MEMPHIS, Tennessee -- GE expects to deliver 500 CF34 engines to its regional jet customers in 2007, marking a record production number for this engine family. Since 2002, orders for the CF34 engines have maintained a steady rate of about 450 engines ordered per year, and GE anticipates this will continue in 2007.
"With 3,600 engines in service and more than 37 million total engine flight hours, the CF34 engines has a proven track record for reliability and performance," said Chuck Nugent, general manager of the CF34 Program. "The introduction of the CF34-10E engine in 2005 has been well received by customers and has enabled us to maintain a steady order book for the last five years."
Engine highlights on the CF34 family include:
CF34-10E: The EMBRAER 190 powered by the CF34-10E (20,000 pounds of thrust) has more than 155 engines in service with 10 operators and has logged more than 250,000 flight hours with close to two years of service. For improved durability and reliability, the engine has many advanced technologies, including a single stage high-pressure turbine, advanced wide chord fan blades, advanced 3-D aero compressor and turbine airfoils and chevron exhaust nozzle.
CF34-10A: The other member of the CF34-10 family, the CF34-10A (18,000 pounds of thrust) will power China's ARJ21 regional jet. Assembly is underway for the first CF34-10A engine, which will begin testing in fourth quarter 2007. First flight on the ARJ21 is scheduled for 2008. Currently, 71 ARJ21 aircraft are on order with deliveries targeted for 2009.
CF34-8: The fastest selling engine of the CF34 family, the CF34-8 has 1,150 engines in services with 36 operators and has logged more than six million flight hours since entering service in 2000. The CF34-8C1 (13,800 pounds of thrust) powers the 70-passenger Bombardier CRJ700 aircraft, the CF34-8C5 (14,500 pounds of thrust) powers the 150 Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft, and the CF34-8E (14,500-pounds of thrust) powers the 70-passenger EMBRAER 170/175 aircraft. A technology upgrade program is underway on the CF34-8C1 fleet to infuse advanced technology and improved durability components from the -8C5 engine into the existing engines to create a common engine for the CRJ700 and CRJ900 aircraft. About 85 percent of the fleet is under contract for this upgrade kit with 15 percent of kits installed. By 2010, the entire fleet will be upgraded.
Earlier this year, the new Bombardier CRJ1000 regional jet began offering the new CF34-8C5A2 derivative engine as one of GE's CF34-8C5 engines available for the CRJ1000 aircraft. The new engine will be rated at the same 14,510 pounds of thrust as the original CF34-8C5, but with 5 percent more thrust at normal takeoff and up to 3 percent more thrust at maximum takeoff from low altitude airfields. The new variant will include software modifications to the engine control to provide additional thrust, as well as an upgraded high-pressure turbine (HPT) for greater durability. The new aircraft is scheduled to enter service in 2009.
CF34-3: Powering the Bombardier CRJ100 and CRJ200, the CF34-3A1 and -3B1 engines (9,000 pound thrust class) have proven to be the world's most reliable engines for regional jets, accumulating more than 30 million flight hours. The CF34-3 powers more than 1,000 50-passenger Bombardier aircraft in service and has a remarkable dispatch reliability rate of 99.987 percent, which is less than two delays per 10,000 takeoffs. The CF34-3B1 engines have a technology upgrade offering, which include advanced material and coatings on the high pressure turbine blade, nozzles and shrouds for improved durability and longer time on wing. GE also offers a technology upgrade that will convert the CF34-3A1 to a CF34-3B1 and improve fuel burn and climb thrust capability.
GE Aviation, an operating unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), is a world-leading provider of commercial and military jet engines and components as well as integrated digital, electric power, and mechanical systems for aircraft. GE Aviation also has a global service network to support these offerings.