Assembly begins on the first Passport development engine

GE Aviation is assembling the first Passport development engine for the Bombardier Global 7000 and Global 8000 aircraft. Testing of the engine is scheduled for the second quarter of this year.

The Passport engine for the Global 7000 and Global 8000 business jets will produce 16,500 pounds of thrust and will incorporate advanced technologies and materials to provide: up to 11% lower specific fuel consumption than engines in its class; margin to CAEP/6 emissions and to Stage 4 noise regulations; and world-class reliability and support. Among the new engine technologies:

- A composite fan case to reduce weight,

- A unique 52-inch front fan blisk for lower cabin noise and vibration,

- And technologies from GE's eCore suite to lower emissions and improve fuel efficiency.

The Passport's integrated propulsion system from Nexcelle, a joint venture between GE and Safran, will feature a slim-line nacelle with outward opening cowl to reduce weight and drag while allowing for easy maintenance access and high dispatch availability.

Since launching the engine in 2010, GE has conducted validation tests on the fan blisk design, including two fan blade-out rig tests, ingestion tests and a fan aero rig test to demonstrate fan efficiency. Testing was completed on two eCore demonstrators, which accumulated 150 hours. Another eCore demonstrator is scheduled to run this year.