On the Record With
David L. Joyce, General Manager -- Small Commercial Engine Operation, GE Aircraft Engines

The successful first flights of the 70-passenger Embraer ERJ-170 last week are providing new weight to GE Aircraft Engines' bid to power China's ARJ21 regional jet program.

GE is proposing a derivative of its CF34-10 that is already under development for the 90-passenger Fairchild Dornier 928JET and Embraer ERJ-190 airliners. Last week marked the next step in an ambitious program by GE to fly and certify no fewer than five new members of the CF34 family as it cements its dominance of the above-50-passenger regional jet market.

The 13,800-pounds-thrust CF34-8C1 engine entered service a year ago on the 70-passenger Bombardier CRJ700; the 14,500-pounds-thrust CF34-8C5 is in flight test with the CRJ900, the CF34-8E has just flown on the ERJ-170, and the CF34-8D is being readied for the first flight of the Fairchild Dornier 728JET.

"This will mark the first time an engine has been in three simultaneous flight tests on three continents," said David Joyce, manager of small commercial engines at GEAE.

Meanwhile GE is pushing ahead with the 18,500-pounds-thrust CF34-10D for the 85-110 passenger Fairchild Dornier 928JET and the CF34-10E for the 98-108-passenger Embraer ERJ-190.

This means GE powers every regional airliner between 50 and 100 seats, and it hopes to add the Chinese ARJ21 to the list.

"We're working with the Shanghai Aviation Research Institute, and the Chinese aerospace industry under AVIC I responsible for aircraft and engine definition. Certainly we're involved in that selection process," Joyce told Show News.

"They've got some pretty aggressive schedules for what they want to do, and we've committed a design team to work on design concepts of the ARJ21 powered by a derivative of the CF34-10."

Working in GE's favor is the track record of the CF34: the family has won 7,100 orders and options since the CF34-3 entered service on the 50-passenger Bombardier CRJ200 regional jet, and has racked up some 11 million flight hours in service with 37 major airlines and 340 corporate operators of the Challenger 604, which it also powers.

"The ­3 has won 1,800 orders and 1,600 options, and we've delivered 1,100 so far," Joyce said. Production is averaging just over one engine per day.
Plans call for certification of the CF34-8 engine at the end of next month, while the ­10 engine will run for the first time in May to verify its design.

Joyce's main concern is not the order book, but keeping all these programs on track for entry into service on schedule. "Things are moving along at a great pace," he said.

While some orders for regional airliners were delayed following the events of September 11, they have been coming back, Joyce said. He noted that flying of regional airliners has actually increased as smaller aircraft better fit the reduced traffic loads on many routes.

"This hasn't turned into an order book, but I believe the regional jet sector will recover ahead of the larger airliners," he added.

By John Morris