Engine development has always been the pacing item in aircraft development, but as powerplant manufacturers strive to meet the increasingly ambitious performance targets of the next-generation Boeing twins, the pressure is greater than ever for early test success. This is no more keenly felt than by General Electric, which is developing the GE9X as the sole-source engine for Boeing's new long-haul 777X derivative family. The engine is targeting a 10% fuel-burn improvement over the GE90-115B, the engine for the current 777-200LR/300ER series, and meeting this goal while delivering as much as 105,000-lb. takeoff thrust is pivotal to achieving the aircraft's overall performance aims.
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