Engines
Europrop finally lays to rest A400M compressor problems
Powering the A400M was always going to be a challenge, requiring the development of the Western world’s biggest turboprop, the 11,000-shp TP400-D6, and int

Powering the A400M was always going to be a challenge, requiring the development of the Western world’s biggest turboprop, the 11,000-shp TP400-D6, and integrating a host of highly complex systems and associated software. “The complexity of the integration task on the TP400 has been bigger than it was for the Airbus A380,” said Nick Durham, president of Europrop International (EPI).

The problems with the engine, centering mainly on the robustness of the high-pressure compressor, now appear to have been resolved, the TP400-D6 having notched a series of recent milestones on its way to its expected first flight not long after the Farnborough show.