DUBAI -- November 21, 2005 : Assembly of engine subasssembly for the first full-scale GEnx test engine is underway. The GEnx engine is being developed for the Boeing 787 and 747 Advanced aircraft and the Airbus A350 aircraft.
"We are currently assembling components for this first engine to test," says Tom Brisken, general manager of the GEnx program. "Testing is scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2006, with engine certification planned for mid-2007 and entry into service on the Boeing 787 scheduled for 2008."
The certification schedule for the GEnx engine for the A350 includes engine certification in 2007, flight tests in 2009 and aircraft/engine certification in 2010.
The GEnx is based on the highly successful GE90 architecture. It will succeed GE's CF6 engine family, which is the most reliable and best-selling engine for wide-body aircraft.
The GEnx provides significantly better fuel burn and payload performance than GE's CF6 engines. It is the world's only jet engine with a front fan case and fan blades made of composites, which provide for greater engine durability, weight reduction and lower operating costs. The fan blades will utilize GE90 composite technology that has performed remarkably well, with no in-service issues for almost a decade. The GEnx will operate with 18 fan blades (50 percent fewer than the CF6) at noise levels lower than any large GE commercial engine. The GEnx also features a new combustor for efficient fuel mixing before ignition, resulting in significantly lower NOx levels.
The GEnx is part of GE's ecomagination product portfolio--GE's commitment to develop new, cost-effective technologies that enhance customers' environmental and operating performance.
GE - Aviation, an operating unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), is one of the world's leading manufacturers of jet engines for civil and military aircraft. GE also is a global provider of maintenance and support services for operators of GE jet engines.
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