Safran Aircraft Engines has officially started a new four-year wind tunnel test program of an open rotor concept. The ECOENGInE project is run together with the French aerospace research agency ONERA in Modane, in the Southeast of France close to the Italian border.
Safran has tested various open-rotor concepts in the past. The open fan promises a 20 percent reduction in fuel burn and emissions compared to a CFM LEAP, or 80 percent lower emissions when using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The open rotor was test flown by General Electric and Pratt & Whitney in the 1990s but not pursued, as the technology was not mature enough and the noise levels from the rotors were deemed too high.
Active as a journalist since 1987, with a background in newspapers, magazines, and a regional news station, Richard has been covering commercial aviation on a freelance basis since late 2016.
Richard is contributing to AirInsight since December 2018. He also writes for Airliner World, Aviation News, Piloot & Vliegtuig, and Luchtvaartnieuws Magazine. Twitter: @rschuur_aero.
