GE Aviation has commenced certification testing on the first Passport development engine, which will power Bombardier's Global 7000 and 8000 business jets. Ground testing took place at the company's Peebles, Ohio facility, where the engine ran for more than three hours and "surpassed thrust requirements".
The certification programme will include more than 4,000 ground hours and 8,000 cycles of testing, says GE. "Eight Passport engines and one core will be involved in the engine certification programme," it adds. Flight testing on the company's flying testbed is set to begin in 2014, leading to full certification in 2015. The ultra long-range Global 7000 and 8000 are scheduled for service entry in 2016 and 2017 respectively.
The Passport 20 is designed to provide fuel savings of up to 8%, compared with the Rolls-Royce BR725 that powers the sole competitor in the sector, the Gulfstream G650.
Source: Flight International