GE reports that its GE Honda HF120 turbofan engine has "flown" as high as 46,000ft (14,000m) in the company's altitude test facility in Evendale, Ohio.

Technicians successfully completed windmill and starter-assisted air-starts of the first test version of the 2,050lb-thrust (9.1kN) turbofan, which will power the HondaJet and the Spectrum Freedom.

A second HF120 development engine is undergoing Federal Aviation Administration certification testing at GE's Peebles test facility in Ohio, where it successfully underwent fan operability surge and stall testing with crosswinds in mid-February.

The HF120 is expected to weigh less than 180kg (400lb) and have 5,000h time between overhauls.

HF120 test rig
 © GE

Source: Flight International

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