General Electric has secured US type certification for the CF34-10E powerplant on Embraer's 190/195 aircraft, but says first tests of the related -10A version for the China AVIC I Commercial Aircraft (ACAC) ARJ21 regional jet have slipped into late 2007.
The CF34-10E is the sole engine variant offered on Embraer's 190/195 family, with the smaller -8E powering the 170/175 models.
The -10E received US Federal Aviation Administration certification after a 1,800h programme involving more than 25 major tests on seven production and one core engine. Several engines are running on the Embraer 190 test fleet, and certification and entry-into-service of the aircraft on JetBlue Airways is due in the third quarter.
Work on the CF34-10A, a fuselage-mounted variant for the ARJ21, is building towards completion of a joint definition phase by mid-year. "The joint definition phase has gone on a little longer than planned," says Chip Blankenship, general manager of GE Small Commercial Engines. He adds that it was anticipated this process would evolve as "this is the first time ACAC has been involved with a multinational set of suppliers".
Blankenship adds that "the -10A is such a different architecture to the CF34-3 and -8, it really is its own entity and presents different challenges. It is a more compact, shorter engine with fewer stages and has a completely different mounting structure." The thrust reverser will also be of a slightly different design.
The plan originally called for flight tests in 2006, and as late as mid-2004 GE still hoped to start engine tests by the end of 2005. First engine tests are now scheduled for the third quarter of 2007.
GUY NORRIS/LOS ANGELES
Source: Flight International
