Assembly of the first full GE9X engine that will test in the first half of 2016 is well underway, four years before the GE9X engine enters service on a Boeing 777X aircraft. The GE9X engine will be in the 100,000 lb thrust class.
The first engine to test (FETT) wraps up the extensive technology maturation program for the GE9X engine program, which began almost five years ago and has included component-level, system-level and core demo testing to validate the advanced technologies and materials in the new engine. FETT brings all the technologies together to demonstrate their operability as a complete propulsion system as well as provide early information on the engine’s aerodynamic and thermal characteristics.
Compared to prior engine development programs, the GE9X first engine test is scheduled earlier in the development process, just six months after the engine design was finalized. A second GE9X engine is scheduled for tests beginning in 2017, followed by flight testing on GE Aviation’s flying test bed, a Boeing 747. Engine certification is anticipated in 2018.
February 12, 2016
