GE has initiated testing on the first T901-GE-900 engine, GE’s next-generation rotorcraft engine that will power the US Army’s UH-60 Black Hawk, AH-64 Apache and Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) aircraft in the future.
In 2019, the US Army selected GE’s T901 engine for the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase of the Improved Turbine Engine (ITE) programme to re-engine its Apache and Black Hawk fleets. The Army also selected the 3,000-shaft horsepower T901 for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) programme.
The first engine to test is being performed in a recently upgraded test cell at GE’s Lynn, Mass., facility. GE has upgraded three test cells in Lynn to efficiently complete the comprehensive T901 EMD engine test programme. The test cell upgrades include systems to absorb the increased power and allow no-load operation of the engine, improved instrumentation capability and upgraded test controls. T901 EMD engine testing will also be performed at GE’s Evendale, Ohio, facility, as well as government facilities.
