GE begins T901 turboshaft engine tests for US Army
The General Electric-manufactured T901-GE-900 turboshaft engine. (Photo: GE)
General Electric has begun tests of the first T901-GE-900 engine that will equip US Army helicopters.
General Electric (GE) announced on 23 March that it has begun tests with the first T901-GE-900 engine that will power the UH-60 Black Hawk, AH-64 Apache and Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) aircraft for the US Army.
The US Army chose the T901 turboshaft in 2019 for the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase of the Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP) to re-engine its Apache and Black Hawk fleets.
The army also selected the 3,000shp T901 for the FARA programme.
Temporary problems related to the impact of COVID-19 have been overcome, and now the First Engine to Test milestone is being performed in three test cells at the GE facility in Lynn, Massachusetts.
The test cell upgrades include systems to absorb the increased power and allow no-load operation of the engine, improved instrumentation capability, and upgraded test controls.
T901 EMD engine testing will also be performed by GE at its Evendale facility in Ohio, as well as at US federal government facilities.
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