U.S. FAA Certified GE Aviation's H80 Turboprop Engine

EVENDALE, OHIO - March 14, 2012 - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved type certification for GE Aviation's H80 turboprop engine. The FAA engine certification follows similar certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) that the engine received in December.

"The U.S. FAA type certification on the H80 engine paves the way for entry into service on the Thrush 510G agricultural aircraft," said Paul Theofan, president and managing executive of GE Aviation's Business and General Aviation Turboprops. "GE Aviation stands ready to fully support our H80 customers with an expanded service network and customer training classes to ensure a smooth entry into service experience."

The H80 engine is the first GE Aviation engine to receive its initial type certification from EASA. The turboprop engine combines the elegant, robust 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 with no recurrent fuel nozzle inspections and no hot section inspection. The H80 engine will feature an extended service life of 3,600 flight-hours or 6,600 cycles between overhauls. It will provide the option of a single- or dual-acting governor, allowing customers to have flexibility in propeller selection.

The first aircraft to enter service with the H80 engine will be the Thrush 510G agricultural aircraft. The improved Thrush 510G has a hopper capacity of 510 gallons, a gross weight of 10,500 pounds, and a 29,000-hour wing spar life with no mandatory inspections of the wing spars.

The H80 engine has also been selected to power the Aircraft Industries L410 commuter aircraft. The H80-powered L410 aircraft has been flight testing since November 2011 and is expected to enter service later this year.

Production ramp up for the H80 engines is underway at GE Aviation Czech, where the engines are manufactured. GE Aviation anticipates producing 70 H80 engines this year. GE Aviation is also taking steps to ensure a smooth entry into service. Line maintenance classes are already underway so customers can learn how to keep their engines remain in top operating condition. GE Aviation has also developed an extensive network of service and support centers around the world. 

GE Aviation, an operating unit of GE (NYSE: GE), is a world-leading provider of jet and turboprop engines, components and integrated systems for commercial, military, business and general aviation aircraft. GE Aviation has a global service network to support these offerings. For more information, visit us at www.ge.com/aviation. Follow GE Aviation on Twitter at http://twitter.com/GEAviation and YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/GEAviation.