IOC: 2008
Total Production: 1,347
Total Program's Cost: USD$24 billion
GEnx 1B64
Production: 996
Unitary Cost: USD$13.4 million
Also Known As
GEnx 1A GEnx-1B64
Origin United States of America
Contractor/s Avio General Electric Aviation * Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries (IHI) Samsung Techwin Techspace Aero Volvo Aero Applications
Airbus A350-800 Airbus A350-900 Boeing 787-3 Boeing 787-8 Boeing 787-9
Description:
The GENX (General Electric Next Generation) commercial engine is being developed to power the newest Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. It will produce 55,000 to 70,000 pounds of thrust with the first engine going to test by 2006 and certification expected one year later. Seven engines will be dedicated to the engine certification effort and two engines to long-term endurance testing. In December 2004, Airbus launched the A350 passenger aircraft project which was reported would be powered by General Electric's GEnx engines. Boeing selected GEnx engine to power its newest 747-8 family of aircraft in November 2005.
It will receive architectural design and solutions from high-thrust GE90 engine. GENX will feature composite front fan blades derived from the GE90 engine, a high-pressure ratio compressor derived from GE90 with fuel efficiency and all-electric modifications due to 7E7 requirements, and a twin-annular combustor to achieve lower emissions.
A final design for the GEnx engine is anticipated in early 2005. General Electric Aircraft Engines also envisages the GEnx as the replacement for the successful CF6 family of engines with a 15% in specific fuel consumption improvement over CF6-80C2 wide-body aircraft engine. The new engine will future lower noise and high bypass ratio of almost 9.5 to 1 with a 111-in front-fan.
The fan case made of composites and based on the GE90 engine will provide a weight reduction of 400 pounds (181 kg). The GEnx fan blade design will be based on the GE90 engine as well. Both front fan case and fan blade are made of composite materials that will provide greater engine durability and dramatic weight reduction. The 10-stage high pressure compressor is based on the GE90-94B and will remain as the highest pressure-ratio compressor available.
The combustor will incorporate a twin-annular, pre-swirler lean-burning design that allows for efficient fuel mixing before ignition, resulting in significantly lower NOx levels and better hot section life. Finally, the two-stage high-pressure first turbine is followed by multi-stage, counter-rotating, low-pressure turbine (LPT). The counter-rotating low pressure turbine is the key element introduced by GE to achieve improved fuel burn and fewer parts in both turbines.
On 13 August 2004, General Electric announced that had reached an agreement with Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries (IHI) of Japan, and Avio SpA. of Italy to be revenue-sharing participants (RSPs) on the new GEnx Jet engine. IHI and Avio will be responsible for design and manufacture of approximately 27% of the entire GEnx program. IHI will be charged with the low pressure turbine, while Avio will assume overall responsibility for the engine gearboxes.
GEnx final design is expected in early 2005. The first full engine will undergo tests beginning in 2006 and followed by engine first flight. The engine certification is anticipated by 2007. Early engine tests began in the late 2004 in Evendale, Ohio, using a representative engine with the front fan case and fan blades made of composites.
On January 20, 2005, General Dynamics announced that five international partners comprising Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries (IHI) of Japan, Avio SpA of Italy, Volvo Aero of Sweden, Techspace Aero of Belgium and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) of Japan will have approximately 36 percent share of the GENX engine. Following fierce competition between Airbus and Boeing, GENX will be designed to power both Boeing 7E7/787 and Airbus A350 twin-engine, wide-body long range jetliners.
In early February 2005, UK-based First Choice Airways signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with General Electric Transportation to purchase GENX engines to power six Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The MoU also included options for powering six additional Dreamliners. This way First Choice became the first customer for the new generation General Electric engine.
The Boeing company selected General Electric's GEnx engine to power the proposed Advanced 747 airplane featuring more payload and more range than current 747s. The Advanced 747 would be able to travel 8,000 nautical miles (approx. 15,000 kilometers) carrying 450 passengers. Boeing anticipated a potential for the Advanced 747 ranging from 250 to 300 airplanes.
On 14 September 2005, Qatar Airways selected General Electric GENX engine to power its newest fleet of Airbus A350 airliners. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between General Electric and Qatar Airways included motorization of 60 A350-800/900 airplanes beginning in 2010. The engine contract was valued at $1.6 billion.
On 30 September 2005 US operator Continental Airlines selected General Electric GEnx engines to power its Boeing 787 fleet which was formed by ten aircraft. The engine contract was valued at $250 million with first engine deliveries projected by 2009.
Air Canada selected General Electric GEnx and GE90 engines to power a new order for 787 and 777 aircraft on November 9, 2005. GEnx engines were chosen to power Air Canada's 14 firm Boeing 787 airliners to be delivered beginning in 2010 . The engine contract valued at more than $400 million.
Japan Airlines (JAL) selected the General Electric's GEnx engine to power its 30 firm and 20 option Boeing 787 airplanes, which would be delivered beginning in 2008, on November 28, 2005. The deal was valued at more than $700 million.
Boeing and Korean Air Lines reached an agreement on the purchase of 20 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners on April 11, 2005. The sale, involving 10 firm order aircraft and another 10 as options, was valued at $2.6 billion. Deliveries were scheduled to begin in 2009 and extend through 2013. In December 2005 Korean Air selected General Electric GENX engine to power its 10 787 aircraft. The engine contract for the firm order aircraft was valued at $240 million.
In early January 2006, TAM selected General Electric GEnX engine to power 10 Airbus A350-900 airplanes which were expected to be delivered to the Brazilian carrier from late 2012 onwards.
On 11 January 2006, Boeing and Air India signed an important purchase agreement worth $11 billion for 68 airplanes including 777s, 787s, and 737s. The order was for eight Boeing 777-200LR Worldliners, 15 777-300ERs, 27 787-8 Dreamliners, and 18 737-800 airplanes. The 737-800s were ordered by Air India on behalf of its subsidiary Air India Express. Aircraft deliveries were scheduled to begin in November 2006. The $2.2 billion engine contract was signed February 21, 2006 at Asian Aerospace exhibition covering 46 GE90-115Bs powering the 777s and 54 GEnxs engines for the 787s.
On 31 July 2005, Royal Air Maroc signed a memorandum of understanding with Boeing for the purchase of up to five 787s. In December 2005 Boeing and Air Maroc signed a firm-order agreement for four 787 Dreamliners with an option for the purchase of one additional airplane. Aircraft deliveries were agreed to begin in October 2008. In late February 2006 GEnx engine was selected to power Royal Air Maroc's 787 fleet. The contract to provide engines for five aircraft was valued at $100 million.
On June 6, 2006, Boeing and Continental Airlines announced an agreement for the purchase of 10 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners and an undisclosed mix of 24 Next-Generation 737 airplanes. All in, the aircraft deal was valued at $3 billion at list prices. Boeing 787 deliveries to Continental were scheduled to commence in 2009 and 737 deliveries in 2008. On 21 June 2006, Continental Airlines selected the General Electric GEnx engine to power its 787 aircraft. The engine contract was valued at $250 million.
On 19 July 2006, Boeing and ILFC announced a deal for six Boeing 737-800s, two 777-300ERs, and 787 Dreamliners all together valued at $1.2 billion. 737s and 777s deliveries were expected to begin in the first quarter of 2009 while the 787s were set to be delivered from early 2012. In parallel, the engine contract with General Electric was valued at $750 million with the GE90 powering the 777s and the GEnx the 787s. The engine contract was for 24 787s, 6 777-300ERs (GE90-115B) and two 777-200ERs (GE90-94B).
On 25 August 2006, General Electric Aviation and Shanghai Airlines reached an agreement to provide the GEnx engine to nine Boeing 787-8s ordered by the Chinese carrier. The engine contract was valued at more than $220 million.
On 24 August 2006, China Southern reached an agreement with General Electric Aviation to power its 10 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft with the GEnx engine. The engine contract was valued at $240 million.
On 14 September 2006, Hainan Airlines selected the General Electric GEnx engine to power its fleet of eight 787 Dreamliners. The engine contract including an OnPoint Solutions maintenance agreement was valued at $200 million with aircraft deliveries due to commence in 2008. On 18 September 2006, China Eastern Airlines also selected the GEnx engine to power its 15 787s scheduled for delivery beginning in 2008. China Eastern engine contract was valued at $370 million including a 15-year OnPoint Solutions agreement.
On 14 November 2006, Boeing and Aeromexico announced a new order for two Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners and 10 more Boeing 737-700s. The two Dreamliners powered by Genx engines will be delivered in 2011 while the 737s are due in 2010. The Genx contract was valued at more than $100 million including an OnPoint Solutions service agreement.
Specifications Dimensions: Diameter 2.8 m
Engine/s Performance: Thrust 70,000 lb (31,752 kg)
Engines powering Qantas' 45 Boeing 787 Dreamliners
Azerbaijan / 6
Engines powering Azerbaijan Airlines' three Boeing 787-8s.
Brazil / 20
Engines ordered to power 10 A350-900s ordered by TAM in December 2005. This order was converted into a memorandum of understanding for 22 A350 XWBs in June 2007.
Canada / 28
China / 84
Fiji / 16
Engines powering Air Pacific's Boeing 787-9s (8 aircraft 16 engines)
India / 54
Japan / 60
Jordan / 8
Engines powering Royal Jordanian Boeing 787 fleet (4 aircraft 8 engines)
Kuwait / 44
Engines powering ALAFCO Boeing 787-8 Fleet (22 airplanes)
Mexico / 4
Morocco / 8
Qatar / 180
Engines powering Qatar Airways Boeing 787s (60 engines 30 787-8s) and Airbus A350s (120 engines for 20 A350-800s and 40 A350-900s)
Seychelles / 4
Four engines powering two Air Seychelles Dreamliners (787-8) leased from ILFC.
South Korea / 20
United Kingdom / 24
Engines powering First Choice's eight Boeing 787-8 fleet (24 engines).
United States of America / 120
Engines powering CIT Group's three Boeing 787s; LCAL 13 Boeing 787s
Uzbekistan / 4
Engines powering Uzbekistan Airways' two Boeing 787-8s (4 engines)
Notes (*) lead contractor
IOC: Initial Operating Capability
FOC: Full Operating Capability
CEP: Circular Error Probable
Comm: Commissioning Date
Meters (m) Kilometers (km) Nautic Miles (nm) Inch (in) Yard (yd) Foot (ft) Millimeter (mm)
Pound (lb) Kilogram (kg) kN (KiloNewton) Ton (t)
Meters per Second (mps) Kilometers per Hour (kph) Knot (kt) Miles per Hour (mph)
Liter (l) Galon (gl)
Year (yr) Minutes (min) Second (sec)
Shaft-Horse-Power (shp)
Australia / 90 
Azerbaijan / 6 
Brazil / 20 
Canada / 28 
China / 84 
Fiji / 16 
India / 54 
Japan / 60 
Jordan / 8 
Kuwait / 44 
Mexico / 4 
Morocco / 8 
Qatar / 180 
Seychelles / 4 
South Korea / 20 
United Kingdom / 24 
United States of America / 120 
Uzbekistan / 4