MOJAVE, California - GE's new CF34-8C1 turbofan engine completed its initial test flight, installed as an auxiliary engine under the port wing of GE's Boeing 747 flying testbed, on March 10, and successfully met or exceeded all expectations.

"This is a great beginning to a flight test program that I fully expect to validate our customer's confidence, as well as our pride, in this engine," said Frank Klaus, general manager of Small Commercial Engines for GE Aircraft Engines.

The one-hour, 30-minute flight was devoted primarily to evaluating baseline engine performance and conducting aeromechanical surveys at various altitudes.

The entire flying testbed program, which is scheduled to be completed by mid-May, entails approximately 129 hours, involving 20 flight tests devoted to gathering performance assurance data in compliance with the engine certification requirements of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In addition to continued evaluation of altitude performance, testing at Mojave will cover air start surveys, operability transients, performance of the full authority dual electronic control (FADEC), acceleration time demonstrations, and performance during maneuvers to FAA aircraft certification requirements. High altitude lapse rate takeoff evaluations will be conducted at Casper, Wyoming, and cold engine starting and acceleration tests, at Anchorage, Alaska.

The CF34-8C1 has been selected to power Bombardier's new 70-passenger Canadair Regional Jet( (CRJ), Series 700 airliner. Rated at 14,000 pounds of thrust, the CF34-8C1 is a more powerful derivative of GE's CF34-1/-3 series engines, which have compiled an outstanding record of reliability and performance during more than 3,000,000 flight hours, in more than 6 years, powering the highly successful CRJ Series 100/200 airliners.

The success of CF34 engine programs last year accounted for firm and option engine orders valued at more than $1.5 billion.