GE announces new turboprop engine for Textron’s aircraft

General Electric Aviation launches its all-new turboprop engines following its selection by Textron Aviation Inc. to power the company's single-engine turboprop aircraft. GE and Textron announced the aircraft pairing at the National Business Aviation Association's annual trade show on Monday.

GE won the new Textron contract after a competition with Pratt & Whitney Canada and other engine makers. GE's advanced turboprop engine beat up P&WC United Technologies unit's PT6 which has dominated general aviation turboprop market for 50 years and produced 51,000 units, according to Reuters.

GE will develop the turboprop engine family at its newly announced European based Turboprop Center of Excellence. The company plans to invest up to $1 billion for the project including $400 for the new factory in Europe.

GE's new turboprop engine is the first entry in GE's new family of turboprop engines aimed for business and general aviation in the 850 - 1600 horsepower range.

The company has conducted design studies on the turboprop for the past five years and actively researched turboprop market to identify and integrate the best next generation and military technologies at the lowest cost and risk, said Brad Mottier, vice president and GM of GE Aviation Business & General Aviation and Integrated Systems division as reported on SkiesMag.

The new turboprop engine features 16:1 overall pressure ratio (OPR) that enables the engine to have up to 20% lower fuel burn and 10% higher cruise power compared to other engines in the same size class.

The engine has a modular architecture based on the T700/CT7 turbo shaft for better performance at lower operating costs.

It has all titanium body with 3D aero compressor offers lighter in weight more efficient power. It also features cooled turbine blades to enable higher thrust and fuel efficiency. The engine has an integrated electronic propulsion control for optimized single lever engine and propeller control.

GE's new turboprop engine powered by a powerful compressor with nearly double the pressure ratio of comparable engines, linked to a full-authority integrated propulsion control system that will govern both engine and propeller pitch as an entire system, according to Aviation Week.

Textron Aviation's with GE single-engine turboprop is expected to have a range of more than 1,500 nautical miles and speeds higher than 280 knots. The aircraft is expected to have 12 of passenger seats.

GE plans to perform the detailed design review (DDR) for its new single-engine turboprop in 2017 followed by the first full engine test in 2018.

The company plans to continue its research on 5,000 shp turboprop engine for the U.S. Marines heavy lift helicopter.