GE fans out on testing of new GE9X fan blades

GE Aviation has begun testing on its new composite fan blades for the GE9X, the next-generation GE90 engine that will power Boeing’s 777X aircraft. This validation test is the first of several testing programs GE has planned this year for the GE9X fan module. The first round of fan blade tests occurred in June at the ITP Engine testing facility in the United Kingdom and focused on validating the new composite material for the fan blades. The results were very positive. GE plans a second round of tests at ITP later this summer to further validate the new fan blade composite material and a new metal material for the fan blade leading edge. This fall, GE plans to run Universal Propulsion Simulator (UPS) fan performance tests on a fan rig at a Boeing facility in Seattle, Washington. Work is already under way on the fan rig and facility for these tests.