MTU/Pratt & Whitney RTF-180

The MTU/Pratt & Whitney RTF-180 was a planned turbofan aircraft engine that was to be jointly developed by Motoren-und Turbinen Union (MTU) and Pratt & Whitney in the early 1990s. It was to be the first civil engine program where MTU would be the prime contractor.^[1] The name of the engine, RTF-180, combined the initials for "Regional TurboFan" with the engine's nominal thrust of 18,000 pounds-force (80 kilonewtons).^[2]: 6

A November 1990 internal briefing showed that the RTF-180 was one of the engines on offer for the 90-115 seat MPC 75, a regional airliner requiring 14,000–18,000 lbf (62–80 kN) of static thrust.^{[3]: M75.C.3005.A, M75.C.3008.B} In March 1991, the RTF-180 engine was proposed as a possible powerplant for an 80-130 seat airliner from a consortium of Germany's Deutsche Aerospace (DASA), France's Aérospatiale, and Italy's Alenia.^[4] The design of the RTF-180 for that airliner initially included a 137-centimeter diameter (54-inch) fan, three-stage low-pressure compressor, eight-stage high-pressure compressor, one-stage high-pressure turbine, and four-stage low-pressure turbine.^[5]

At the 1993 Paris Air Show, MTU and Pratt & Whitney announced that they would abandon the RTF-180 in favor of a joint project with General Electric and SNECMA.^[6]

Specifications

Data from Regioliner R92 aircraft definition note, 22 July 1992, pages 4–10, 4–11, and 4–14^[7]

General characteristics

• Type: 2-spool turbofan
• Length: 4,132 mm (163 in)
• Fan diameter: 1.3 m (52 in)
• Diameter:
• Dry weight:

Components

• Compressor: 6-stage high-pressure (HP) compressor, 2-stage transonic low-pressure (LP) compressor
• Combustors: Annular double-dome combustion chamber
• Turbine: 1-stage cooled HP turbine, 3-stage LP turbine

Performance

• Maximum thrust: 62–89 kN (6,400–9,100 kgf; 14,000–20,000 lbf)
• Bypass ratio: 5.0
• Specific fuel consumption: Cruise at Mach 0.77 (822 km/h; 511 mph), altitude 11,000 m (35,000 ft): 18.4 g/(kN⋅s) (0.648 lb/(lbf⋅h))

References

1. "MTU's engine projects". West Europe: Aerospace. Science & Technology: Europe. JPRS Report. Foreign Broadcast Information Service (published 17 September 1992). European Avianews International. June 1992. pp. 19–20.
2. Heckmann, Erhard (June 1992). "Germany's aerospace industry's problems, progress". West Europe. Science & Technology: Europe: Recent developments in European aerospace. JPRS Report. Translated by Foreign Broadcast Information Service (published 30 October 1992). Wehrtechnik. pp. 3–6.
3. MPC Aircraft (November 1990). "MPC-75 briefing" (PDF).
4. Sedbon, Gilbert; Moxon, Julian (13–19 March 1991). "DASA lands regional-jet deal" (PDF). Headlines. Flight International. p. 5. ISSN 0015-3710. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 February 2015.
5. Norris, Guy (27 March – 2 April 1991). "RTF180 viewed for regional jet as MTU reveals engine details" (PDF). Technical: Air Transport. Flight International. p. 19. ISSN 0015-3710. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 November 2012.
6. Betts, Paul (12–13 June 1993). "Pratt and Whitney joins GE to develop smaller jet engines". Financial Times. No. 32086. Paris, France. p. 1. ISSN 0307-1766.
7. Deutsche Airbus GmbH (22 July 1992). "Regioliner R92 aircraft definition note" (PDF). Hamburg, Germany. pp. 4–10, 4–11, 4–14.

Bibliography

• Thomalla, Volker K. (February 1992). "Regioplane consortium to develop 80-130-seat passenger liner". West Europe: Aerospace. Science & Technology: Europe. JPRS Report. Translated by Foreign Broadcast Information Service (published 27 March 1992). Flug Revue. pp. 5–7.
• Betts, Paul (21 February 1992). "UK-German group in aero-engine talks with MTU". World Trade News. Financial Times. No. 31690. p. 5. ISSN 0307-1766.
• "BMW, Rolls-Royce design domestic jet engine". West Europe: Aerospace. Science & Technology: Europe. JPRS Report. Translated by Foreign Broadcast Information Service (published 25 October 1991). Der Spiegel. 5 August 1991. pp. 6–7.