Chapter 1013: its name

"...To sum up, the V2500 is an advanced 12-ton turbofan engine that can meet the needs of the next 15 to 20 years, and according to our plan, this engine will be developed into multiple series in the future. , Providing a thrust starting from 11 tons and a maximum of 16 tons. According to the current general passenger aircraft full-load thrust-to-weight ratio of 0.25 to 0.3, two such engines can support aircraft from 60 to 120 tons."
Sir Hook introduced to Tan Zhenhua the advanced aeronautical engine that IAE is developing and proudly declared: "It can be said that the body of this engine is a collection of the most advanced products of our Rolls-Royce Company and the US Puhui Company. With scientific research achievements and accumulated experience, it is safe, easy to maintain, efficient, environmentally friendly, and fuel-efficient. We believe that this engine will be universally recognized by the market and succeed."
"So, what is the state of this engine now?" This is what Tan Zhenhua cares about.
"The V2500 was officially approved in September 1983. The first engine started operating in December 1985. So far, the cumulative interview time for all prototypes has exceeded 10,000 hours, and the flight test time has exceeded 1,500 hours. We expect It will obtain European and U.S. type airworthiness certificates in 1988 and put it into commercial use before 1990."
From Sir Hook’s answer, Tan Zhenhua heard that he was full of confidence in the performance of this engine and full of ambitions for the market.
Tan Zhenhua nodded.
To be honest, the V2500 engine was originally the first choice, or the only choice, for the newly developed mid- and short-haul trunk airliner in his plan.
Among the three engines he got from Luo Luo, TF41 or "Qinling" is a clear military model with afterburner, not suitable for passenger aircraft; the thrust of MK807 and MK606 are too small, the former has only 5 tons of thrust, while the latter's Although the thrust is slightly increased, the maximum is only 6.5 tons; the latter's thrust is used to support a "BAC" aircraft with more than 40 tons, which is just enough, but for new ones, a new passenger aircraft with a take-off weight of 20 tons has been added. Said that it is far from meeting the demand, and these are actually the previous generation of aviation engines. Although they are also turbofans, their fuel consumption and noise are far from the new ones.
This is also one of the reasons Tan Zhenhua put his first stop in London.
"Sir Hook, I actually wanted to discuss with you about the V2500 engine when I was in London, but Mr. Hawke happened to be there that day, and he didn’t say whether to participate in my new aircraft project. Due to the various complicated factors, I have not been able to communicate with you in depth about the engine."
Hook sighed and said: "Yes, but Eric, with your intelligence capabilities, wouldn’t you know that Airbus also has a new aircraft A320 that is about to fly for the first time? And the performance parameters of that aircraft are in line with your standards. Almost exactly the same. BAE has invested a lot of resources in this new A320. Little Hawke has mentioned it to me more than once, hoping to use this aircraft to once again successfully cooperate with China Civil Aviation and gradually replace it with A320. The Trident fleet of your civil aviation is currently in operation, but your proposal has put him in a dilemma. I think he must be in an extremely contradictory state of mind now."
"In fact, I feel that this is not a contradiction." Tan Zhenhua said: "China's aviation market is very large in the future. In terms of population base alone, it is equivalent to the United States plus the entire European Community plus a Japanese country. In my opinion, in the next 20 years, this market will grow into the world’s top-ranked civil aviation market. If you take a longer view, it is not impossible to grow into the world’s largest market. The capacity is sufficient to support the products of two or even three giant aircraft manufacturers to obtain good sales. We do not look at other markets. As far as the China market alone is concerned, its competition cannot be non-zero and one-retreat Ten Thousand Steps said, even without my intervention, Airbus planes will inevitably face Boeing competition."
Having said this, he paused, then looked at the thoughtful Hooker before continuing: "Competing with Boeing, Mr. Sir, with all due respect, the current state of Airbus, Gaul, Hans, and Britannia. Each country has its own model, and the prospects are worrying. Even if Mr. Hawke considers the problem entirely based on Airbus’s standpoint, he must at least keep the basics of BAE intact, and
don’t put eggs in one basket
. This is probably the most basic way to ensure safety that everyone will choose?"
He finished, but Hook did not express his opinion immediately. Instead, he sighed after a moment of silence: "Eric, your words are very relevant, and I will bring your words to him when I go back--but For IAE and Rolls-Royce, these are not problems, because we do not have you in our competitor list for the time being, and our goal is CFM. Eric, I don’t want to hide it from you. I am coming to the United States this time. It is an important mission for me to discuss the proposal you have put forward in general."
"It seems that the result is quite favorable for me?" Tan Zhenhua asked with a smile.
"Yes, we all decided that if you really want to launch the new 150-seat mid-range and short-range new airliner plan, we at IAE are willing to support you to the best of our ability-don't I need to explain why?"
"No." Tan Zhenhua said with a smile: "Your IAE and Mr. Hawke have different positions. Airbus A320 may also use CFM engines. After all, CFM56 is already very mature and reliable, and V2500 still needs to complete research and development, pass time and market. Therefore, if some Airbus A320 customers propose to use CFM engines, Airbus cannot refuse. Similarly, if a Boeing customer proposes to adapt your engine, Boeing will carefully consider this issue, so For you aero-engine manufacturers, it is your position to establish extensive and friendly cooperative relations with every complete machine manufacturer."
Hook took a deep look at Tan Zhenhua and said: "Eric, I have to say, your vision is too advanced. You just mentioned a possibility that has been discussed many times in our industry-in the near future, Aircraft and aero engines are likely to be sold separately. The whole machine factory will list the engine suppliers and model catalogs that can match the aircraft for customers to choose by themselves. They are only responsible for installation and commissioning. It is even possible that the aero engine factory will cooperate with major Airlines sign engine supply contracts separately. As a result, the competitive landscape of the entire market will undergo a fundamental change."
At this time, Hook didn't know that the situation he predicted had become the norm for the market in less than ten years.
Tan Zhenhua has stood up, smiled and stretched out his right hand and said: "Then, I should say, I welcome IAE to join my new aircraft plan."
Hook also stretched out his right hand and squeezed him tightly, and smiled at the same time: "Eric, you should give your new plane a name."
"Of course it has a name."
"Oh? What is it called?"
"It's called C919."