EP41 – Pratt and Whitney GTF Engines, EPA Aircraft Emissions Standards, Drone ID Rules and More.
In this episode of the Struck Aerospace engineering podcast, we discuss the design of Pratt & Whitney GTF geared turbofan engines - they're incredibly fuel efficient--what makes them different? We also discuss the EPA's new emissions rules for commercial and large business aircraft, which will take effect for new designs in 2020 and others in 2028. We also discuss EASA being urged by families to NOT return the Boeing 737 MAX to service just yet, FAA Drone ID Rules, a new Airbus helicopter drone and more. Learn more about Weather Guard StrikeTape segmented lightning diverter strips. Follow the show on YouTube, Twitter, Linkedin and visit us on the web. Have a question we can answer on the show? Email us! Transcript EP41 - Pratt and Whitney GTF Engines, EPA Aircraft Emissions Standards, & Will EASA Let the 737 MAX Fly? All right. Welcome back to the struck podcast. I'm your co-host Dan Blewett. On today's episode. We're going to cover first in our new section. Uh, families are urging. Yassa not yet to approve the seven 37 max, even though it seems like a return to air worthiness is, uh, obviously right up upon the European union, the seven 37 is back in service in the U S but families are still urging.So we'll talk, uh, talk a little bit about that today. Uh, the EPA is finalizing the first ever airplane emissions rules, which sounds like a good thing on the surface. Uh, but Allen's take here, I think is, uh, A little bit, not surprising, but it's an insider's take. And so we'll chat a little bit about why, um, EPA emissions rules for airplanes might be a little misleading and maybe not be the best thing.Uh, all things considered and our engineering segment. We're gonna talk about Pratt and Whitney engines. Um, there's a new factory North Carolina. And, uh, they're GTF engines have gotten really high, high marks on reliability. So we'll chat about some of the technology there. And lastly, on our EBTL segment, we're going to talk about the new FAA drone ID rules.So these aren't, these are obviously EVTOLs, but not in the traditional sense that we talk about in most of our episodes, but this is a really interesting thing. And it's going to be important as the drone, uh, capacity increases in the airways. And lastly, the Airbus drone VSR700, uh, I was getting pretty close to landing on Navy ships, which is a, apparently a pretty interesting feat of engineering.So Alan, let's start with EASA and these families over in Europe who are urging, um, the certification organization to, um, delay the re-entry of the 737 max. So is this. Pretty typical after a crashes like these after a safety situation like this, or is this, um, is it atypical more and more common? I would say that the families take more legal steps against the aircraft companies and against the certification authorities to speak in saying that, uh, they have a say in the certification process and, and are, are trying to push additional.What they would believe to be additional safety measures onto the aircraft? Uh, the one in particular is they would like to see a third angle of attack sensor used on the 737. The latest update from all the safety reviews is that they've added a second AOA or the cross comparing the AOS that they have on the aircraft right now.So that if there's some dispute one's not working correctly, it's going to flag it and it's going to. Therefore disengaging them caste system, the updated and caste system, but they think they ought to have a third one there as a compare for the other two. And, um, there's regulations set up about that and about the reliability of that system and what the failure modes are.And. The families just disagree now, will that stop EASA from moving forward? I don't think so. Uh, unless there was some political reasons to use the families in, in leverage that to delay the start of the 737 max in Europe, which they could clearly do. But I think on the certification side, I don't.