Safran Silvercrest
| Company type | Turbofan engine |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Founder | Safran Aircraft Engines |
Area served | Global (business and regional jets) |
| Products | Turbofan engines |
| Website | www |
The Safran Silvercrest represents a French turbofan engine currently in development by Safran Aircraft Engines.
Development
The engine was first unveiled at the 2006 National Business Aviation Association conference, with initial certification anticipated between late 2010 and early 2011. Early stages involved a US$120 million core demonstrator known as SM-X, which successfully achieved take-off speed testing in 2008.
Ground trials for the inaugural engine commenced in September 2012. Although flight testing was initially scheduled for late 2013, it eventually began in July 2014 aboard a Grumman Gulfstream II at Istres-Le Tubé Air Base. Certification timelines were pushed back to late 2016. By 2015, Safran had accounted for €654 million in amortization costs associated with the Silvercrest initiative.
In November 2016, issues related to airflow management within the axial-centrifugal high-pressure compressor emerged. This prompted both software and hardware modifications, with altitude testing planned for early 2018 in Russia. The Silvercrest family included variants such as the 2D tailored for the Dassault Falcon 5X and the 2C intended for the Cessna Citation Hemisphere. EASA certification was projected for spring 2018, followed by FAA approval by August that year.
Further setbacks arose in October 2017 due to high-altitude compressor difficulties, casting uncertainty over the Falcon 5X program’s future. Ultimately, Dassault discontinued its use of the Silvercrest engine in December 2017, citing technical obstacles and schedule risks. This decision led to the cancellation of the Falcon 5X project and the introduction of a new aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada engines, targeting a 2022 launch. The root cause of these complications was linked to airflow control challenges in the axial section of the compressor, distinct from issues involving the centrifugal stage.
Despite initial confidence from Textron Aviation regarding Silvercrest’s suitability for the Citation Hemisphere, ongoing engine complications caused them to halt development in April 2018.
By mid-2018, Safran embarked on redesigning the high-pressure compressor with a target decision set for mid-2019. Testing persisted through July 2019, having accumulated more than 9,000 hours by October 2018. While Safran remains hopeful about the program’s prospects, securing additional customers is critical to justify further investments.
In July 2019, Textron ceased progress on the Citation Hemisphere as turbofan performance failed to meet expectations despite improvements observed during ground evaluations. Safran continues to develop the engine as a research and technology platform but struggles with retaining seasoned design engineers, contributing to recurring technical difficulties.
Design
Initially conceived as an thrust-class turbofan, this engine aims to serve super mid-size to large cabin business jets or regional jets seating between 40 and 60 passengers with a Maximum Takeoff Weight around . By 2016, its thrust capability had been revised to .
The engine employs a two-shaft configuration featuring a fan equipped with solid wide-chord swept blades alongside four booster stages driven by a four-stage low-pressure turbine. The high-pressure spool comprises four axial compressor stages coupled with one centrifugal compressor stage, all powered by a single-stage turbine. The combination of an axi-centrifugal compressor is relatively rare within this thrust category. Turbomeca, part of the SAFRAN Group alongside Snecma, played a role in designing the centrifugal compressor stage.
The design from 2007 differed notably: it had a smaller fan diameter of 40 inches, omitted booster stages, included an extra high-pressure compressor stage, featured one less low-pressure turbine stage, had a lower bypass ratio of approximately 4.5, an overall pressure ratio of 27:1, and a core pressure ratio exceeding 17.
Applications
- Silvercrest 2C
- The Cessna Citation Hemisphere, which took its maiden flight in 2019 and featured over thrust.[1] However, Textron halted the project in April 2018.[2]
- Silvercrest SC-2D
- Equipped with , the Dassault Falcon 5X was introduced at the National Business Aviation Association annual meeting in October 2013. Its service entry was postponed until 2020.[3] Dassault terminated the Falcon 5X initiative on December 13, 2017.[4] On September 6, 2018, Dassault Aviation and Safran reached a settlement agreement, with Safran agreeing to pay US$280 million in damages.[5]
External links
- Official Silvercrest Engine Website
- Safran's Move Into Business Aviation is Back on Track With Silvercrest Engine – Aviation International News
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