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Boeing 747 aids GE Aerospace's engine tests amid CODEX collaboration

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Boeing 747 aids GE Aerospace's engine tests amid CODEX collaboration
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Simple Flying | Simple Flying

General Electric Aerospace, a key player in the aircraft engine industry, has been utilizing a Boeing 747 as a flying testbed for its next-generation engines. This initiative follows the spin-off of GE Aerospace from General Electric in April 2024, making it the sole business line of the former conglomerate.

The company is known for developing advanced aircraft engines, including electric propulsion systems and turbine engines. It collaborates with Safran Aircraft Engines through CFM International, which is recognized as the leading supplier of aircraft engines globally.

To ensure their new engines meet rigorous standards, GE Aerospace conducts extensive testing. The process starts on the ground with static and stationary operating tests before moving to flight testing using a flying testbed like the Boeing 747. "As a new aircraft engine gets developed," said General Electric Aerospace, "the engine goes through a significant testing program."

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The Boeing 747 serves as an airborne laboratory due to its four-engine pylons. This setup allows various tests on parameters such as temperature and pressure at different altitudes. Modifications are often required to accommodate new engines and data-collecting instruments.

Before GE Aerospace's separation from General Electric, they operated one of the oldest flying testbeds—a Boeing 747 registered as N747GE. Originally delivered to Pan American World Airways in 1970, this aircraft was acquired by General Electric in 1992 for testing purposes until its retirement in 2017.

Following this retirement, GE Aerospace obtained another Boeing 747-400 jumbo jet registered as N747GF. Initially built in 1994 and used by Japan Airlines until its retirement in September 2010, this aircraft now supports flight testing exclusively.

Recently, this Boeing participated in NASA's Contrail Optical Depth Experiment (CODEX) program launched in November to study contrails' effects. A NASA aircraft equipped with LiDAR sensors scans air behind GE's flying testbed to create three-dimensional images of contrails produced by the engines.

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