GEnx-1B Engine Makes its First Flight on Boeing's 787 Dreamliner

GEnx-1B Engine Makes its First
Flight on Boeing's 787
Dreamliner
The GEnx-1B
engine has completed its first flight on
the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which flew
today at Paine Field in Everett,
Washington. "The GEnx engine program has been
designing, developing and testing the
engine for five years so today's events
are a testament to the team's
extraordinary efforts," said Tom
Brisken, general manager of the GEnx program. The first flight of the Boeing 787
aircraft lasted three hours and 48
minutes and is part of the overall
flight-testing program to demonstrate
the aircraft's capabilities. The first flight
of the GEnx-1B engine follows the February first flight of the GEnx-2B
engine, which has logged more than
1,800 flight-hours on the Boeing
747-8 aircraft. The GEnx is the fastest selling engine
in GE's history with about 1,300
engines on order and more than 800
of these orders are for the GEnx-1B
engine. Based on the proven architecture of
the GE90, the GEnx engine will
succeed GE's CF6 engine. Compared to
the CF6 engine, the GEnx-1B engine
will offer 15 percent improved fuel
efficiency, which translates to 15 percent less CO2. The engine achieves
these improvements with
aerodynamic advancements that
enable higher pressures and
improved energy extraction from a
more compact core architecture that has significantly fewer parts. The GEnx's innovative twin-annular
pre-swirl, TAPS, combustor will
dramatically reduce NOx gases as
much as 60 percent below today's
regulatory limits and other regulated
gases as much as 90 percent. Based on the ratio of decibels to pounds of
thrust, the GEnx will be the quietest
engine GE has produced due to the
large, more efficient fan blades that
operate at a slower tip speed, resulting
in about 30 percent lower noise levels. The GEnx will be the world's only jet
engine with both a front fan case and
fan blades made of carbon fiber
composites. IHI of Japan, Avio SpA. of Italy, Volvo
Aero of Sweden, MTU of Germany,
TechSpace Aero of Belgium, Snecma
(SAFRAN Group) of France and
Samsung Techwin of Korea are
revenue-sharing participants in the GEnx program. The GEnx is part of GE's
"ecomagination" product portfolio--
GE's commitment to develop new,
cost-effective technologies that
enhance customers' environmental
and operating performance. GE Aviation, an operating unit of GE
(NYSE: GE), is a world-leading provider
of jet engines, components and
integrated systems for commercial and
military aircraft. GE Aviation has a
global service network to support these offerings.