Mary-Louise Hoffman
General Electric’s aviation subsidiary has started to test a rotorcraft engine that is designed to power Apache, Black Hawk and Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft platforms for the U.S. Army.
GE Aviation said Wednesday testing work is underway on the first T901-GE-900 motor developed as part of the Improved Turbine Engine Program‘s engineering and manufacturing development phase.
The company won the ITEP EMD contract valued at $517.4 million in February 2019 and used 3D-printed components and ceramic matrix composite materials to produce the technology.
The Army expects the 3,000-horsepower T901 turboshaft engine to increase the performance of the branch’s UH-60 and AH-64 helicopters and plans to incorporate the machine into prototypes for the FARA competition.
GE’s First Engine to Test effort will primarily take place at company-run facilities in Lynn, Massachusetts, and Evendale, Ohio.
