Publish Date : 21-May-2014
GE Honda Aero Engines accomplished a major milestone with the delivery of the first shipset of HF120 production engines to Honda Aircraft Company.
"The delivery of these first set of engines is a significant milestone for the HF120 program and reinforces our continuous support for our customer." said Terry Sharp, president of GE Honda Aero Engines. "The HF120 is now in full production at GE's Lynn facility. Significant planning activity is underway to enable smooth transitioning to the Honda Aero facility in Burlington, North Carolina, before year end."
With the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Part 33 certification of the GE Honda HF120 turbofan engine obtained on December 13, 2013, the team is now focusing on obtaining European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) validation by the end of the year.
GE Honda also announced that Honda Aero's Burlington, North Carolina site has been chosen as the official Maintenance Repair & Overhaul (MRO) facility for the HF120 engines.
"With both production and MRO taking place at the same facility, GE Honda will have the flexibility to better respond to customer demands." said Masahiko Izumi, executive vice-president of GE Honda Aero Engines and president of Honda Aero, Inc..
To date, the HF120 has accumulated more than 15,000 cycles and close to 10,000 hours of testing.
Rated at 2,095 pounds of thrust, the HF120 engine is designed to set new standards of performance in fuel efficiency, durability, and low noise and emissions.
HF120 technologies include:
A wide-chord, compound, swept front fan blisk, along with composite outlet guide vanes.
A high-temperature titanium impeller in the compressor for maximum engine pressure ratio and stall-free performance.
A compact reverse-flow configuration combustor and single-stage air-blast fuel nozzles.
Advanced materials in the high-pressure (HP) turbine as well as a two-stage low-pressure (LP) turbine and a counter rotating HP and LP spool shaft system.
In 2004, GE and Honda formed a 50/50 joint venture, called GE Honda Aero Engines, based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The joint company integrates the resources of GE Aviation and Honda Aero, Inc., a Honda subsidiary established to manage its aviation engine business. The GE Honda HF120 engine program was launched in 2006 and was selected to power Honda Aircraft Company's advanced light jet, the HondaJet.
Honda is the world's largest engine manufacturer, annually producing more than 27 million engines for a wide range of products, including motorcycles, ATVs, generators, marine engines, lawn and garden equipment, and Honda and Acura automobiles.
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