs at MTU AeroEngines. The program director is confidentthat “improved reliability and reduced main-tenance costs make the new build standardattractive for airlines” and that “it will helpIAE to retain the lead it has over competi-tors.”

IAE has further refined the class-leadingengine. Fuel consumption has been reducedby another percentage point, with a corre-sponding reduction in emissions. Time onwing has been extended, too, allowingSelectOne™ to remain on the aircraft 20percent longer than its trusted V2500-A5predecessor model.

8 9Technology + Science


For additional information, contactLeo Müllenholz+49 89 1489-3173

For interesting multimedia services associated with this article, go to:www.mtu.de/108V2500_E

“Our focus is on longevity of the product andwe’re continuously enhancing it to benefitour customers,” Müllenholz emphasizes.After the V2500-A1 version had been im-proved to become the V2500-A5, theSelectOne™ standard constitutes anotherstep forward. The V2500-A5 is designed tosuit the varying requirements of the A320family of aircraft; in the 22,000- to 33,000-pound thrust range, there are seven versionsin total. Thanks to its cost effectiveness, reli-ability and environmental credentials, theV2500 has, from its inception, been theengine of choice for this Airbus family.

MTU’s role in the V2500 program is the five-stage, low-pressure turbine, which is assem-bled at MTU Maintenance Berlin-Branden-burg. As co-founder of the multinational IAEengine consortium, the German company isholding a roughly 11-percent stake in theV2500. Pratt & Whitney contributes the com-bustor and the high-pressure turbine, Rolls-Royce is responsible for the high-pressurecompressor, and Japanese Aero EnginesCorporation for the fan and low-pressurecompressor.

“The modifications embodied in SelectOne™,as compared with the standard V2500-A5version, mainly involve the high-pressurecompressor and turbine, as well as the elec-tronic engine control,” explains MTU’sStephan Krinner, V2500 technical programengineer. The optimized high-pressure com-

pressor now boasts 3D airfoil geometries aswell as improved aerodynamics and airfoilsurface texture. The high-pressure turbine in-corporates new materials and sealing sys-tems.

MTU has adapted its low-pressure turbineaccordingly. “Our specialists optimized theairfoil angle of attack of the stage three tur-bine stator,” explains Werner Striegl, theV2500 technical program manager. TheGerman engine manufacturer not only sharesin the development and manufacture ofSelectOne™ but, as the globally leadingV2500 maintenance provider, also assumesfull repair responsibility.

Before the modified engine was allowed tofly, it needed to demonstrate its reliability onthe test stand. During the preliminary phase,three engine tests were on the agenda: theperformance operability test took place inApril 2007 at MTU’s Munich facility to verifythe functionality of the complete SelectOne™engine. “For flight approval, we simulatedcycles on the test stand,” explains KurtScheidt, who at MTU is responsible for com-mercial engine testing. “A cycle lasts 10 to15 minutes, as we’re mainly testing at themaximum loads occurring during takeoff andlanding.” Upon completion of several weeksof test stand trials, the engine was strippedand inspected. Additionally, a telemetry testand an endurance test took place in the U.S.at partner Pratt & Whitney’s test facility.

After the ground testing wrapped up suc-cessfully in October 2007, the engine wasflown to America in the cargo bay of a com-mercial transport. At Plattsburgh in NewYork State, testing on the flying testbed wasscheduled. On the wing of a Boeing 747, theIAE engine completed 45 flying hours inseven flights and proved to be in perfectshape. “The targets were all met and the per-formance capabilities attested to in theground runs were confirmed,” Scheidt sum-marizes. The technically difficult installationof the test engine for the flight trials wasassisted by MTU instrumentation specialistson-site. 500 tapping points needed to becrammed into the engine, no easy job evenfor the experts. Says Scheidt: “The wholecomplex sensor system had to be accommo-dated in a manner such that it was sure notto interfere with flightworthiness.”

The meticulously accurate preparations madeby all involved paid off: Following successful-ly completed flight testing, SelectOne™ ob-tained approval from the U.S. Federal Avia-tion Administration (FAA) in December 2007.But that left the partners little time to relax;already in February this year SelectOne™underwent further flight trials, this time in

the sky above Toulouse in the south ofFrance, on the wing of an Airbus A320.“We’re right on schedule,” Scheidt explains.Certification by the European authorities isexpected in May this year, in time for the ILAInternational Aerospace Exhibition in Berlin.

That paves the way for launching productionin summer. IAE’s first SelectOne™ produc-tion engine will go to IndiGo Airlines. TheIndian carrier will be equipping a hundred

The SelectOne™ on MTU Aero Engines’ test facility in Munich. In February 2008 the SelectOne™ made its first flight in Toulouse – on the wings of an A320.

Testing of the SelectOne™ on the wing of a Boeing 747 in Plattsburgh, New York.

Airbus A320 family aircraft with theSelectOne™ build standard, becoming thelaunch customer of the optimized bestseller.


“We would have loved to repair these com-ponents in the past,” says Dirk Eckart fromMTU’s repair team, “only there just wasn’t anyestablished, approved blisk repair procedure.”So having a repaired low-pressure turbineblisk again in the air, on an aircraft flying atalmost Mach 2 high in the skies over Germany,in itself is a first in global aviation. The engi-neer and his colleagues last December hand-ed the first patched blisk over to the GermanAir Force. That followed on the heels ofextensive repair development and validationtests to ensure the repaired component wasunconditionally fit for reuse.

In patching, the damaged portion of the en-gine blade is first cut off by a fully auto-mated process. Then, using a tungsten plasmaarc welding process especially developed forthe purpose, the replacement parts for thesectioned blades are joined to the blisk. In afinal step, the repair specialists use an adap-tive milling process to restore the blade to itsproper geometry.

“All of this didn’t just fall into our laps,”Eckart remembers. “We had been workingfor years on a repair technique of the type,you bet.” Being Germany’s industrial leadcompany for practically all engines flown bythe country’s services, MTU repairs most ofthe German Air Force’s engines. “So, natu-rally, we had to develop a repair techniquefor the blisks, too, as they arrived on thescene,” Eckart reports. No mean feat, con-sidering that the blades, being integrallyjoined with the disk, fall into safety class 1applying to rotating components.

Conventional approaches were unsuitablefor the repair of these integrally joined parts.So after years of painstaking detail work,Eckart and his team improved the plasmawelding process to achieve an optimum weld

To remove metals and also weld mate-rial from blisks, MTU is developing afurther high-tech method, dubbedpulsed electro chemical machining, orPECM for short. It accurately removesmaterial by anodic metal dissolutionduring electrolysis.

PECM does not require mechanicalcontact between tool and workpiece.That obviates the transfer of forcesduring the processing of blisk blades.In the process, the gap widths betweenthe workpiece and the tool are ex-tremely narrow. The material removedcorresponds practically exactly to theshape of the electrode, because theflow lines can essentially extend onlynormal to the surface. Since with gapwidths as small as 10 μm to 100 μm,the exchange of electrolyte by flow nolonger works, mechanical pulsing issuperimposed on the downfeed.

The technique comes recommendedby its high cost-effectiveness and ischaracterized by residual stress-freematerial removal, gentle fillets andsmooth surfaces.

The fine art of patching

By Denis Dilba

A little less than a year ago, there would have been no doubt about it: Blade-integrated disks (blisks)with heavily damaged blades need to be scrapped and replaced with new parts. But things havechanged; MTU has since developed a technologically sophisticated repair process called patching togive injured complex blisks for the Eurofighter’s EJ200 engine a new lease on life.

PECM – globally top

For additional information, contactDirk Eckart+49 89 1489-8338

For interesting multimedia services associated with this article, go to:www.mtu.de/108Patching_E

quality. “We managed to enhance processstability by using effective inert gas shielding,so that we finally got the quality we need,”Eckart explains. The repaired part just aboutduplicates the quality of the virgin part,regardless of how many blades on a blisk arerepaired. Also remember that patching real-izes savings, the repair using the new tech-nique costing substantially less than a newblisk.

“We’ve already obtained approval for theEJ200’s second low-pressure compressorstage,” according to Eckart. “That for the firststage will be obtained before the year is out.”From the military arena, the new technologywill sooner or later spill over into the compa-ny’s commercial programs. Here, too, theuse of blisks is rapidly growing. “In newlydeveloped engines, that technology is largelydominating,” Eckart says. That’s also wherehe sees great future potential. Patchingpromises to greatly enhance the cost-effec-tiveness of aircraft fleets. He’s sure that“whenever inquiries come our way from thecommercial scene, we’ll be happy to go towork and demonstrate our repair expertise.”

Removal of milling marks and blending into the adjacent contour.

Tungsten plasma arc welding ensures high-qualitywelds.

< An EJ200 blisk undergoing a contour check afterblending.

14 15MTU Global

The time to invade the supply business couldhardly be more favorable; the market isevolving at breakneck speed, original equip-ment manufacturers (OEMs) are placingtough demands on high-tech products andcost-efficiency, increasingly unloading non-core activities and betting heavily on flexibil-ity. The prospects to succeed in this marketare promising. Aware of the opportunities,

A new brand is born By Thorsten Rienth

Know-how transfer is the buzzword in the booming supply business. Germany’s leadingengine manufacturer is taking off with a new brand, MTU Aero Solutions, to provide advancedtechnology solutions for cross-industry applications. The new brand is targeting not only theaviation industry but moreover any other metal processing industry that can benefit from thecompany’s long years of experience and expertise reflected in a wide array of offerings for en-gineering, testing, parts manufacturing, and surface technology applications.

MTU went ahead and launched a third brand,alongside MTU Aero Engines and MTUMaintenance. MTU Aero Solutions will debutat this year’s ILA International AerospaceExhibition, which will take place in Berlinfrom May 27 to June1, presenting itself as anindependent brand benefiting from the vastexperience accumulated by MTU AeroEngines. Organizationally and optically, MTU

Aero Solutions will be solidly integrated inMTU’s group of brands but do business as anindependent entity. The image sets createdfor the new brand will clearly identify it asbeing associated with MTU but still convey adistinctive note that sets it apart with its indi-vidual specialties and capabilities.

For additional information, contactHans-Christian Melzer +49 89 1489-6599

For interesting multimedia services associated with this article, go to:www.mtu.de/108AeroSolutions_E

For customers, the trade name reflects acomprehensive performance spectrum,where “Aero” accentuates the decades ofexperience, expertise and reliability thatMTU has demonstrated as a partner on inno-vative aviation programs, while “Solutions”underscores the individual service approachto benefit customers.

The new business activity is ideally equippedto face the challenges ahead. “Consideringthat in-house we’re practicing all of the tech-niques involved in the manufacturing cycle, itwould only seem natural to offer also select-ed parts of it,” explains MTU sales consultantHans-Christian Melzer. The developmentwork pursued in the past has long since beentested and certified, and that spares cus-tomers tedious certification procedures. Thisresults in a win-win situation, where cus-tomers profit from MTU’s many decades ofexperience, its expertise and its innovationpotential in the fields of engine development,manufacturing and testing and tailor-madetop-quality components are shipped to themfrom Munich in a timely manner to securetheir technological lead. For the MTU Group,in turn, supplier activities provide workloadfor the development departments, test facili-ties and production lines, improving the com-pany’s cost effectiveness.

Launch customer of MTU’s new offering isJapan’s IHI Corporation, which has orderedintermediate-pressure compressor disks togo into Rolls-Royce Trent 700 and RB211engines. For openers, the IHI contract is farfrom shabby, involving double-digit millioneuros in sales. Next came a manufacturingcontract for low-pressure turbine rotor disksfor General Electric’s GEnx next-generation

engine. Further orders, especially from cus-tomers in the Far East, are in the pipeline. “Youcan tell we’re in demand,” Melzer enthuses.

Aviation will remain MTU Aero Solutions’ coremarket. But already it has become apparentthat MTU’s leading-edge technology is indemand also in other industries. Companiesunable to equal MTU’s practices and stan-dards can avail themselves of MTU’s aviationexpertise. In the medium term, the ensuingtransfer of know-how will be advantageousespecially for the gas turbine industrythrough, for instance, high-quality surfacetreatment techniques; long-term, it shouldpay dividends also for other steel and metalprocessing industries.

... spectacular overtaking maneuvers ...

Formula 1 advertising: Pit stop ... ... aviation high-tech for other industries.

“Generally, MTU Aero Solutions will bearwatching by anybody involved in metals, andin items that rotate very fast and must safelysustain enormous heat,” Melzer summarizes.Globally, with its ambitious Made in Germanyquality mark, MTU Aero Engines will be ableto quickly and reliably resolve problems inaviation and cross-industry applications.

Desert boom townMore than 40 years ago, Dubai on the Persian Gulf was a sleepy cluster of whitewashed houses and dust roads.Its people subsisted mainly on pearl fishing, until oil was found in the desert sand. Since 1966, the region has beenbooming, much of the growth being driven by Dubai’s state-owned Emirates Airline. One of the world’s most dynamiccarriers, Emirates boasts phenomenal growth sustained by a large fleet of aircraft that will soon include 58 AirbusA380s, making it the largest operator of these mega-transports globally.

By Andreas Spaeth

The airline’s success story dates back to theinauguration of Dubai International Airportin 1959. The airport had a 1,800-meter run-way and until the mid-sixties operated ameasly six intercontinental services a week.The airlines operating out of Dubai at thetime included BOAC, MEA, Gulf Air and IranAir. By 1969, nine airlines served the deserttown, linking it to 20 destinations. For de-cades, most airliners flying Europe – Asiaroutes stopped over here just for refueling.This lasted until the early nineties, when theadvent of the long-range Boeing 747-400obviated the need for these fuel stops.

In 1985, Emirates appeared on the scene. Itwas the first Dubai-based airline, and in thedecades ahead was to see breathtakinggrowth. “That was the only time we receivedstate aid, which was ten million U.S. dollarsto start operations, but that was it,” empha-sized Tim Clark, Emirates’ president, whohas been with the airline ever since it was

16 17Customers + Partners

launched. The Arab upstart began operationson October 25, 1985, flying to Istanbul,Mumbai, Delhi and Karachi with threeleased Boeing 727-200s and later addingtwo Airbus A300s leased from Pakistan. In1987, first European flights were launched,including a Dubai – Istanbul – Frankfurt routethat is served three times a week.

When the other airports on the Gulf lost sub-stantial traffic and revenue as the Europeanand Asian airlines ceased their fuel stops,Dubai reversed its course in 1995, pinningits hope on tourism. At that time, airporttraffic stagnated at around seven millionpassengers a year. Today, that number hasgrown to 33 million passengers and for2010, the target is 60 million. Nearly all ofthe 17.5 million Emirates passengers carriedin fiscal 2006/07 departed from or flew viaDubai, with the airline until spring 2008 alsooffering a daily Hamburg – New York flightto extend its Dubai services.

18 19

For additional information, contactHeidrun Moll+49 89 1489-3537

For further information on this article go to:www.mtu.de/108Emirates_E

In early 2008, Emirates operated 113 aircraftserving over 100 destinations in 62 countrieson six continents. The highly profitable Arabairline is considered the bellwether of airlinegrowth. Presently, it has far over 100 new air-craft on order, among them 58 copies of theA380 mega-transport. That makes it thelargest A380 customer. The Dubai airline in2000 became the launch customer for theworld’s largest commercial airliner and hasincreased its A380 order ever since. It willtake delivery of its first mega-transport insummer this year, the first commercial A380to be powered by GP7000 engines, in whichMTU has a development and productionstake of over 22 percent. The German enginemanufacturer holds responsibility for the low-pressure turbine, parts of the high-pressureturbine and the turbine center frame.

Its A380 fleet will be the backbone of the stillexpanding Arab airline. The mega-transportis expected to fly ultra-long routes, say to NewYork or Sydney, as well as high-density re-gional routes like ones in India. These planswill make Emirates the only A380 operator to

use the aircraft in three different versions:as a three-class 517-seat and 489-seat con-figuration, respectively, and a two-class 600-seat version for shorter hauls. There is littledoubt Dubai will soon be the world’s largestA380 airport. At the new terminal complex,to be inaugurated in May, seven A380-friend-ly slots are already in place. At Concourse 3,to be completed in 2010, 18 of the 20 gateswill be able to accommodate the mega-trans-port, permitting passengers to board concur-rently through three bridges leading into themain and upper decks. To maintain the mam-moth aircraft, Emirates has inaugurated oneof the world’s largest maintenance centers atthe Dubai airport: At its northern end, no lessthan seven maintenance hangars and apainting hangar have sprung up, each boast-ing 11,500 square meters of floor space, ormore than two soccer pitches taken together.

Evolving into one of the most significant traffichubs globally, the emirate profits especiallyfrom its geographical location: Living within aradius of 6,400 kilometers, or about eight fly-ing hours, are 3.5 billion people, which ismore than half the world population. Currentnumbers are impressive: Dubai’s grossdomestic product has been growing an aver-

age 16 percent over the past several years,airport traffic volume grew over 19 percentin 2007, and Emirates had to cope with 30percent growth last year.

The flourishing airline is betting not only ongateway traffic, which amounts to about 40percent of revenue at the home base, but

Dubai’s new terminal: At Concourse 3, to be completed in 2010, three bridges will permit passengers to board the A380’s main and upper decks concurrently.

Emirates will take delivery of the first Airbus A380 powered by Engine Alliance GP7000 engines insummer 2008.

also on what Tim Clark calls the Dubai factor,which is the glamor radiated by this artificialcity in the desert. Emirates has a particularlystrong presence in Germany, with Frankfurt,Munich and Düsseldorf served several timesa day and Hamburg once a day from thedesert hub. High on the wish list also areStuttgart and Berlin, home to the ILA Inter-

Customers + Partners

national Aerospace Exhibition. Emirates alsowas among the sponsors of the 2006 soccerworld championship in Germany, and its logois seen on the shirts of first-league soccerteam Hamburger SV.

In terms of passenger service, Emirates isamong the leading providers in the business,as confirmed time and again by a plurality offrequent flyer honors. Admittedly, amidst theairline’s furious growth, it isn’t always easy tokeep a steady level of service throughout. Ofthe almost 22,000 airline employees, only adiminutive part hails from Dubai proper orfrom the Arab region generally. Overall, staffis being recruited from some 70 differentcountries, which is about par for the boom-ing states on the Persian Gulf, especiallyamong their airlines. That makes Emirates aglobally oriented airline indeed.

20 21Customers + Partners

A veritable power packYou could hardly tell the MTR390 Enhanced’s prowess from the size of it: Being a mere 44 centimeters wide, 68 cen-timeters high and 108 centimeters long, it still delivers an enormous 1,094 kilowatts, or 1,487 horsepower. The engineis the uprated version of the MTR390 powering the Eurocopter Tiger, and the most advanced engine in its peer group.In a twin-engine configuration, it provides the French-German support and antitank helicopter with the power it needs.

By Bernd Bundschu

“The Enhanced version packs a tremendouswallop and is a big technology leap ahead,”explains MTU Aero Engines’ program directorPeter Harster. The turboshaft engine deliversan extra 14 percent power for hot and highmissions compared with the basic version,as desired by Spain, the new customer, andthat makes it welcome also in temperate cli-mates. “This is where the helicopter’s extrapower helps it carry more payload,” Harster

says. Such benefits also sold France andGermany on the Enhanced version. Of their171 MTR390 engines each has on order, theFrench will take delivery of 80 Enhanced ver-sions, and the Germans a lesser number of10, plus 24 on option. The European pro-curement agency OCCAR late last year inkedthe contract to that effect.

“The fact that Germany, too, has opted forthe more powerful Tiger engines is a majormilestone in the MTR390 program,” enthusesClemens Linden, managing director of bothMTR and MTRI. The latter is an associatecompany of the MTR390 engine consortiumand in partnership with Spain’s Industria deTurbo Propulsores (ITP) coordinates the devel-opment, manufacture and support of theEnhanced engine.

The MTR390-E has something else to recom-mend it: It’s in part identical to the basic ver-sion and modifying the latter into anEnhanced version poses few problems. Sincethe engine-to-airframe interface is the samefor both MTR390 versions, the Tiger weapon

system can readily be re-engined with theupgrade. “Thus we will be able to offer anupgrade kit to the more powerful version asa major modification,” Linden adds.

This applies similarly to the engine controlunit, for which MTU is redesigning the hard-ware and operating system to suit theMTR390-E. “We’re using electronic compo-nents of the latest generation. That makesthe new unit appreciably lighter in weightand safer without adding to its size. Also, itremains compatible with the old version,”explains Dr. Andreas Kreiner, MTU chief engi-neer for the MTR390’s control system.

Overall, MTU’s stake in the MTR390-E pro-gram includes the combustor, high-pressureturbine and accessories. Its share in the pro-gram amounts to about one-third. Addition-ally, MTU’s Munich facility performs rig test-ing and engine thermal paint testing.

The Enhanced version made its first run lastyear at a Turbomeca test facility. At itsMunich facility, MTU Aero Engines has beentooling up for production since January.Plans are to ship the first productionMTR390-E to Spain in September 2009; all inall, the Spanish will take delivery of 50 units.

The MTR390 was developed by MTR, aconsortium including MTU AeroEngines, Turbomeca and Rolls-Royce.Of the basic version, the MTR390-2C,238 copies have been delivered so far:106 to Germany, 67 to France, 51 toAustralia, and 14 to Spain.

MTR390

For additional information, contactPeter Harster+49 89 1489-3309

For interesting multimedia services associated with this article, go to:www.mtu.de/108MTR390_E

Installed in the test bed’s quick-change frame theMTR390 is being prepared for the acceptance test run.

One of the last operations: checking the torque ofthe power turbine bolts.

In parallel with the ongoing productionin Munich, the operator nations arepresently setting up the necessaryrepair capacities. In Germany, repairswill be performed at MTU AeroEngines’ Munich facility startingSeptember, while the French enginesare supported by Atelier IndustrielAéronautique (AIA) in Bordeaux.Additionally, since November 2007, acertified repair shop has been up andrunning in Bankstown near Sydney,Australia.

Maintenance is pursued according tothe on-condition maintenance princi-ple, where the engines undergo regu-lar pre- and post-flight inspections,plus boroscoping every 400 flighthours. In the field, the engines areconsistently monitored and sent outfor repair if indicated by alertsreceived from the built-in monitoringunit for which MTU is responsible.

For further information on this article go to:www.mtu.de/108TP400_E

For additional information, contactGerhard Bähr+49 89 1489-8542

MilestonesBy Martina Vollmuth

The TP400-D6 program is building momentum: Since November last year, the engine topower the A400M military transport has been passing one milestone after another.

Upon delivery of the flying testbed engine toMarshall Aerospace in England’s Cambridgelate in 2007, the EPI Europrop Internationalconsortium at the end of February waspleased to announce further achievements:Right on schedule, MTU has shipped the lastof the four engines to power the first flight ofthe A400M prototype to Airbus in Spain’sSeville, where the military airlifter undergoesfinal assembly. Around that time, TP400-D6engines logged the 1,000 hour mark on theground test stands across Europe. Also deliv-ered on the dot was the control unit software

22 23Products + Services

for the integration tests on the iron bird atAirbus. If all goes according to plan, the firstmilitary airlifter will take off for its maidenflight this summer.

Meanwhile at MTU Aero Engines in Ludwigs-felde, preparations are underway full steamfor the final assembly of the productionengines. This is where the TP400-D6’s solefinal assembly line will be operated. “Also,we’re seriously looking into the maintenanceof engines in the field,” MTU CEO Egon Behleexplains. MTU is desirous to provide the

The TP400-D6 wins the race: Airbus Military willequip the A400M with this engine.

MTU presents the first TP400-D6 component – theintermediate-pressure compressor. It makes its firstrun in Munich in end-November.

The TP400-D6 is put through its paces and success-fully passes its first run in MTU’s new test facility inLudwigsfelde.

Certification testing starts: At MTU an engine isassembled for comprehensive ground tests.

Nearing flight testing: In end-November the TP400-D6intended for the flying test bed is being readied fordispatch at MTU.

The first shipset for the A400M’s maiden flight isready in end-February, and the four engines aredelivered to the A400M final assembly line in Spain’sSeville.

In March 2008 the flying test bed, a Hercules C-130, is equipped with a TP400-D6 at Marshall Aerospace inCambridge in England.

German Air Force with all possible supportalso on that program. Its credentials for thejob are years of fruitful experience under theindustry-military cooperative model of enginemaintenance, according to Behle.

2003 2005 2006 2007 20082004


24 25

By Patrick Hoeveler

Breakthrough in the non-European market: The Eurofighter Typhoon has scored its secondexport deal winning a contract from Saudi Arabia. The kingdom ordered 72 aircraft for whichthe Eurojet consortium, which has Avio, ITP, MTU Aero Engines and Rolls-Royce as partners,will deliver 144 EJ200 engines. These have considerable MTU content. Worth billions, thecontract is hoped to have a knock-on effect triggering further sales of the combat aircraft inthe global market.

“We have a lot riding on that contract, justlooking at the sales volume of the initialorder, which runs around 300 million euros,”explains Klaus Günther, EJ200 programdirector at MTU. The initial order includesspare engines and support services. Afterthat, follow-on orders are expected to comein, for instance for further replacementengines, spare parts and repair work. MTUshares in these according to its role in theEJ200: Germany’s leading engine manufac-turer is responsible for 33 percent of theEJ200’s development and 30 percent of itsproduction. The German company is manu-facturing the high-pressure and low-pres-sure compressors and provides the digitalengine control and monitoring unit(DECMU). At MTU, about 600 people areworking on the EJ200 program.

Products + Services

2726

For additional information, contactKlaus Günther+49 89 1489-3308

For interesting multimedia services associated with this article, go to:www.mtu.de/108EJ200_E

The first EJ200 engines will be delivered in2009; at MTU, component production isalready underway. The engines will be theTranche 2 standard. Most significant innova-tion over the 363 Tranche 1 copies deliveredto date is the DECMU: So far, each EJ200came with a control unit and an airframe-mounted monitoring unit for both engines.“Now we have combined control and moni-toring units in a single box,” Günther explains.“This arrangement cuts costs and saves air-frame space for other applications, likeavionics.” The highly-complex high-tech sys-tem combines the entirety of control andmonitoring functions of the engine, whichwhen reheated delivers a thrust of 90 kilo-newtons. The DECMU weighs in at just about13 kilograms and is designed to meet a plu-rality of criteria. One of the most demandingof these is that the electronics should workfaultlessly within a -40 °C to +125 °C tem-perature range.

For service with the Al Quwwat al Jawwiya alMalakhiah as Sa’udiya (Royal Saudi AirForce), the EJ200 will need no modifications,according to Günther. The sand ingestiontest, a standard requirement in the certifica-

Program statusThe EJ200 final assembly lines in the fourEurojet partner countries Germany, theUnited Kingdom, Italy and Spain are runningflat out. Delivery of the 519 Tranche 2 en-gines began in mid-2007 and is scheduled toconclude in spring 2012. The engines for theSaudi Arabian customer are being producedin parallel. Following an initial warm-upphase, final engine assembly will be shiftedto Saudi Arabia.

“Meanwhile, the combat jet has been in serv-ice for several years and reports of its per-formance have been positive throughout,”according to MTU program director Günther.The pilots of the four participating countries

and the first export customer, Austria, arehappy with the performance and reliability ofthe turbofan engine, which enables super-sonic flight even with the afterburner off.

But there’s still room to improve. Currently,concept talks are underway with NETMA(NATO Eurofighter & Tornado ManagementAgency) regarding options to update theengine. The emphasis is on reducing lifecyclecosts and boosting thrust, with up to 30 per-cent considered feasible. Agility, too, can beenhanced. Günther feels that “thrust vector-

tion procedure, was passed with a comfort-able margin. Günther says: “The EJ200 isready for desert missions ‘as is’. Factoredinto its development has been flying experi-ence accumulated with the Tornado enginein Saudi Arabia, where the RB199 has beenin service since 1986.” Nor are the Munich

The DECMU is fitted to the EJ200 at MTU Aero Engines in Munich.

A Tornado of the Royal Saudi Air Force.

engineers strangers to the desert kingdom inthe commercial engine arena. Güntherreports: “MTU maintains stable relationshipswith Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabian Airlines, forone, counts among the major clients ofMTU’s maintenance segment.”

The positive experience the Saudis have hadwith the Panavia Tornado jet and the Turbo-Union RB199 engine may explain why theyopted for the Eurofighter Typhoon. With theSaudis, as with the British Royal Air Force,the combat jet is to support the Tornado inits air defense role. “This the world’s mostadvanced and capable weapon system is thelogical choice for the purpose,” says the MTUprogram director.

ing continues to be an intriguing option.”Earlier, in the mid-1990s, ITP and MTU hadrun successful tests using a vectored thrustnozzle. Latest analyses indicate that thrustvectoring would not require structural modi-fications to the aircraft.

Products + Services

28 Interview + Report 29

“Eurofighter Typhoon – the German Air Force’s system

of the future”The Eurofighter is entering its next procurement phase, Tranche 2. In the German Air Force,two wings are already accumulating operational experience, testing the aircraft’s reliability,strengths and challenges, and the role it plays in the Air Force’s combat readiness. We inter-viewed Lieutenant General Klaus-Peter Stieglitz. The Chief of Staff of the German Air Force isa pilot himself and regularly flies Europe’s most advanced and capable fighter aircraft.

General, now that the Eurofighter has beenflown a while by the Air Force, what is yourexperience with this aircraft?

The Eurofighter has been flying with the AirForce for nearly four years. It has appreciablyenhanced the Air Force’s capabilities. Itsmajor advances are the exceptionally highthrust-to-weight ratio it provides, its uniqueagility, and the range and precision of itsweapons, to name just a few.

We’ve also learned, however, that its manycomputers, especially when operated inflight, have added to the aircraft’s complexitycompared with the Tornado weapon system.This is a formidable challenge. The youngofficers piloting this combat aircraft not onlyneed to fly well, they moreover need to knowa great deal about the management of com-plex systems.

How is the EJ200 engine doing in the field?

The engine you people designed and builtproves to be one of the Eurofighter’s out-standing components. The aircraft’s deploy-ment characteristics, such as the agility andclimb it needs to survive and win out in allscenarios, in a sense make this engine thecenterpiece of the combat aircraft.

In the fighter’s deployment, will there be otheror additional roles the Eurofighter will have tofill down the road?

For the Air Force, the Eurofighter will nolonger be solely the fighter in the classicalsense of the term but moreover will addition-ally provide offensive operations capability. Inother words, in battle the Eurofighter will beable not only to maintain or gain air superi-ority but also fend off enemy attacks on theground and precisely engage targets day andnight, in any weather and at any distancewhile avoiding collateral damage.

Do you believe the Eurofighter is adequatelyequipped for future missions, or is there anapparent need for an update here and there?

The Eurofighter provides the Air Force with afourth-generation combat aircraft which interms of operational versatility, capability andtechnological enhancement potential is pres-ently unrivaled, at least in Europe.

But still, any type of military technologyneeds continuous upgrading and improving.

The Eurofighter, for one, has been conceivedexactly along that line, considering that thedevelopment, production and deploymentphases overlap. Insights gained in deploy-ment, for instance, can be fed back directlyinto the continuous improvement of the air-craft.

What significance does the Air Force attach tothe procurement of the Tranche 3 Eurofighter?

The Eurofighter is the Air Force’s eminentsystem of the future. It is not until Tranche 3is deployed that the makeover of the ser-vice’s airborne weapon systems will be com-plete. As this combat aircraft is being phasedin, the inventory of older combat aircraft thatare much more expensive to maintain is sub-stantially reduced. Sometime around 2017,the Air Force will have a total of 180 Euro-fighters and 85 Tornados at its disposal tofulfill its mandate.

It is only if and when we introduce the Euro-fighter in the scope envisioned that we areable to reduce the inventory of older combataircraft while further improving our capabili-ties. For the Air Force, procurement ofTranche 3 is a must.

Generally, how in the next decades do youenvisage the role of the manned combat air-craft versus the unmanned aerial vehicle?

Unmanned aerial vehicles will not be able tocompletely replace manned aircraft. Rather,they will to a certain extent appropriatelycomplement them in the aggregation of weap-on systems used in aerial warfare. Mannedaircraft will be available only in limited num-bers, having to concurrently cover ever morepotential multi-role deployment options. Thisis where unmanned systems provide reliefand unlock a new dimension in capabilityvalue. UAVs deployed to that effect will be-come an indispensable tool in the projectionof air power.

What is your personal experience piloting theEurofighter?

It’s a totally electrifying experience to fly it. Ienvy the young pilots beginning their AirForce careers on this aircraft.

For additional information, contactOdilo Mühling+49 89 1489-2698

For further information on this article go to:www.mtu.de/108Interview_E

A Eurofighter of fighter squadron 73 “Steinhoff” in Laage in flight with the afterburner on.

30 31Interview + Report

Pilotless aircraftBy Andreas Spaeth

The joke is as old as the autopilot: Sitting alone in the cockpit of a modern aircraft are a pilot and adog. The pilot is there to feed the dog, and the dog is there to bite the pilot as soon as he tries totouch anything. Scenarios like that aren’t the last word in aircraft automation, however. Experts areconfident that air traffic is moving relentlessly toward full automation and abolition of the cockpit. Youmay wonder whether passengers will go along with that.

“The question is not whether pilotless air-craft are coming, but when. We’ll have toface it,” says Denis Chagnon, a spokespersonwith the International Civil Aviation Organiza-tion (ICAO) in Montréal. In Europe and theUnited States, research activities are bus-tling: The airliner-to-be finds its way acrossthe sky more or less on its own, with no pilotonboard, and is monitored and controlled, ifnecessary, from the ground. Such capabilityis expected to make flying more efficient, en-vironmentally friendlier and safer.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) flying mili-tary missions are not new, being used asrobots to patrol outside of controlled air-space. In the civil arena, UAVs are in a first

step supposed to assist civil science in taskssuch as environmental monitoring, volcanoobservation and atmospheric research. Forsuch tasks, pilotless aircraft benefit from theirability to stay aloft longer than their mannedcounterparts.

In Europe, researchers are examining theutility of civil UAVs within a new air trafficcontrol system: The European DefenseAgency (EDA) is presently pursuing a road-map study to assess the compatibility of civilUAV missions with concurrent manned air-craft operations in the crammed Europeanairspace. A consortium of 12 leading Euro-pean aerospace companies is trying to findways to implement such coexistence no laterthan by year-end 2015.

Simultaneously, the European Commission ispursuing a research project that is dubbedInnovative Future Air Transport System(IFATS) and coordinated by the French Oneraresearch organization. Sharing in it also isthe German Aerospace Center (DLR). TheIFATS concept envisions the formation of anew global airspace management systemthat computes four-dimensional flight routesfor all air traffic participants. “That’s a revo-lutionary system considering there’re nopilots in the aircraft and no controllers, bothbeing replaced by control systems on theground,” explains Onera’s Claude Le Tallec. Asubstantial benefit it affords is improved uti-lization of the airspace through automatedcontrol of the aircraft in all flight phases fromtaxiing out from the airport of departure toparking the aircraft at the destination air-port.

The IFATS team is also looking into the esti-mated costs of a pilotless airliner: Devel-opment investments would run around 525million euros and purchase of a 230-passen-ger airliner almost 38 million euros. Omis-sion of the cockpit would provide room forten additional passengers. In terms of effi-ciency improvement, each aircraft could fly80 hours longer per year than a conventionaljet transport and use up to 3,000 liters lessfuel per hour.

As yet, there’re many unknowns in these rev-olutionary simulations: precautions must bein place, for instance, to keep control of theaircraft from being criminally manipulatedfrom the ground. The most critical question,however, involves the passengers. Will thesepeople trust an automated system? While the

use of driverless subway trains has becomecommonplace in many cities, many passen-gers of high-speed intercity trains may beginto hesitate knowing there is no driver upfront. A German poll indicated that with apilotless aircraft, 33 percent of the passen-gers will not come aboard in the first place,and 48 percent only provided a pilot is on-board to monitor the computers. Only 19 per-cent of the respondents said they wouldn’tmind traveling without a pilot.

Nonetheless, there’re facts speaking for thepilotless aircraft: Demonstrably, many flightcatastrophes are attributable to humanerror, and the Onera experts and others areconfident that human error is exactly whatcan practically be eliminated by automatedaircraft.

Driverless train: Germany’s first fully automatedsubway has been in operation in Nuremberg since2008.


For further information on this article go to:www.mtu.de/108UAV_E

Perfectionists in the sky

By Robert Wouters

As a sports highlight, the championship game of professional American football, known asthe Super Bowl, is impossible to upstage. Each year it enthuses 75,000 people in the stadi-um and some 100 million fans on TV worldwide. Nonetheless, early in February, Glendale,Arizona, hosted another icon of American showbiz when the Blue Angels, the U.S. Navy’s leg-endary aerobatic team, started this year’s season with a flyover of the Bowl. By November,the Blues will have participated in well over 40 air shows in the United States.

When they fly their complete routine, the sixAngels will be aloft for well over an hour.Last year, they amazed some 15 million peo-ple. In all, since the squadron was formed in1946, that number meanwhile totals some427 million. To have the show unfold in itsincredible precision, it needs preparing ac-curately and executing with maximum con-centration on the job. Each performance istaped and subsequently analyzed. For a safeairshow, the aircraft need to be in tech-nically perfect shape. Owing to the torturingloads encountered by the aircraft duringflight maneuvers, the ground crew will haveto support the jets more extensively thanstandard equipment.

Since 1987, the squadron has been flyingMcDonnell Douglas F/A-18A/B Hornets.These are equipped with two GeneralElectric F404 engines, in which MTU hashad a role since early 2007. For the F404,

the German engine maker is manufacturingthe high-pressure compressor spool. For thesuccessor model F414, which so far findsuse only on the Super Hornet, MTU is alsomanufacturing the shrouds of the two tur-bines.

3332 Anecdote

3534 Anecdote

Contrails in the skyAt this time, twelve of the jets are on activeduty, of which ten are single-seat F/A-18Asfor the show and two are two-seater F/A-18Bsfor VIP flights. The Hornets are practically inproduction configuration, except that theM61 Vulcan cannons were removed, and forbetter aircraft handling during inverted flighta spring has been added to the control stick.Arranged between the engines is a tank hold-ing smoke oil. The oil is injected into theengines to create condensation trails in thesky to enhance the safety and orientation ofthe pilots. Also, contrails help spectators onthe ground track the aircraft.

With all its extreme maneuvers, the showinvariably follows the same pattern. For opti-mum flying weather, visibility should be atleast 5.5 kilometers and the cloud ceiling atleast 2.5 kilometers. That’s when the Blues gothe whole hog. Opening the show is a C-130Hercules, also known as Fat Albert, which


For further information on this article go to:www.mtu.de/108BlueAngels_E

Opening the show: Fat Albert, a Hercules C-130, istaking off.

Daredevil aerobatics thrill the crowds.

Roaring across the runway at low altitude.

The United States’ best pilotsAfter a greatly exciting history, the squadronis presently commanded by Kevin Mannix. Itwas formed by directive of Admiral ChesterW. Nimitz on April 24, 1946, dubbed NavyFlight Exhibition Team. World War II aceLieutenant Commander Roy “Butch” Voriswas assigned to recruit its first pilots. Not aneasy job, considering that even then, onlythe best were good enough. Passing musterwere just a pair of pilots that together withVoris were then stationed on the Naval AirStation in Jacksonville, Florida. In June 1946,the trio flew their first exhibition onGrumman F6F Hellcats at the SoutheasternAir Show in Jacksonville. Their first show,lasting about 17 minutes, included a numberof formation flights. During the next severalweeks, the squadron displayed its art at sev-eral locations in the United States. During astay-over in New York City the squadronagreed on an official name, Blue Angels,

probably with reference to a famous NewYork night club.

Blue Angels pilots to this day remain amongthe best in the United States. They are sta-tioned in Pensacola, Florida. From January toMarch they train at the Naval Air Facility in ElCentro, California. That’s the place to go,too, for pilots wishing to join. Applicants arecycled through a grueling screening processwith various training units. Fifteen of themare put on the short list to be selected by thesquadron by roll-call vote for one of the fewslots being vacated. For the 2008 flying sea-son, four of them made it. Since thesquadron’s inception, a total of 232 pilotsand 32 flight leaders sat in the cockpits ofthe Blues. Their average age is 33.

A tour of duty on the squadron lasts twoyears. There’s no special pay attached to it.Every pilot in the squadron is a member of

normally carries the ground crew and spareparts. When it takes off, its rocket bottles area spectacular sight in the jet-assisted takeoff. Fat Albert gets airborne after a takeoffrun of less than 500 meters, climbs to 300meters above the ground, flies a tour abovethe airfield and then lands again.

Then the Hornets take off. The first four air-craft join in a 45 centimeter wingtip-to-canopy diamond formation. The Blues arerenowned the world over for this stunt, neverreplicated by any other aerobatic team. Thetwo other airplanes are the opposing solos,their first maneuver being the opposing knifeedge pass when in low-level flight they rushdirectly toward each other to pass only a fewmeters apart. Next on the agenda are a plu-rality of other maneuvers.

After a sneak pass, a solo aircraft roarsacross the runway merely 15 meters or soabove the runway and accelerates to almost700 knots. In breathtaking succession, spec-tators then witness about 30 maneuvers. Inthe section high alpha pass the Hornetspoint their noses into the sky, sitting on theirtails. Together, the six airplanes fly a roll indelta formation before four of them, in dia-mond formation, paint the signature of theformation into the sky, a stylized fleur-de-lis.In closing, the Blues return to the center ofthe airfield and fly over it simultaneously atdifferent heights. After one more flyover indelta formation, the Hornets then separateand land.

the U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps. He musthave qualified for deck landings and loggedat least 1,250 hours on jet aircraft. AircraftNumber 1 is reserved for the commandingofficer (the “Boss”). He is named by theChief of Naval Air Training. For credentials,he needs flying experience in excess of3,000 hours and must have commanded a jetaircraft squadron. Fat Albert is flown exclu-sively by Marines having qualified as AircraftCommanders. In all, acceptance require-ments are just as exacting as the formationsbeing flown.

NEWS

3736 News

On a profitablegrowth track “2007 has been yet another successful busi-ness year for MTU,” said Egon Behle, CEO ofMTU Aero Engines Holding AG, at the annualpress conference in Munich in mid-March. Atthe first press conference he held in his newfunction Behle presented very positive annualresults. MTU’s revenues in 2007 improved byseven percent from approximately 2.4 billioneuros to around 2.6 billion euros, and weretherefore in line with the company’s estimatedtarget. There was a pronounced rise inadjusted EBITDA, which grew at a rate of 24percent to 392.9 million euros (2006: 318.2million euros). MTU thus exceeded its fore-cast of 385 million euros, which had beenraised in the course of the year. The compa-

ny’s underlying net income also increasedsignificantly, improving by 22 percent from121.8 million euros in 2006 to 148.2 millioneuros in 2007. “We intend to stay on thispositive course in 2008. Our prime objectiveis to expand on the basis of our good marketposition in the commercial and militaryengine business and to achieve profitablegrowth,” commented Behle and continued toadd: “However, the U.S. dollar exchange ratecancels out this growth when seen in termsof the euro. Therefore further cost-optimiza-tion measures will be necessary.”

MTU is striving for further profitable growthin 2008. Revenues are expected to remain atthe previous year’s level, which correspondsto a growth rate of approximately six percentafter adjustments for the effect of the U.S.dollar exchange rate. The company antici-pates that adjusted EBITDA in 2008 willremain close to the previous year’s level of

390 million euros, despite a significantincrease in investments and the effects ofthe U.S. dollar exchange rate. MTU expectsto generate a net income for the year in theregion of 180 million euros, which representsan increase of almost 20 percent.

The greatest contribution to these positiveresults is expected to come from the com-mercial engine business. MTU is reckoningon stable development of its commercialmaintenance activities and in the militarysector. MTU intends to increase its invest-ments in 2008 to above the average level.Plans especially include strategic invest-ments such as the acquisition of additionalshares in engine programs, expansion offacilities at MTU Maintenance Hannover, andthe construction of the new plant in Poland.Despite this expenditure, free cash flow isexpected to reach an amount of approxi-mately 100 million euros.

MTU Aero EnginesRevenues

of which OEM businessof which commercial engine businessof which military engine business

of which commercial MRO businessEBITDA (calculated on a comparable basis)

of which OEM businessof which commercial MRO business

EBITDA margin (calculated on a comparable basis)in the OEM businessin the commercial MRO business

Net income (IFRS)Net income (underlying)Earnings per share (adjusted)Free cash flowResearch and development expenses

of which company-funded R&Dof which outside-funded R&D

Capital expenditure

Order backlog, adjusted to eliminate effects of U.S. dollarexchange rateOrder backlog

of which OEM businessof which commercial MRO business

Value of MRO contracts on engines for which maintenance agreements are in place, in U.S. $Employees

20072,575.91,599.51,102.0

497.51,004.7

392.9305.7

87.915.3 %19.1 %

8.7 %154.1148.2

€ 2.83131.7176.4

88.887.6

106.1Dec. 31, 07

3,513.3

3,311.13,216.8

94.77,426.6

7,130

20062,416.21,483.1

993.5489.6954.7318.2217.7103.4

13.2 %14.7 %10.8 %

89.1121.8

€ 2.25115.7169.9

80.689.3

114.1Dec. 31, 06

3,342.3

3,342.33,218.4

124.14,847.0

7,077

Change+ 6.6 %+ 7.8 %

+ 10.9 %+1.6 %

+ 5.2 %+ 23.5 %+ 40.4 %- 15.0 %

+ 73.0 %+ 21.7 %+ 25.8 %

+ 13.8 %+ 3.8 %

+ 10.2 %- 1.9 %- 7.0 %

Change

+ 5.1 %

- 0.9 %- 0.05 %- 23.7 %

+ 53.2 %

+ 0.7 %

MTU Aero Engines – Key financial data for 2007

(Figures quoted in € million, calculated on a comparable basis, statements pre-pared in accordance with IFRS. Figures calculated on a comparable basis applyadjustments to the IFRS consolidated results to exclude restructuring andtransaction costs, capitalized R&D costs, and the effects of IFRS purchaseaccounting.)

Dream research

Michael Schreyöggheads programmanagement,defense programs

U.S.-based carrier US Airways has placed amajor order worth some 884 million euroswith International Aero Engines (IAE) to buySelectOne™ engines for 78 A320 family air-craft, slated to be delivered this year. Alongwith the firm order, the airline placed optionsfor another 75 aircraft.

For MTU Aero Engines, the order translates

Major V2500 orderfrom US Airways

Michael Schreyögg has been ap-pointed senior vice president, programmanagement, defense programs, ef-fective February 1. In this function hesucceeds Dr. Roland Fischer, who leftthe company.

Michael Schreyögg

After having worked at MTU AeroEngines, Germany’s leading enginemanufacturer, on various military andcommercial programs for 17 years,Schreyögg most recently supervisedthe TP400-D6 military engine program.That engine will power the upcomingA400M military transport.

into sales of approximately 100 million eurosand the work to be performed under it is justabout equivalent to a one-year V2500 engineworkload. As one of the IAE co-founders,MTU holds a stake of about 11 percent in theV2500 and contributes the low-pressureturbine. The German engine manufactureralso had a major role in the development ofthe SelectOne™ build standard.

44 partners from industry and research, a40-million-euro budget and a visionary name:ValiDation of Radical Engine ArchitectureSysteMs, or Dream for short, is a newEuropean technology project dedicated tothe development of novel engine concepts.One of the partners on that project is MTUAero Engines.

The German engine manufacturer is leadingone of five Dream part projects, dubbedInnovative Systems. Together with VolvoAero and the Technical University of Graz,MTU will explore various turbine centerframe configurations. The Active Turbinework package focuses on active clearancecontrol. Partners are Magna Steyr and Vibro-

Meter, Stuttgart University and BundeswehrUniversity Munich. The kick-off event tookplace in Munich in February. “With this Dreampart project we support the progressivedevelopment of the geared turbofan topower A320 family and Boeing 737 suc-cessor aircraft,” explains Dr. Günter Wilfert,who at MTU manages the Dream project.

Printed byGraphische Betriebe Eberl GmbHKirchplatz 687509 Immenstadt • Germany

Contributions credited to authors do not neces-sarily reflect the opinion of the editors. We willnot be held responsible for unsolicited material.Reprinting of contributions is subject to the editors’ approval.

Masthead

EditorMTU Aero Engines GmbHEckhard ZangerSenior Vice President Corporate Communicationsand Investor Relations

Editor in chiefHeidrun Moll

AddressMTU Aero Engines GmbHDachauer Straße 66580995 Munich • GermanyTel. +49 89 1489-3537Fax +49 89 1489-4303E-mail: [email protected]: www.mtu.de

Editorial staffBernd Bundschu, Denis Dilba, Nicole Geffert,Patrick Hoeveler, Odilo Mühling, Thorsten Rienth,Andreas Spaeth, Martina Vollmuth, RobertWouters

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A heavyweight has arrived at MTU AeroEngines: Since early this year, an engine topower the A380 mega-transport has beenundergoing testing in Munich. The GP7277 isrunning in test cell III that has beenspecifically reconstructed for the purpose. Inall, MTU has spent 4.2 million euros on theupgrade, enabling the test cell now to

Entirely new dimensionsMTU Aero Engines has established two newcenters of competence: Partnering with theBundeswehr University Munich, the enginemaker is developing the More Electric Engine,and in partnership with Leibniz UniversityHannover and Laser Zentrum Hannover,repair techniques. The contracts were inkedin mid-December last year in Munich andend-March this year in Hannover.

New centers of competence inMunich and Hannover

accommodate engines with a thrust of up to400 kilonewtons.

The GP7000 is the first engine tested in theupgraded test cell, which first has todemonstrate its operability. In several runs,pressures, temperatures and vibrations aremeasured on the engine and test cell. “When

we’re able to show the authorities resultsobtained on an engine with a thrust of morethan 300 kilonewtons, the permanent appro-val becomes legally valid. The GP7000 deli-vers 350 kilonewtons,” explains Kurt Scheidt,who heads up engine testing, commercialprograms, at MTU. He expects to obtain thepermanent approval sometime this year.

The Munich-based center of competence forMore Electric Engine is intended to developconcepts for engines widely equipped withmechatronic systems and components tosatisfy the strong electric power demand offuture engine generations. Additionally, therequisite components, measuring and con-trol systems for the purpose need devel-oping.

Under the roof of the new center of com-petence, various technical disciplines will becooperating in a long-term interdisciplinaryeffort. On the part of the university, theseare the Institute for Jet Engines, which hasbeen a research partner of MTU for manyyears, the Chair for Electric Propulsion En-gineering and the Chair for Sensors andMeasuring Systems. Part of their emphasis ison getting a highly advanced aircraft engine

up and running as a demonstrator in the testcell of the Institute for Jet Engines. That en-gine is to play a pivotal role in envisionedinterdisciplinary research. The partners ex-pect to derive fruitful stimulation and syn-ergies from the More Electric Aircraft tech-nology project, an initiative of the Chair forElectric Propulsion Engineering at Munich’sBundeswehr University in partnership withEADS.

Repair competency in HannoverThe emphasis at MTU’s new center ofcompetence in Hannover is on long-term,continuous research and development tasksin the domain of repair techniques and pro-cesses. In a concerted effort, LeibnizUniversity Hannover, Laser Zentrum Hannoverand MTU expect to enhance their respectivecompetitiveness, move university researchcloser to practical application and supportthe training of young scientific talent.Involved on the part of the university are theInstitutes for Production Engineering andMachine Tools, for Materials Science, Turbo-machines and Fluid Dynamics. Further dis-ciplines may be invited to join in when theneed arises. At MTU, too, several differentdisciplines are collaborating.

For the engine maker, the new facility is thesixth center of competence within Germany.Overall, MTU is partnering at five differentlocations with 21 research institutes. “Weattach great importance to supporting uni-versity teaching and training,” explained Dr.Rainer Martens, member of MTU’s board ofmanagement and chief operating officer,who signed both contracts.

Leibniz University Hannover

Bundeswehr University Munich

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summer/fall 2008 - mtu aero engines · summer/fall 2008 technology + science ... we expect the...

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