An engine, thicker than a Airbus A320
In two years, Boeing will deliver the first 777X. A drive of superlatives. The General Electric has sent now for the first Time in the air.
A month ago, there were still problems. A component of the GE-9X, made difficulties, and delayed the first flight of the new engine. Now it worked but. On a four-hour test flight, the engineers of GE Aviation made last week a first impression of the flight characteristics of the drive of superlatives. They were satisfied with the results.
Here is the largest ever built, the engine took off, made a direct comparison to the test plane guess. Specifically for such testing purposes, converted Boeing 747-400 – one of the largest passenger aircraft – was with the new engine under its left wing somehow incorrectly proportioned. Easily she heaved herself but in the California sky.
Powerful Gondola
With 4.4 Meter diameter of the housing of the GE-9X, the fuselage width of the Airbus A320 exceeds effortlessly in order to almost half a Meter. Even the front engine blades come to a record level of 3.4 metres. Here is the fuselage of an Embraer E would fit Jets without any problems. To be able to on the wings of the test aircraft are to be assembled, the smart designers at Boeing on a specially reinforced suspension. At the end could be in spite of the mighty gondola, half a Meter of ground clearance for the Jet out.
The modern engines are getting bigger, is due to the bypass ratio. It shows how much mass of air after the Fan is guided to the gas turbine pass, and how much inside the combustion chamber of the engine happens. The bigger it is, the more efficiently the fuel consumption is. Pratt & Whitney and General Electric as part of the CFM showed their engines for the Airbus A320 Neo and Boeing 737 Max, which is in the range feasible. The GE-9X 10:1 is promised.
Waterproof Test Program
For the GE-9X, the American company promises a tenth and less fuel consumption in comparison to the previous engine of the Boeing 777, the GE-90. Also, the use of lightweight carbon fiber-help materials in engine blades, as well as an extended high-pressure compressor. Before the first of the so far 900 have ordered copies may be handed over, must prove its worth, the engine in a tight - knit test program, among Other things, in the case of side wind or icing tests.
Despite a delay of two months it is hoped to be the General Electric is still in 2019 with this. In 2020, Boeing plans to deliver the first 777X. You can see in the above image gallery images of the GE-9X.