Villanova d'Albenga
Piaggio Aerospace partners with Safran Helicopter Engines on its Ardiden 3 engine family
The Italian aircraft and engine-parts manufacturer
Piaggio Aerospace and the French company Safran Helicopter Engines have
announced today that they signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to cooperate on the
production of the Ardiden 3 aeroengine family. The agreement covers the
manufacture of critical parts for the variants of the Ardiden 3 family, both
for turbopropulsor (Ardiden 3TP) and helicopter applications.
Piaggio Aerospace and Safran Helicopter Engines
already collaborate on the RTM322 and Aneto engine families, for the production
of hot section parts of the engines.
The Ardiden 3 is a new-generation core engine in the
1,700 to 2,000 shaft horsepower range. With two EASA-certified models, the
Ardiden 3 features a remarkably compact modular architecture, a best-in-class
power-to-weight ratio and a low cost-of-ownership.
The turbopropulsor version, Ardiden 3TP, is developed
through the Tech TP technological demonstrator of Clean Sky 2 research and
innovation programme. The Ardiden 3TP offers 15% lower fuel consumption over
current turboprops engines. The agreement strengthens the European team built
around the Ardiden 3TP for general, regional and military turboprop
applications, which already includes Safran Helicopter Engines, ZF Aviation
Technology (ZF Luftfahrttechnik - Germany) and ITP Aero (Spain).
Commented Florent Chauvancy, Safran Helicopter Engines
EVP OEM Sales, “We are proud to enlarge the collaboration with Piaggio
Aerospace as a partner for our Ardiden 3 engine. Particularly with the Ardiden
3TP, we are committed to deliver a 100% European engine featuring high levels
of design maturity and competitive operating and maintenance costs. It will be
designed, built and supported by highly-experienced teams using
state-of-the-art industrial capabilities in Italy, Germany, Spain and France.”
Commented Vincenzo Nicastro, Extraordinary
Commissioner of Piaggio Aerospace: “Our Engines business unit, with its highly
qualified personnel and vast client portfolio, represents an excellence of the
aerospace industry, both in the civil and defence sectors. Joining the Ardiden3
program and the Ardiden 3TP European team is of strategic value for Piaggio
Aerospace: I am sure the company will be able to bring its expertise on this
new engine and to all its future applications”.
Images ©Adrien Daste – Safran
