Farnborough, Hampshire -- GE continues to demonstrate its ongoing commitment to produce the world's best helicopter engines, both for today's aircraft and those just around the corner. Its Aviation business is investing significantly in technology to ensure its turboshaft product line provides top performance, reliability and durability for its ever-expanding customer base.
Work continues on another recent application, the Korean Helicopter Program (KHP). GE and Samsung Techwin, Co. LTD (STW) signed a contract in 2007 to develop the T700-701K turboshaft engine to power 245 new indigenous helicopters.
The -701K is the first rear-drive variant of the T700 engine, enabling easy installation into the KHP helicopter while providing opportunities to power other rear-drive applications. A modified derivative of the T700-701D (1,900 shaft horsepower class), the -701K is designed to provide power for hot-high requirements and also offers substantial growth margin to meet emerging Korean mission needs.
"We are excited about our collaboration on the -701K," said Russell F. Sparks, president and CEO of the Military Systems operation at GE. "It speaks to our determination to develop derivative engines and pursue diverse applications that meet the needs of the evolving helicopter market."
GE's CT7-8 was chosen in 2005 as the powerplant for the next-generation VH-71 "Marine One" helicopter to be used by the President of the United States. The VH-71 is powered by three CT7-8 engines that combine proven technology and performance with advanced design, technologies and adaptability, making it ideally suited for this application. GE remains on schedule on all program deliverables and in October 2007 once again received the top VH-71 Preferred Supplier rating.
Collaboration with the U.S. Navy and Marines Corps has resulted in GE being awarded $1.4 million in initial funding to perform engineering work associated with the integration of an engine upgrade into the AH-1Z helicopter. Under this arrangement, GE will ship three instrumented T700-401C flight-test engines later this year.
GE shipped the initial CT7-8F5 flight-test engines to Agusta Westland for the Spanish NH90 helicopter. In 2007, the Spain Ministry of Defense selected the CT7-8F5 as the engine for 45 NH90s under its Armed Forces Modernization Program. The CT7-8 engine model powers four aircraft applications: the NH90, S-92, AW101 and MH-60M (YT706 variant).
In January the U.S. Army awarded a third option contract to the GE/Corpus Christi Army Depot (CCAD) partnership to support T700-701D engine overhauls. The Army plans to convert its entire Apache and Black Hawk helicopter fleet to the T700-701D engine. To date, CCAD has produced more than 1,100 engine conversions and the remaining upgrades are anticipated over the next four years. The -701D features improved hot-section components that are estimated to provide at least twice the hot section durability, lower life-cycle costs, and 5% more power than the current T700-701C engine.
T700-701D opportunities for GE also exist in the foreign military sales market, covering 2,000-plus engines for both upgrades to current AH-64 and UH-60 operators and future AH-64 and UH-60M deliveries.
GE's successful T700/CT7 family of turboprop and turboshaft engines currently powers 25 types of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft in service with more than 130 customers in more than 50 countries. This engine family has accumulated over 50 million engine flight hours of experience.
GE Aviation, an operating unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), is a world-leading provider of commercial and military jet engines and components as well as integrated digital, electric power, and mechanical systems for aircraft. GE Aviation also has a global service network to support these offerings.