We have covered the Nextant G90XT which features GE’s H-series turboprop engines at length; and the popularity and efficiency of the engine has GE management considering creating a U.S. based overhaul facility.
“As the fleet size grows we are seriously taking a look at putting an overhaul shop in the U.S.,” Matt Gerus, GE Aviation Senior Marketing Manager for turboprop engines told publication AIN this week.
Currently, engines take seven to 10 days each way to be shipped to the Walter Engines (bought by GE in 2008) factory in the Czech Republic to be overhauled. After the purchase, GE took Walter Engine’s technology and paired it with a special blend of state-of-the-art materials and design. This included a new compressor section with a two-axial blisk ahead of a centrifugal third section. This fusion of tech resulted in GE’s new H series of turboprops. A member of this series is the H75 (750 shp) which powers the Nextant G90XT, a remanufacture of the 90-series Beech King Air. Certification for the G90XT is expected in the third quarter of this year.
“GE undersold how good this engine is,” said Jay Heublein, Nextant executive vice president of global sales and marketing. “Our performance data shows a 10- to 12-percent improvement in specific fuel consumption over the standard PT6 engines, which is just incredible.”
The GE overhaul averages around $200,000 and encompasses the engine and all relevant accessories including the propeller governor and fuel control unit. One of the H series is that it requires no midlife hot-section inspection due to using a fuel slinger instead of fuel nozzles and an axial stage compressor instead of a reverse flow. This tech results in needing no maintenance to the fuel system.
The minor inspections required for the H75 have been phased by GE to coincide with required inspections on the G90XT at 100-, 300- and 900-hour intervals. A 1,000/24-month warranty comes with every H75 and GE has plans to extend it. It is obvious that GE is working diligently in attempts to position itself as the engine provider of choice for the next-generation turboprop market.