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Leap-1A engine
A new high pressure turbine blade for CFM Leap-1A engines is nearing regulatory approval and should begin shipping to overhaul shops by the end of the year, Safran CEO Olivier Andries said.
Speaking on the company’s recent earnings call, Andries confirmed that the new blades are on track for certification “within the next weeks.” Once approval is in hand, “we’ll be ready to ship ... some of them, especially for the MRO market.”
The new HPT stage 1 blades help address hot-section durability issues that have led to lower-than-expected time-on-wing durations, particularly in harsh environments with particularly dusty or polluted air. GE Aerospace developed a bespoke dust-ingestion rig at its Evendale, Ohio, headquarters to replicate blade wear observed in places like India, where the durability issues have been particularly notable.
The new blades will be integrated into the production line for the Leap-1A, which was jointly certified by the FAA and European Union Aviation Safety Agency in November 2015. Critically for operators juggling unplanned engine removals and unexpected aircraft downtime, the improved blades will be made available for retrofit during overhauls.
Development of the improved Leap-1A blades for Airbus A320neo-family is about a year ahead of a similar effort for Leap-1B blades found on all Boeing 737 MAXs, Andries said, adding that the International Association of Machinists strike that halted MAX production in mid-September is not expected to affect the new blade’s approval schedule.
“We expect the certification of the Leap-1B for Boeing at the end of next year,” he said. “We need Boeing support for that, but this is planned for the end of 2025.”
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