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.

FMI: http://geaviation.com/bga