After an initial three years of Cyclean engine washes with noticeable benefits for the worldwide C-17 Globemaster III fleet, Boeing has now extended the respective service contract with Lufthansa Technik until the end of 2027. Every year, the MRO company and its partners perform around 2,000 of such high-pressure water washes on the airlifters'
Pratt&Whitney PW2000 powerplants (military designation: F117-PW-100).
These services have made the more than 270 aircraft in service up to one percent more fuel efficient while also measurably improving their engines' exhaust gas temperature (EGT) margin as well as their on-wing time.
Lufthansa Technik's Cyclean engine washes are carried out by approved service providers around the world that are coordinated by the company's Engine Life Cycle Services department in Frankfurt, Germany. One of these partners is Certified Aviation Services LLC that alone serves 17 United States Air Force locations in North America. A further eight international stations are served by Lufthansa Technik's other local contractual partners.
"It is great to see that - besides more than 80 commercial airlines around the world - our innovative and constantly improved Cyclean engine wash system is now also valued by a significant number of air forces", said Maarten Kuilman, Manager Engine Life Cycle Services at Lufthansa Technik. "Military operations in often harsh conditions are the royal discipline for the durability of aircraft engines. The prouder we are that our Cyclean deployment on the massive global C-17 fleet has completely delivered to its promise."
The C-17 is a large military transport aircraft for tactical and strategic airlift missions, transporting troops and cargo throughout the world. Other roles include medical evacuation and airdrops.
Operators covered by the contract with Boeing include the United States Air Force, NATO, the Kuwait Air Force, the Qatar Emiri Air Force, the United Arab Emirates Air Force, the Indian Air Force, the Royal Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force. In the Cyclean service portfolio, the Globemaster III plays quite a special role as it also operates from unpaved runways, which significantly increases the number of dirt particles ingested and aggregated by the engines. This is effectively countered by additional Cyclean washes after a certain number of unpaved runway operations.
