Article Posted on : - Jun 17, 2010

GEnx-1B Engine.

OHIO (BNS): Boeing Wednesday announced that its 787 Dreamliner, powered by General Electric Co.'s GEnx-1B engines, has successfully completed its first flight at Paine Field in Everett, Washington.

The first flight of the Boeing 787 aircraft lasted three hours and 48 minutes and is part of the overall flight-testing programme to demonstrate the aircraft's capabilities. The first flight of the GEnx-1B engine follows the February first flight of the GEnx-2B engine, which has logged more than 1,800 flight-hours on the Boeing 747-8 aircraft, according to a GE Aviation news release.

"The GEnx engine programme has been designing, developing and testing the engine for five years so the first flight is a testament to the team's extraordinary efforts," Tom Brisken, general manager of the GEnx programme was quoted as saying in the release.

The GEnx is the fastest selling engine in GE's history with about 1,300 engines on order and more than 800 of these orders are for the GEnx-1B engine.

The company added that GEnx will be the world's only jet engine with both a front fan case and fan blades made of carbon fiber composites, and will reduce noise levels by 30%. Based on the proven architecture of the GE90, the GEnx engine will succeed GE's CF6 engine.

GE believes the first 787 with the GEnx will be delivered early next year.