World Record Holder

The GE90 represents GE's investment in the future of wide-body aircraft. Over the past two decades, GE's CF6 and CFM56* engines have been chosen to power more than 50 percent of all new aircraft ordered with a capacity of 100 passengers or more.

The GE90 combines the best proven technology from these engine programs, NASA and military programs with advanced technology to provide a highly reliable, fuel-efficient powerplant for the next generation of wide-body aircraft.

Originally certified in 1995 at 84,700 pounds of thrust, today's GE90 engines power newer, more advanced Boeing 777 aircraft capable of flying farther, faster and more efficiently than their predecessors.

The most powerful derivative of the GE90, the GE90-115B, is the sole powerplant for Boeing's longer-range 777-300ER. The GE90-115B certified at 115,000 lbs. of thrust and has broken a number of aviation records.

The GE90-115B derated to 110,000 lbs. of thrust (GE90-110B) powers the Boeing 777-200LR and the world's largest, most capable twin-engine freighter -- Boeing's 777 Freighter. The 777 Freighter will offer unsurpassed efficiency to long-haul markets and provide more capacity than any other twin-engine freighter.

The Guinness Book of World Records recognized the engine as the "World's Most Powerful Commercial Jet Engine" in 2001 after it recorded an amazing 123,000 lbs. of steady-state thrust while undergoing initial ground testing. In late 2002, the engine shattered its original record by reaching 127,900 lbs. of thrust during required certification testing.

Since the introduction of Boeing's longer-range 777 in early 2000, the GE90 has been the best-selling engine for that aircraft family.

Snecma of France, Avio of Italy, and IHI of Japan are participants in the GE90 development program.

*CFM56 engines are produced by CFM International, a 50/50 joint company of Snecma and General Electric Company.

ANTONOV AN-225

Antonov AN-225, The Biggest and Heaviest Airplane in the World

AN-225 MRIYA (NATO codename: “Cossacks”) is the largest and heaviest airplane in the world. Myria come from The Russian word incidentally means ‘inspired dream’  it is classed as a Strategic Air-lifter and was constructed by the Antonov Design Bureau in the Ukraine in 1988 as a derivative from the Antanov An124.

His job as an aircraft carrier for russian Shuttle Buran, but is also used as an ordinary cargo aircraft. Unlike any other commercially available aircraft, the An-225 has the ability to carry external loads of up to 90 tonnes mounted on its “roof rack” also.

The AN-225 is very big. It takes up more than 2 Boeing 747 parking spaces. There is enough cargo space to load 5 tanks, the complete assembled fuselage of a Boeing 737, or 8 double-decker buses. It can carry up to 1500 people at a time. With a maximum gross weight of 640 tonnes, the An-225 is the world’s heaviest aircraft.

Here’s the complete Specification of the airplane:
* Crew: 6
* Payload: 250,000 kg (550,000 lb)
* Door dimensions: 440 x 640 cm (14.4 x 21 ft)
* Length: 84 m (275.6 ft)
* Wingspan: 88.4 m (290 ft 2 in)
* Height: 18.1 m (59.3 ft)
* Wing area: 905 m2 (9,743.7 ft2)
* Cargo Volume: 1,300 m3 (46,000 cu ft))
* Empty weight: 285,000 kg (628,315 lb)
* Max takeoff weight: 600,000 kg (1,323,000 lb)
* Powerplant: 6× ZMKB Progress D-18 turbofans, 229.5 kN (51,600 lbf) each
* Takeoff run: 3,500 m (11,000 ft) with maximum payload


Performance                                                                        

·         Maximum speed: 850 km/h (460 knots, 530 mph)
* Cruise speed: 800 km/h (430 knots, 500 mph)
* Range: With maximum fuel: 15,400 km (9,570 mi) and With maximum payload: 4,000 km (2,500 mi))
* Service ceiling: 11,000 m (36,100 ft)
* Wing loading: 662.9 kg/m² (135.5 lb/ft²)
* Thrust/weight: 0.234

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BABY SICKNESS

Tidak hanya makhluk hidup saja yang sakit, pesawat terbang pun juga bisa sakit, meskipun masih gress alias fresh from manufacture. Misalnya saja, MA60 buatan China yang pernah terdapat crack atau retakan di rudder (sayap belakang)-nya.

"Ini namanya baby sickness. Kalau Anda punya anak kecil yang kadang-kadang tiba-tiba hangat tubuhnya, kira-kira seperti inilah kondisi pesawat yang baby sickness".

Ketika ditemukan kerusakan di pesawat  yang baru dikeluarkan pabrik, tentu operator penerbangan selaku konsumen berhak menanyakan ke pabrik pembuat pesawatnya. Si pembuat pesawat tentunya akan menyempurnakan hasil produksinya.

"Ini juga dialami Airbus A-380 yang penutup mesinnya jatuh di Batam pada November tahun lalu. Ini baby sickness juga.
Pengontrolan kualitas produk akhir pasti telah dilakukan produsen, namun tetap harus disadari bahwa kesempurnaan menjadi milik Yang kuasa.

"Karena itu juga pihak operator ada maintenance. Waktu beli pesawat tersebut ,maintenancenya bagaimana??
Untuk mengetahui hal ini,misalnya ada teknisi yang dikirim ke China, teknisi avionic dikirim ke AS, dan teknisi mesin dikirim ke Kanada".

Nah kan..teknisi bisa jalan-jalan keluar negeri juga..

Dalam dunia pesawat dikenal pula Airworthiness Directives yang dikenal dengan AD. AD merupakan petunjuk kelaikan udara yang menjadi pemberitahuan kepada pemilik dan operator pesawat bahwa terdapat kelainan pada pesawat atau komponennya. Misalnya ada mesin, avionik atau sistem lainnya yang harus diperbaiki.

"Dengan AD, bisa dikeluarkan permintaan untuk melakukan modifikasi pada pesawat tertentu. Kalau Indonesia menerima itu (dari produsen), maka Direktorat Kelaikan Udara dan Pengoperasian Pesawat Udara (DKUPPU) juga mengeluarkan AD yang mengacu pada pesawat tersebut".

Pesawat MA 60 hanya badannya saja yang dibuat di China. Sedangkan mesin pesawat dibuat oleh Pratt-Whitney Kanada yang biasa membuat mesin untuk berbagai pesawat lainnya.
Sementara instrumen avionic, navigasi dan komunikasi MA 60 mempercayakan kepada buatan Rockwell Collins, AS. 
Pesawat ini juga memiliki ciri khas baling-baling fiber berbentuk pedang. Ini menunjukkan pesawat generasi baru.

MA 60 adalah jenis pesawat yang dioperasikan Merpati Nusantara Airlines. Pesawat ini jatuh ke Teluk Kaimana, Papua, pada Sabtu (7/5) lalu.