A new season for jet engine testing in Winnipeg

The GE Aviation Engine Testing, Research and Development Centre (TRDC) in Winnipeg, Manitoba just celebrated its one-year anniversary with the completion of updates that will allow the facility to accommodate year-round operations. The 122,000 ft² facility was initially designed to handle jet engine cold weather and ice-testing, but the site has expanded to include all-weather development and test cycles for engines. The facility is owned by GE, but operated by StandardAero. This past summer, GE Aviation invested $2.5m in the facility, in conjunction with a $5.0 million grant from West Canitest R&D Inc., a non-profit with federal government funding designated to assist third-party technology development programs and engine-testing research. This funding was used to incorporate additional testing equipment, a concrete base to allow the wind tunnel to be moved to accommodate different types of testing, digital temperature-catching equipment, and turbulence control structures used to straighten the air coming into the engine for performance testing.