FARNBOROUGH - The status of T700/CT7 engines as the most popular engines in their class, with more than 11,400 produced for 130 customers in 55 countries throughout the world, was recently reaffirmed by Italy's selection of T700/T6E1 turboshaft engines to power its entire fleet of NH90 helicopters. T700/T6E1 engines, designed to power the NH90 twinjet helicopter, performed flawlessly during rigorous flight testing on the NH90, including sea trials, and met or exceeded all requirements. The engine was co-developed and will be co-produced by GE Aircraft Engines and FiatAvio. GE Aircraft Engines and FiatAvio, with Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) of Taiwan as a risk- and revenue-sharing participant, will also co-produce the civil variant of the T700/T6E1, the CT7-8. The newest, most powerful addition to the T700/CT7 family, the CT7-8 has been selected as the exclusive powerplant for the Sikorsky S-92 advanced medium helicopter. The engine has successfully completed all certification testing, including the first-ever blade-out test of a turboshaft engine. Flight testing of the S-92 helicopter has begun at the Sikorsky Flight Test Facility at West Palm Beach, Florida, and the engines have performed flawlessly. Certification of the CT7-8 engine by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is targeted for September of this year, with production engine shipments to begin in June 2001.CT7-6A turboshaft engines powering civil variants of the EH Industries EH101 helicopter, and T700/T6A and T700/T6A1 engines powering military variants, have accumulated more than 40,000 flight hours and are currently in service with the Italian Navy, Canada's Department of National Defense, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. The CT7-6A, the only engine certified to power the civil EH101, powered two of the aircraft in cold weather/icing flight testing in Canada and Alaska, and CT7-6As are now powering the two aircraft undergoing the Intensive Flight Operation Program (IFOP) being conducted in Aberdeen, Scotland. More than 4,900 flight hours of the 6,000-flight-hour program have already been completed successfully.The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is re-engining its fleet of UH-1N helicopters with T700-401 turboshaft engines as part of its program to upgrade them to the -4BN- or UH-1Y configuration, which will be equipped with a four-bladed rotor, an improved tail rotor and an increased-rating transmission. USMC AH-1W helicopters will be similarly upgraded to the -4BW- or AH-1Z configuration, and will continue to be powered by T700-401 engines. First flight of an upgraded aircraft is scheduled for the fourth quarter of this year.