The Safran Silvercrest is a French turbofan under development by Safran Aircraft Engines .
23-492: The engine was announced at the 2006 National Business Aviation Association convention. Certification was originally slated for the end of 2010 or early 2011. In early 2008 the high pressure spool and combustor have been run in a US$ 120 million core-demonstrator called SM-X, reaching the take-off speed of 20,300rpm. The First Engine To Test started ground testing in September 2012. In May 2013, in-flight tests were targeted for
46-654: A 2020 service entry. In December 2017, Textron Aviation declared that the Silvercrest delays did not impact the Hemisphere programme with a first flight still planned in 2019 and an introduction after 2020 and Textron confirmed its selection for the Hemisphere after Dassault cancelled the 5X. However, in April 2018, they declared that they suspended the Hemisphere Program because of the ongoing problems with
69-515: A privatized ATC system). "Critics say that, given where the members are drawn from, the board would end up controlled by airline-related interests. They worry that the focus would accordingly be on the major airline corridors, with rural airports and users becoming second-class (or maybe third- or fourth-class) citizens." Ultimately, the FAA reauthorization was passed without including any ATC privatization measures. The organization supported tax rules in
92-527: A second customer to justify its investment, but is still optimistic for the engine's future. In July 2019, Textron suspended the Cessna Citation Hemisphere development as its turbofans did not meet objectives: the new high pressure compressor exceeded expectations during ground tests but further trials were necessary to "confirm engine improvements and complete overall engine performance and durability validation" and Safran would continue
115-595: A side-effect of the axial-centrifugal high-pressure compressor selection, controlling software was adapted to maintain a steady airflow and active clearance controls were added to the low pressure turbine ; in May 2017, altitude tests should begin soon in Russia for an early 2018 certification. The 11,450 lbf (50.9 kN) Silvercrest 2D was to power the Dassault Falcon 5X and the 12,000 lbf (53 kN) 2C
138-471: Is a professional association and lobbying group for private business aviation. NBAA is set up as a 501(c)(6) non-profit entity. NBAA organizes conferences and seminars. Edward M. Bolen has been the president and CEO of NBAA since September 7, 2004. The organization's Board of Directors includes Chairman Lloyd Newton of L3 Technologies, Inc. and Vice Chair/Treasurer Elizabeth Dornak of DuPont Aviation. NBAA's public policy initiatives in 2018 centered on
161-472: Is common below 5,000 lbf (22 kN) but rare for the 10,000–12,000 lbf (44–53 kN) range. Textron Aviation declared that they were confident that these problems will be solved when it powers the Citation Hemisphere . Until 2015, issues were mostly oil-fuel heat exchanger problems, carcass distortion and clearance control challenges of the high-pressure section. Optimizing
184-414: Is common below 7,000 lbf (31 kN) but rare in its 10,000–12,000 lbf (44–53 kN) range, and the pressure losses complexity at the final centrifugal stage made it slow to respond to commands in high altitude tests. This made Dassault cancel its Silvercrest-powered Falcon 5X , but the Hemisphere business case depends on it as it could lead to the best fuel efficiency in the segment. Textron
207-418: Is confident Safran can resolve the problems before the 2019 first flight . In April 2018, development was suspended to see how Safran manage the Silvercrest problems before a decision on its continuation is made, or to defer it or to switch to another engine. In May 2018, Safran announced it had launched a high-pressure compressor redesign for a go-ahead decision by the middle of 2019, after testing, shelving
230-404: Is due to the axial part, not the centrifugal, and is not related to the overall compressor architecture. At this time the test engines had logged 800 flights, and the one concerned had 90 hours, including 30 hours on the ground and 60 hours in the air. On 13 December 2017, Dassault abandoned the Silvercrest due to technical and schedule risks, ended the 5X development and launched a new Falcon with
253-647: Is unusual for an engine in this thrust range. Turbomeca , which like Snecma is a part of the SAFRAN Group, participates in the design of the centrifugal compressor stage. Design in 2007 featured a smaller 40-inch fan, no booster, one more high-pressure compressor stage, one low-pressure turbine stage less and a lower 4.5 bypass ratio, a 27:1 overall pressure ratio and a core pressure ratio of "over 17". Data from Snecma. Comparable engines Related lists National Business Aviation Association The National Business Aviation Association ( NBAA )
SECTION 10
#1732801210540276-645: The Cessna Citation Hemisphere , EASA certification was expected in spring 2018 and FAA certification in August 2018. In October 2017, after Safran discovered high-pressure compressor response problems at high altitudes and low airspeeds on its flying testbed in San Antonio , Dassault announced the Falcon 5X introduction could be further delayed after 50 test flight hours, and do not rule out switching its engine supplier. An axial-centrifugal high-pressure compressor
299-508: The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act for deduction of business aircraft costs in the first year (also known as "immediate expensing"). In 2024, the NBAA opposed an Internal Revenue Service crackdown on tax write-offs for private jet travel. The NBAA Meritorious Service to Aviation Award is an American award in aviation given annually since 1950 by the NBAA. Past winners include: Cessna Citation Hemisphere The Cessna Citation Hemisphere
322-537: The Hemisphere program if problems cannot be fixed. The redesigned compressor will be tested in July 2019 to prove the engine operation. On October 15, 2018, fractional operator NetJets announced the purchase of up to 150 Hemispheres, priced at $ 35 million each, along 175 Citation Longitude , ordered for $ 26 million each. In July 2019, Textron suspended the development as its Safran Silvercrest turbofans did not meet objectives. In October 2019, Textron reaffirmed that
345-405: The Silvercrest engine. In May 2018, Safran announced it had launched a high-pressure compressor redesign for a go-ahead decision by the middle of 2019, after testing, shelving the Hemisphere program if problems cannot be fixed. The redesigned compressor will be tested in July 2019 to prove the engine operation. By October 2018, Safran had amassed over 9,000 test hours and 300 in flight. Safran needs
368-434: The effort as an " R&T platform". For Safran, insufficient skills retention was causing the repetition of technical issues as design engineers retire. It was originally designed as an 8,500–10,500 lbf (38–47 kN) thrust turbofan. It should power super mid-size to large cabin business jets or 40 to 60-seat regional jets with a Maximum Takeoff Weight of 45,000 to 60,000 lb (20,000 to 27,000 kg). In 2016
391-484: The fourth quarter of the year. They finally started in July 2014 on a Grumman Gulfstream II and should take place in Istres-Le Tubé Air Base . In 2015, engine certification was rescheduled for late 2016. In 2015, Safran passed €654 million of depreciation for amortization for the Silvercrest program. In November 2016, issues were traced to airflow through the engine not as controlled as expected,
414-494: The organization's opposition to air traffic control privatization. The matter was debated in 2018 as part of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) congressional reauthorization process. Various proposals for extracting and privatizing air traffic control (ATC) were debated. NBAA's opposition to ATC privatization was motivated by the potential lack of representation on the AANS board (the proposed directors who would oversee
437-447: The same cross section, Pratt & Whitney Canada engines and a 5,500 nmi (10,200 km) range for a 2022 introduction. Compliant Silvercrest engines were originally planned for the end of 2013 but technical issues led Safran to postpone them to the end of 2017, leading to delay the 5X introduction from 2017 to 2020, and the high pressure compressor issues in the fall of 2017 delayed it further with performance shortfalls, preventing
460-402: The settings, the control laws and positioning of the variable stator vanes will recover a part of the losses, but not all. Flowpath will not be too modified and no stages or vanes will be added, the fixes selection will establish the length of the delay and the schedule will be revised before 2017 ends to recover all the surge margin and to operate as planned across the flight envelope. The problem
483-407: The thrust range was quoted as 10,000–12,000 lbf (44–53 kN). The two-shaft engine architecture includes a 42.5 in (108 cm) fan with solid wide-chord swept blades, followed by 4 booster stages, all driven by a 4-stage low pressure turbine. The high pressure spool has 4 axial compressor stages and 1 centrifugal stage, driven by a single-stage turbine. An axi-centrifugal compressor
SECTION 20
#1732801210540506-610: The widest cabin in its class, it was expected to fly in 2019. Although the Snecma Silvercrest was originally selected, the process was re-opened to the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW800 . The Silvercrest with over 12,000 lbf (53 kN) of thrust was confirmed for the 2016 NBAA Convention, along the selection of Honeywell Primus Epic cockpit and Thales Group fly-by-wire flight control system. The Silvercrest axial -centrifugal high-pressure compressor architecture
529-458: Was a business jet project by Cessna . Announced in November 2015, it was then expected to fly in 2019 but its development was suspended in April 2018 due to a delay in the development of its Safran Silvercrest engines. It was designed for Mach 0.9 and would have a 4,500 nautical miles (8,300 km) range. Announced at the 2015 National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) conference with
#539460