GE Aviation and StandardAero announced today the opening of the new $50 million aircraft engine testing, research and development centre (TRDC) in Winnipeg. The announcement caps off a 12-month developmental partnership launched in February 2011 between the two companies. The new centre will perform icing certification testing on GE's jet engines, as well as develop advanced testing methodologies and equipment for GE Aviation's commercial and military aircraft engines.

The 122,500 square foot facility, located at the James A. Richardson International Airport in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is a partnership between GE and StandardAero. Under the 10-year contractual agreement, GE designed and built the new facility and StandardAero will maintain and operate the certification test center which was designed to test gas turbine engines up to 150 inches in diameter and up to 150,000 lbs of thrust, as well as capabilities to accommodate high performance military engines.

"GE Aviation is in the midst of record new engine product development programs," explained Kevin Kanter, engineering executive of GE Aviation's Design & Integration Systems Engineering. "The new icing testing, research and development centre will expand GE's testing capacity and allow us to meet our commitments to customers."

"Today's event marks a significant milestone in the partnership between StandardAero and GE," said Rob Mionis, President & CEO, StandardAero. "We've enjoyed a long standing relationship in the MRO of the GE CF34 engine and just over two years ago stepped up to the large fan market by becoming a GE-Designated Fulfillment Center for CFM56-7B engine. And now today, with the dedication of this new engine testing and R&D facility, we have become a key GE support partner in the testing and maintenance of their line of future, state-of-the-art, fuel efficient engines. We're proud to work with GE and even more proud knowing that our reputation for quality and service reputation has positioned us to be the partner of choice for a global leader in commercial aircraft engines."

The center will initially employ 10 StandardAero employees, with the potential to grow to 50 employees over the next five years.

The facility utilizes a state-of-the-art noise reduction system with 50-foot high noise attenuation walls, 16-foot diameter augmentor tube, and 51 foot high exhaust stack. In addition, the facility incorporates a translating wind tunnel to enable future expansion of the facility for year-round testing in other areas, such as performance and endurance testing, bird ingestion, ice crystal and mixed phase testing. Other advantages to the Winnipeg Airport location include a highly secured location as well as immediate proximity to StandardAero and a skilled workforce heavily involved and familiar with GE engine testing and test cell design.