Wed, May 18, 2011
H80 Engine Flight Testing Underway, Services Network
Expanding
The Business & General Aviation Turboprops division of GE
Aviation reports continued growth, with efforts focused on
certifying the H80 engine and expanding its services and support
network.
H80 Engine
"It's an exciting time for the Business & General Aviation
turborpop team," said Paul Theofan, president and managing
executive of GE Aviation's Business & General Aviation
Turboprops. "We've accumulated 25 hours of flight on the Thrush
510G aircraft powered by the H80 engine, and we expect to certify
in mid-2011. In addition to these activities, the team has expanded
the global turboprop services network, signing an additional three
authorized service centers in the first half of this 2011."
The H80 engine completed its first flight on the Thrush 510G
aerial applicator in November 2010. Certification testing continues
at the Business & General Aviation Turboprops facility near
Prague in the Czech Republic.
Recent H80 engine agreements include:
- Aircraft Industries, a Czech-based aircraft manufacturer,
signed a sales agreement with GE Aviation for the purchase of M601
and H80 engines. The H80 engine for the L410-UVP-E20, a twin-engine
commuter aircraft, will bring the aircraft significantly more
performance capability. This marked the first H80 engine agreement
for the commuter segment.
- Technoavia, a Russian-based aircraft manufacturer, signed a
ten-year sales and cooperation agreement with GE Aviation for the
purchase of H80 engines. The engine agreement is for the newly
designed Rysachok aircraft, a twin-engine, ten-seat general
aviation aircraft, which will primarily be used by Russia's Civil
Aviation State Pilot Schools. Technoavia signed firm engine orders
for 30 aircraft and has options for another 30 aircraft. This was
the first H80 engine agreement in Russia.
GE Aviation expanded its turboprops' services network this year,
with new authorized service centers (ASC). GE ASC's offer
comprehensive line maintenance, removals and re-installations of
engines and line-replaceable units (LRUs) and engine spares for the
M601 and H80 engine families. GE Aviation provides ASC's with
comprehensive material support and training.
Recently the following aircraft maintenance companies were named
GE authorized service centers:
- TAM Aviação Executiva, a premier Fixed Base
Operator (FBO) with five locations in Brazil and a primary
maintenance facility located in Jundiai, SP, provides service and
support for business & general aviation aircraft that is
unparalleled in the region. Recognized for world-class excellence,
and as the largest Cessna Citation service center outside the U.S.,
TAM AE offers service and support for a multitude of aicraft
ranging from propeller driven through jet propulsion.
- Solo Aviation Systems C.A., based in Ocumare del Tuy,
Venezuela, is an engine maintenance and services provider of more
than 30 years, attending to a wide range of aircraft models in
private, corporate and commercial aviation. Solo Aviation's highly
experienced team provides maintenance and services for M601 engines
installed on L410 aircraft.
- Alagro Fumigaciones, located in Funes, Argentina, specializes
in maintenance and repair of aircraft. With more than 40 years of
experience, Alagro provides engine inspections, airworthiness
extensions, airworthiness approvals in Argentina, and a variety of
repairs for aircraft and airframes. In addition to working with
more than 90 customers across Argentina, Alagro also collaborates
on repairs and production with Ecuador, Uruguay and Brazil.
GE Aviation Business & General Aviation Turboprops has more
than 1,600 M601 engines in service that have accumulated more than
17 million flight hours on 30 applications. The H80 engine combines
design of the M601 engine with GE's 3-D aerodynamic design
techniques and advanced materials to create a more powerful,
fuel-efficient, durable engine compared with the M601, with no
recurrent fuel nozzle inspections and no hot section inspection.
The H80 engine will also feature an extended service life of 3,600
flight-hours or 6,600 cycles between overhauls, significantly
enhanced hot-day takeoff performance and high-altitude cruise
speeds. The H80 will provide the option of a single- or dual-acting
governor, allowing customers flexibility in propeller
selection.
More News
Aero Linx: International Association of Professional Gyroplane Training (IAPGT) We are an Association of people who fly, build or regulate Gyroplanes, who have a dream of a single >[...]
NORDO (No Radio) Aircraft that cannot or do not communicate by radio when radio communication is required are referred to as “NORDO.”>[...]
Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS) The operation of a UAS beyond the visual capability of the flight crew members (i.e., remote pilot in command [RPIC], the person manipulating th>[...]
Aero Linx: Malibu M-Class Owners and Pilots Association (MMOPA) The Piper M-Class Owners & Pilots Association (PMOPA) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the interest>[...]
“After eight months of negotiating, and a failed TA, unfortunately management has not recognized the pilots’ needs. We have expressed to management that we are willing >[...]