AeroBD | The AERO news Company…Inverness, SCOTLAND, 10 March, 2016 : GE Aviation said final assembly is well underway on the first full GE9X engine that will test in the first half of 2016, four years before the GE9X engine enters service on a Boeing 777X aircraft. “Assembly of the first full GE9X engine is on track and coming together very nicely,” GE Aviation general manager-GE90/GE9X engine program Bill Millhaem said.

“The first engine to test (FETT) wraps up the extensive technology maturation program for the GE9X engine program, which began almost five years ago and has included component-level, system-level and core demo testing to validate the advanced technologies and materials in the new engine,” GE said in a statement. “FETT brings all the technologies together to demonstrate their operability as a complete propulsion system as well as provide early information on the engine’s aerodynamic and thermal characteristics.”

GE said the second GE9X engine is scheduled to test in 2017, along with flight testing on GE Aviation’s flying test bed. “This timing assures all learnings from FETT will be captured in all certification engines. Engine certification is anticipated in 2018,” GE said in a statement. GE said it has nearly 700 GE9X engines on order.

Other participants in the GE 9X program are: IHI Corp., Snecma and Techspace Aero (Safran) and MTU Aero Engines AG.