B/CA Show News - NBAA 2007 Day 2 - (Page 46)

N B A A 2 0 07 GE Is Looking to Power Smaller Aircraft Look for GE Aviation to emerge as a major player in business and general aviation. The aero engine giant has targeted these categories as strategic growth opportunities for the future, and is prepared to invest significantly in achieving a significant market share. It is already a major play on the Bombardier Challenger 604, 605 and Challenger 850 with around 1,400 engines in service. But the architecture in those engines goes back 25 years, and the Challenger itself will likely be renewed in the next few years. So GE Aviation is investing heavily in a 10,000-pound thrust engine that incorporates much of the knowledge and materials of the GEnx that powers the Boeing 787, including an all-composite, maintenance free front fan and casing. This will be proposed for the Challenger replacement, and is currently being competed on other new-generation airframes in the pipeline. GE Aviation is also investing heavily in GE Honda Aero Engines’ HF120 engine for small jets that require between 1,000 and Current technology GE Aviation engines power Bombardier Challenger 850. GE is teamed with Honda for HF120. 3,500 pounds thrust. Launch customer is the HondaJet, with more than 100 on order. And last month GE bought Walter, the Czech aero engine manufacturer of the Motorlet M601F turboprop. This 750 shp-class engine began life more than a quarter of a century ago as an Iron Curtain knock-off of Pratt & Whitney Canada’s PT6, and has GE Chaiman Immelt Molds Growth Vision Propelling GE Aviation’s diversification ness. But the HF120, if you look at into new markets is GE chairman Jeff the numbers, is a truly differentiated Immelt, who has made it clear he wants engine.” GE to grow at two to three times gross Walter, he said, is an adjacency, and domestic product. area GE hasn’t played in but one where “From a leading position in the [aero GE’s technology can help develop a engines] market we are hard-pressed to truly differentiated product. exceed the market growth rate of 4-5%,” “For example, on the CFM56 we said GE Aviation marketing director Chet have greatly improved fuel consumpJeff Immelt. Fuller. “The logical thing to do, of course, tion and tripled its time on wing over is to go after things in your core market that you don’t the life of the program,” Fuller noted. “That is the do today, and then go after things that are adjacent.” way we are predisposed to approach business.” “When you invest as much as we do in engine Honeywell, Rolls-Royce and P&WC all have turtechnology—around a billion and a half dollars this boprop engines in the Walter M601 category—and year—there is a potential fallout of that technology all cost rather more money, hence the popularity of that will allow you to make fantastic, differentiated the M601 in the amateur-built aircraft scene. “They’re products in other areas that are adjacent to that techprobably not super excited about us expanding in nology,” Fuller said. this direction but, you know, the market is an ever “For example, the CF34 is part of our core busichanging dynamic,” said Fuller. competed against that engine (albeit at much cheaper price levels) ever since. The M601F is now finding favor in many applications around the world, from the Czech Let 420 twin-engined transport to cropdusters, and is particularly popular in the U.S. experimental aircraft category for fast personal sport aircraft and utility haulers such as CompAir. It has also found a place retrofitting such aircraft as Bonanzas and Barons. Ironically GE looked at acquiring Walter some 17 years ago when it was locked in a fierce battle with P&WC to power the Let 610 aircraft—a battle GE finally won without having to buy the Czech company. Now, with a full turn of the circle, GE has in essence acquired its own PT6, giving GE-Walter, or whatever the company is called, the clout and credibility to approach OEMs in a way that Walter was unable to do before. Czech Motorlet M601F engine. When you invest as much as we do in engine technology—around a billion and a half dollars this year—there is a potential fallout of that technology will allow you to make fantastic, differentiated products in other areas that are adjacent to that technology. —Chet Fuller, marleting director, GE Aviation With GE’s resources Walter will be able to go to the next level to develop its engine and approach new market, according to Chet Fuller, marketing director of GE Aviation. “It’s a great company with great technology in an area we are not familiar with. But we think alike, and together we can make a lot happen,” he said. —John Morris 46 September 26, 2007 www.aviationweek.com/shownews

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of B/CA Show News - NBAA 2007 Day 2

Contents Spectrum Stresses Freedom Adam Shows A700 Cabin User Fee War of Words Execujet Boosts Services Saab's Got Your Back CAE Covers the Field London Airports Roundup Pratt & Whitney Canada Another Show! A More Digital Jeppesen CMC Rides Bizjet Wave Thales Weighs In We Fly the Eclipse 500

B/CA Show News - NBAA 2007 Day 2

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