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.

FMI: www.gehonda.com