World’s largest jet engine with 100k pounds of thrust makes debut: GE9X

GE Aviation’s GE9X, world’s largest jet engine has completed its first test flight in the Victorville, California, US. The GE9X features a front fan spanning 11.2 feet diameter and 16 fourth-generation carbon fibre composite fan blades. The engine can push 100, 000 pounds of thrust and is 10 per cent more efficient than the GE90 engine used on the current generation of passenger jets.  GE is especially designing the massive engine for the Boeing 777X aircraft and the engine flew for over four hours on its maiden flight and was able to complete the entire test card and was validated for operational and functional characteristics.

According to GE, the certification testing for the massive jet engine began in May 2017. In addition to the flight test, the engine also recently completed its icing tests at GE Aviation’s facility in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Currently, the engine is undergoing crosswind testing at the Peebles Test Operation in Ohio, as GE expects that the engine will receive its final certification in 2019. The GE9X  engine has already had 700 orders on the books and will have the largest front fan at 134 inches in diameter of any jet engine has 27:! Pressure ratio, 11-stage high-pressure compressor and a third generation TAPS III  combustor, with a composite fan case of 15 fourth generation carbon fibre composite fan blades.