GE Aerospace is replicating the dust found in the Middle East at its Ohio plant to test Boeing 777X engines in conditions similar to the harsh and hot operating environment of the region before their entry into service.
The second round of these dust-ingestion ground tests on the GE9X engine is currently under way and a third series is expected next year, the US engine maker said at a press briefing ahead of the Dubai Airshow, that starts tomorrow.
GE develops the dust in its evaluate site in Peebles, Ohio, and sprays the fine particles on parts of the engine as though it were taking off in Dubai, said Carlos Perez, vice president of commercial engines systems engineering at GE Aerospace. "We engineer the dust, so the chemistry and size simulates what you see in the Middle East ... It's expensive dust."
GE completed the first dust-ingestion test campaign for the GE9X in 2022 after amassing more than 1,600 engine run cycles.
“We'll run a third [dust ingestion] test next year,” Cristina Seda-Hoelle, GE9X general manager, said.
“It's all about perfecting and maturing the design as much as possible ahead of EIS [entry into service]. For perspective, in the past, we would have done this type of testing five to six years after EIS."
Emirates is the largest customer of the Boeing 777X wide-bodies, which are powered by the GE9X engines. The Dubai-based airline has an order book for more than 200 of Boeing’s yet-to-be certified 777X.
"They're very open with their feedback ... we are confident we will work together to meet their needs ahead of EIS," Ms Seda-Hoelle said.
Boeing last month again postponed the first delivery of its long-delayed 777X aircraft to 2027 after updating its certification timing, making the programme now late by seven years.
With the 777-9 entry into service now more than a year away, GE has taken advantage of the extra time by working on improving the durability and reliability of its GE9X engine.
Dubai South MRO facility
With roughly two-thirds of the airline customers for the GE9x-powered aircraft based in the Middle East, GE is expanding its engine support facility in the region.
The company plans to build a new $50 million maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Aerospace Hub in Dubai South, it said on Sunday. The on-wing support facility will help meet growing demand for CFM Leap engine services and prepare for the GE9X engine entry to service.
Construction on the 120,000 square feet facility, replacing the current 29,000 square-foot location, will start in December and expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2027, GE said.
Boeing has logged 565 orders for the 777X passenger and freighter jets with 14 announced operators, with more than 1,200 engines. Other regional customers include Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Air India.
GE Aerospace is now preparing to submit final reports to the US aviation regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration to approve the GE9X for extended twin-engined operations on the 777-9.
That certification is expected to be approved “by early 2026", Ms Seda-Hoelle said.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
Zidane's managerial achievements
La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
THREE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Bullet%20Train
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LOVE%20AGAIN
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Indoor Cricket World Cup
When: September 16-23
Where: Insportz, Dubai
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
Pakistan T20 series squad
Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Ahmed Shahzad, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Mohammed Hafeez, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Mohammed Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Amir Yamin, Mohammed Amir (subject to fitness clearance), Rumman Raees, Usman Shinwari, Umar Amin
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
