GE Aviation has begun testing the first demonstration core of the GE9X engine that will power Boeing’s new 777X airliner. During test runs at the manufacturer’s altitude facility in Evendale, Ohio, the demonstration core ran at maximum or redline speeds covering the entire GE9X flight envelope and exceeded the 100,000-pound-thrust turbofan’s compressor ratio of 27:1.
According to GE, the core testing, which began on December 3, follows on from an extensive series of maturation tests on various engine systems, including the fan, high-pressure compressor, combustor and low-pressure turbine. This will culminate in the first full engine test to be conducted during the first half of 2016. The GE9X is due to make its first flight on a flying testbed in 2017, with engine certification targeted for 2018.
Separately, rival engine maker Rolls-Royce achieved the first test run of its Trent 7000 demonstrator on November 27. With a thrust rating of between 68,000 and 72,000 pounds, the new turbofan is due to power the new Airbus A330neo twinjet.