Aircraft

General Electric’s GEnx engine successfully completed its fan blade containment test this week at the company’s Peebles, Ohio outdoor test facility.

“We are very pleased with the test, which validates the maturity of the technology we have developed for the program,” says Tom Brisken, general manager of the GEnx program.

“The completion of this key milestone brings us closer to engine certification, which is scheduled for later this year.”

The fan blade containment test follows several fan blade containment rig tests on subscale and full-scale fan case models. These earlier tests enabled GE to optimize the design of the fan case and further reduce its weight, says the engine maker.

Last month, the GEnx completed its flight test program on GE’s Boeing 747 flying test-bed, “which validated the GEnx-1B engine’s performance in real world flight conditions”, says GE.

Certification tests for vibration, emission and bird ingestions were also recently completed. After the development tests are complete, the GEnx will continue testing as part of an extensive maturation program.

The GEnx engine will power both the Boeing 787 and the 747-8 Intercontinental.

Related items:

• General Electric performs first run of new GENx engine

• Picture: General Electric’s GEnx-1B engine for the Boeing 787 makes first flight on 747 testbed

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