General Electric began flight testing its new Passport turbofan engine which will power Bombardier’s new Global 7000 and Global 8000 bus...
General Electric began flight testing its new Passport turbofan engine which will power Bombardier’s new Global 7000 and Global 8000 business jets.
On December 30, 2014, a single Passport engine successfully demonstrated aircraft systems and instrumentation functionality onboard a GE’s 747-100 flying test-bed.
Flight-testing will continue into January prior to expected FAA certification in 2015.
To date, the Passport engine’s has accumulated more than 750 hours and 300 cycles of testing. Before entry into service, the Passport engine will accumulate the equivalent of 10 years of flying for an average Bombardier Global 7000 or Global 8000 aircraft operator, with more than 4000 hours and 8000 cycles.
The Passport engine will produce 16,500 pounds of thrust and will incorporate advanced technologies and materials to provide: 8% lower specific fuel consumption than engines in its class; margin to CAEP/6 emissions and to Stage 4 noise regulations; and world-class reliability and support.
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| Image Credit: GE Aviation |
The engine incorporates GE's large commercial engine experience, and have a high performance core similar to LEAP derived from the eCore program, materials and design conditions similar to the GE90 (777) and GEnx (747, 787) engines, low emission technology from the GP7200 (A380) and advanced technology such as the blisk and composites, from military engines.
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| Image Credit: GE Aviation |
Among the engine technologies: a composite fan case to reduce weight, a unique 52-inch front fan blisk for lower cabin noise and vibration and technologies from GE's eCore suite to lower emissions and improve fuel efficiency. The Passport's integrated propulsion system from Nexcelle, a joint venture between GE and Safran, will feature a slim-line nacelle with clam-shell cowl opening to reduce weight and drag while allowing for easy maintenance access and high dispatch availability.
Passport's high pressure compressor (HPC) blades and blisks feature a unique super finish surface, which makes the blades four times smoother than traditional blades. The super finish allows the air to pass more efficiently over the blades, resulting in lower fuel consumption. The surface finish also allows the blades to better retain their efficiency and performance by creating a layer of air, which guards against contaminants that might stick to traditional blades.
The GE’s flying test laboratory, a modernized 747-100, was the 16th aircraft shipped off the original Boeing 747 production line, entering service for Pan Am in 1972.
The Bombardier Global 7000 and Global 8000 are ultra long-range corporate and VIP high speed business jets, slated to enter service in 2016 and 2017 respectively.
