Certification Testing Complete on HF120 Engine

Oct. 23, 2013
GE Honda anticipates receiving type certification by year end.

LAS VEGAS, NV – October 23, 2013 – GE Honda Aero Engines announced it has completed all U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification testing on its HF120 engine, with all certification reports submitted. GE Honda anticipates receiving type certification by year end.

“I’m extremely proud of the team’s efforts to complete all certification activities for the HF120 engine. There has been a lot of hard work to get to this point,” said Terry Sharp, president of GE Honda Aero Engines. “We are now finalizing the supply chain and production readiness processes and establishing our customer service programs to ensure successful entry into service.”

The HF120 engine program involved 13 certification ground-test engines in addition to flight-test engines that accumulated more than 12,000 cycles and more than 8,400 hours. This included 3,000 simulated flight cycles accumulated on a single engine as part of a rigorous endurance validation program.  Further endurance tests will continue on the HF120 engine utilizing Honda’s Tokyo, Japan test cell, keeping the engine well ahead of the fleet. 

The HF120 production design is frozen, and supply chain production readiness reviews are complete. Assembly validation is currently under way at GE’s facility in Lynn, Mass., which is responsible for initial production. Production will transition to the Honda Aero Inc. facility in Burlington, N.C., in 2014.

GE Honda is also establishing its customer service and support operation. The support model will consist of a network of GE Honda Authorized Service Providers, a 24/7 GE Honda Operations Center, dedicated Field Technical Managers (FTMs) and Customer Team Managers (CTMs), among other support operations. GE Honda will offer long-term engine service agreements with Enhanced and Comprehensive maintenance and support services that go above and beyond the basic engine warranty, with coverage of both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance events.

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.

A key cost-of-ownership advantage of the HF120 will be the ability to operate at a best-in-class 5,000 hours between major overhauls. The advanced airfoil materials and coatings that GE and Honda have developed for the engine’s HP turbine enable this capability.

Honda (NYSE: HMC) is the world’s largest engine manufacturer, annually producing more than 20 million engines for a wide range of products, including motorcycles, ATVs, generators, marine engines, lawn and garden equipment, and Honda and Acura automobiles.

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 additional information, visit GE Honda Aero Engines: http://www.gehonda.com/

Honda website: http://www.honda.com and its media website: http://www.hondanews.com

GE website: http://www.ge.com, and its Aviation business: http://www.geaviation.com