Honda And GE Promise Efficiency
This week at AirVenture, GE Honda Aero Engines announced
short-term and long-term plans for their HF120 engine. GE and Honda
are working together on the project, and are using the best
resources each company has to offer in order to engineer a
game-changing turbine.
Bill Dwyer, president of GE Honda Aero Engines, is at the helm
of the joint venture, and explained that Honda and GE decided to
work together because they have the same goals in mind. "'The power
of dreams' and 'imagination at work'," says Dwyer. "Our promise is
to fulfill that."
GE engines powered the first Learjets in the 1950s, and the
company is the single largest turbine producer today. Honda's past
includes designing racing engines, lawnmowers, economy cars, and
everything in between. Honda's jet engine and aircraft research and
development program was begun in 1986 with the intention of
producing a viable turbine concept. After Honda built its fifth
HF118 engine prototype in 2003, GE Honda Aero Engines Ltd. was
formed in 2004, and the HF120 was created.
GE Honda Aero Engines' mission is to "use technology to bring
more value to customers." Dwyer says. The company plans to build
engines in the 1,000-3,500 lb. thrust class. In 2005, joint engine
redesign and testing began on the new HF120 engine, which produces
about 2,100 pounds of thrust, and will have a better power to
weight ratio than any engine in its class, though the company
prefers to keep the specific weight in the dark for now.
The engine utilizes the latest in technology, including an
advanced high-flow fan with a wide chord design. The fan vanes are
composite with stainless steel leading edges for durability, and
the high temperate, high tip speed titanium impeller borrows much
from Honda's experience with racing engines. Many material
technologies are borrowed from the GEnx engines as well.
Dwyer promises class-leading fuel efficiency and believes the
engine will not have to be replaced for 5,000 hours, giving the
HF120 a 300% increase in durability compared to conventional
turbines.
Honda Aero, Inc. has selected Burlington, North Carolina for the
HF120 production site. Production is planned for 2010, with initial
engines being built at GE's engine facility in Lynn, Massachusetts.
Dwyer says the first full HF120 engine test will begin this summer,
and GE Honda Aero Engines will be testing their first turbofan
engine in less than a month.
The Burlington production site will be capable of delivering 600
engines annually, and Dwyer says the company plans to use GE's
existing customer service infrastructure for support. Services for
the HF120 will include regional field support, a 24/7 call center,
and one-day parts delivery.
GE Honda Aero Engines' HF120 is already powering the HondaJet
and Spectrum Freedom, which will both be flying by 2010. Dwyer says
the company is actively searching for additional clients, and it is
likely that the HF120's fuel consumption will be its selling point.
As fuel costs soar, many will remember Honda's commitment to
efficiency, which is sure to make its way into the turbine
market.