New Engine Key to AA Fleet Renewal

[The Goose]

From the article...
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So apparently I wasn't just pulling stuff out of my ass (i.e. planes that I really like and hope AA buys). That GFT sounds extremely interesting, although I wondering how a transmission would work in a jet turbine... and I wonder if it will be an old school GM Turbo-Hydramatic. Those things are damn near invincible.

I went to a couple of sites and from what I see in the drawings and the gearbox housings for the beast, it appears that they're sticking a planetary gear system on the output shaft; it also appears the motor core is considerably smaller. That could only mean Pratt intends to run N1 and N2 at a higher rpm than we see now and slow the shaft and fan down with a reduction box (planetary) similar to the gearbox on a T-56 (C 130 Herc) so the prop tips don't go supersonic. This would probably keep the output shaft's revs to 4-6000 or so, depending on the motor's size.

It's doubtful this gear box will be a complicated as a turbo-hydra. From the description of function, it's probably not much more complicated than the old GM "Slip-N-Slide" or Ford's early low/high transmission.

Check this out:

http://www.sae.org/aeromag/techinnovations/1298t10.htm

 

[williamcarter]

Hi,

That’s nice and I am very delighted to see the concept narrowbody plane pictures of A360 future substitute the A320 series and B797 future replacement for B737NG series. I don't think the 737-800 and 757-200 are all that more comfortable.