Engines
GE Honda Aims for Late 2013 Approval of HF120 Engine

GE Honda Aero Engines has announced that its 2,095-pound-thrust HF120 turbofan intended initially for the HondaJet is nearing completion of certification tests and is on track for delivery of the first entry into service engines before year-end. “We now have a line-of-sight for certification and we are gaining experience on the fleet,” said GE Honda Aero president Terry Sharp.

Certification has been delayed by about four months following a problem encountered around a quarter of the way into the strenuous 150-hour block endurance test. Sharp described the failure as occurring in a bolt clamp in the gearbox system and stressed that there were no turbine machinery issues. Following a minor redesign and some changes to the assembly process the HF120 engine began the block test again, which was successfully completed in April.

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