Company's First Small Turbine

During a rousing ceremony held on March 27, hundreds of employees, retirees, customers and military dignitaries commemorated the 50th year of flight for one of GE Aviation's and the U.S. Marine Corps' most successful and durable helicopter engines, the T58.

Originally conceptualized in the early 1950s, the T58 was designed under sponsorship of the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics as a lightweight, compact helicopter powerplant. The T58 was GE's first small turbine engine and, by the early 1960s, it had evolved into one of the bread-and-butter production engine programs for the Lynn plant.

In recapping the history of the T58 and citing its impressive list of technological firsts, Ed Birtwell, vice president of GE's Turboshaft/Turboprop Project Department, commented, "It is clear that the mighty T58 was instrumental in the evolution and popularity of one of the 20th century's key innovations, the helicopter. The T58 is woven into the fabric of aviation around the world."

In 1957, two T58 engines powered a Sikorsky HSS-1F helicopter in the first jet-powered flight of a United States' helicopter. Other T58 applications grew to include the Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King anti-submarine helicopter, the Boeing CH-46 Sea Knight assault transport (currently the top T58 application with 218 CH-46E helicopters in U.S. Marine Corps service), the Kaman SH-2 Seasprite Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System (LAMPS), and specific models of the Bell UH-1 "Huey" helicopter. The most visible T58-powered aircraft is the Sikorsky VH-3D that, for more than 40 years, has provided transportation for the president of the United States and other members of the executive branch.

Col. Andrew O'Donnell, commanding officer HMX-1, has piloted T58-powered helicopters for four presidents. "Thank you for your hard work and for the dedication of this facility in supporting Marine One and our very prized package that we have been privileged to fly for many years," said Col. O'Donnell.

Engine reliability and performance have been staples of the T58 for a half-century. T58 engine ratings grew from 1,050 to 1,870 shaft horsepower over the course of a production run from 1959 to 1984. The T58 has also benefited from an influx of technology and materials over the years that have contributed to its exceptional longevity.

Back in 2000, GE Aviation was awarded a $200 million T58 ERIP (Engine Reliability Improvement Program) contract to upgrade 449 T58 engines powering U.S. Marine Corps CH-46E helicopters. Beginning in 2003, GE re-started the T58 production line and provided new engine cores that were then mated with accessories and power turbines at the Cherry Point, N.C., Naval Air Depot. In addition, a titanium nitride (TiN) coating process for compressor blades was identified and subsequently incorporated into ERIP engines, which helped reduce blade erosion and improved engine time on wing. The final ERIP engine was shipped earlier this month.

"There is no doubt ERIP will save Marines' and sailors' lives over the next 10 years as the Sea Knight is scheduled to fly until 2017," said Lt. Col. Harry Hewson, program manager Air 226. "Anytime you can deliver a product under budget and ahead of schedule, you have truly made a contribution to our warfighters."

"The timing of the launch of the ERIP program couldn't have been better, as new engines began arriving at a time when our country was just beginning its war on terror," said Col. Bill Taylor, the former CH-46 program manager who helped launch ERIP in 2000. "To date, ERIP engines have accumulated more than 144,000 flight-hours, much of that time in the harsh environments of Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa."

FMI: www.geae.com, www.marines.mil