Dayton GE Aviation technology flies high in Boeing tests

“On behalf of the GE team, congratulations to Boeing on the first flight of the 777X,” David Joyce, president and CEO of GE Aviation and a GE corporate vice chairman, said in a release. “Today’s massive milestone is a testament to the outstanding work and dedication of both companies.”

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“This is a big milestone for GE Aviation, and particularly the Dayton and Cincinnati area since the aircraft has more GE technology on it than ever before,” a GE spokesman told the Dayton Daily News. “Dayton employees have played a significant role in the development of the Boeing 777X.”

GE Aviation provides the Electrical Load Management System (ELMS), Backup Generator and Backup Converter for the Boeing 777X.

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Both of these systems were developed in Dayton at the Electrical Power Integrated Systems Center (EPISCenter) on the campus of the University of Dayton. The 777X is expected to go in service next year and “will be flying for decades to come,” GE said.

“It’s success will likely impact a generation of Dayton workers,” GE said.

“I couldn’t be prouder of our team and the dedication involved to help make this first flight happen,” said Joseph Krisciunas, general manager and president of GE Aviation’s Electrical Power Systems unit. “The Boeing 777X is a state-of-the-art aircraft with state-of-the-art systems developed here in Dayton. This is not only a big milestone for GE Aviation but another milestone for Dayton’s aviation legacy.”

In 2013, GE opened the EPISCenter with the goal of developing a center of excellence for mobile electrical power systems. The EPISCenter houses modeling and simulation tools, test cells, banks of computer servers and other technologies needed to support large engineering programs.

GE Aviation has been designing and testing the GE9X engine since 2013, the company said. In preparation for the recent flights, GE Aviation previously conducted 72 test flights of the GE9X totaling more than 400 hours on its Boeing 747 flying test bed in Victorville, Calif.

To date, GE says the GE9X program has completed more than 4,100 hours of ground and air testing, as well as 6,500 cycles.

GE developed the GE9X engine in Cincinnati. The engine is in the 100,000-pound thrust class and has the largest front fan at 134 inches in diameter with a composite fan case and 16 fourth generation carbon fiber composite fan blades.