Story ID: 
Small Turbofan Makes First Run in France
By: Gordon Gilbert
Caption: The 560-pound-thrust DGEN380 turbofan engine recently made its first run in Tarnos, France, start-up company Price Induction announced.
Word Count: 153
The 560-pound-thrust DGEN380 turbofan engine recently made its first run in Tarnos, France, start-up company Price Induction announced. So far, the engine’s stability and vibration level are satisfactory, the company said. The 50 hours of the first test segment are being spread over this month. The engine on the ground testbed is still a demonstrator and will be followed by a development engine in March, company founder and CEO Bernard Etcheparre told AIN. Maverick Jets, which has carried out a feasibility study of the engine for its SmartJet very light jet design, might provide the first application. The five-seat, twin-turbofan, all-composite SmartJet has a planned mtow of 4,160 pounds, an empty weight of 2,150 pounds, a normal cruise speed of 277 knots at 22,000 feet and a max range of 1,250 nm. Jim McCotter, Maverick Jets president and owner, said earlier this month the company will disclose the name of the airplane’s engine maker “later this year.”