Major Inspections Reveal Minimal Issues with HTF7000
By Eric Thompson, Product Director for Engines, StandardAero
For many Challenger 300 aircraft, the Honeywell HTF7000 engines are nearing the 4,000-hour maintenance interval, which includes a hot section inspection (HSI). Next year, some mature engines will reach the 8,000-hour mark, requiring a core zone inspection (CZI).
As operators prepare for these major maintenance events, there is good news. Overall, StandardAero technicians are seeing very clean engines. At the 4,000- and 6,000-hour marks, we have identified some high-pressure turbine distress such as shroud erosion and first-stage nozzle cracks, but nothing major or unexpected.
Certified in 2002, Honeywell’s turbofan engine provides 7,000 pounds of thrust with half the number of parts and a 30 percent lower cost of operation than comparable powerplants. While the engine has proved to be extremely reliable, we are seeing a durability issue with the combustor, requiring that it be changed out every 2,000 hours.
To address the issue, Honeywell has redesigned the part, which is currently being installed in new production engines. Honeywell expects to make parts available for fielded aircraft by the end of the year. In addition to the combustor, certain engines required replacement of the tower shaft bearings. Honeywell reports that all of these bearing changes have been completed.
Other routine maintenance that StandardAero technicians have performed include troubleshooting and replacing the W-5 wiring harness, the digital electronic engine control and the oil pressure system. This type work is easy to accomplish as Honeywell’s HTF7000 design allows for easy maintenance and simplified access, which decreases maintenance time and costs. For example, key line replaceable units (LRU) can be replaced in 20 minutes with tools common in every toolbox.
The fleet of HTF7000-series engine will be growing in the coming years. Along with the Challenger 300, new versions of the engine will be powering the Gulfstream G280, which will enter service in 2012, and the Embraer Legacy 500 and 450 aircraft, which enter service in 2012 and 2013, respectively.
StandardAero is equipped to handle HTF7000 scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, including 4000- and 8000-hour borescope inspections and repairs and scheduled combustor changes. HTF7000 services can be performed on location or at StandardAero’s Augusta, Ga., Los Angeles, Calif., Houston, Texas and Springfield, Ill., facilities.