TFE731 Replacement Turbofan Development on Track

Honeywell's next-generation small turbofan core demonstrator is on track toward full-scale development, according to Victor Valente, the firm's commercial propulsion director of business development. The engine has a 3,000- to 6,000-pounds-thrust range and marginally better fuel economy than today's TFE731 engines. Honeywell bench-tested the core last November, and the combustor early this year. "We had excellent results," Valente said. "It surpassed our expectations for both performance and emissions characteristics."

The next-generation light turbofan will be substantially less expensive to manufacture and maintain because it has 25% fewer stages, half the blade count and several ease-of-maintenance design features.

"This is a totally clean sheet design, but it relies extensively upon our AS900 engine development experience," Valente said.