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  1. Back to Aerospace & Defense 2021

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Propulsion Highlights of 2020

Graham Warwick
E-Fan X Hybrid-Electric propulsion flight demonstrator

E-Fan X Hybrid-Electric Propulsion Flight Demonstrator

Airbus concept

Airbus and Rolls-Royce in April canceled the E-Fan X hybrid-electric propulsion flight demonstrator as they scaled back R&D spending in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rolls is planning to complete ground testing.

Cessna 208B Grand Caravan

MagniX All-electric Propulsion

MagniX

On May 28, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan converted by MagniX to all-electric propulsion with a 560-kW motor made a 30-min. first flight from the AeroTEC Flight Test Center at Moses Lake, Washington.

two-seat Velis Electro trainer

Velis Electro Trainer

Pipistrel

Pipistrel in June received the first certifications for an all-electric aircraft and its electric motor; the two-seat Velis Electro trainer was awarded type certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.

Mach 2.2 Overture airliner

Supersonic Propulsion

Virgin Galactic concept

Rolls-Royce was selected in August to study propulsion systems for Boom Supersonic’s proposed Mach 2.2 Overture airliner and for a Mach 3 passenger transport being studied by Virgin Galactic

Dornier Do 228

Hydrogen Fuel-cell Power Train

DLR concept

German aerospace center DLR and MTU Aero Engines in August agreed to develop a hydrogen fuel-cell power train for flight testing in a Dornier Do 228 regional aircraft beginning in 2026.

de Havilland Canada Dash 8-300

Fuel-cell Propulsion

Universal Hydrogen concept

In August, startup Universal Hydrogen unveiled plans to modify the de Havilland Canada Dash 8-300 to fuel-cell propulsion with MagniX electric motors, to kick-start demand for its hydrogen infrastructure.

concepts for zero-emissions airliners

Zero-emissions Airliners

Airbus concept

Airbus in September unveiled three concepts for zero-emissions airliners that could enter service in 2035. All three “ZEROe” designs use liquid-hydrogen fuel, burned in modified gas-turbine engines.

Boeing CH-47 Chinook testbed helicopter

Testbed Helicopter

U.S. Army

The U.S. Army flew a Boeing CH-47 Chinook testbed helicopter for the first time on Sept. 22, fitted with 7,500-shp General Electric T408 turboshafts replacing the standard 5,000-shp Honeywell T55s

General Electric’s GE9X

General Electric GE9X

GE Aviation

Rated at up to 110,000-lb. thrust and powering the Boeing 777X, General Electric’s GE9X received FAA certification on Sept. 25 after nine engines logged 5,000 hr. and 8,000 cycles of testing.

Tupolev Tu-160M ​​bomber

Tupolev Tu-160M ​​Bomber

United Aircraft Corp.

Russia’s modernized Tupolev Tu-160M ​​bomber flew with upgraded NK-32-02 engines on Nov. 3. Redesigned compressor and turbine blades and improved cooling increase the afterburning turbofan’s fuel efficiency.

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In a year that saw a substantial increase in activity around electric-aircraft propulsion, one of the biggest milestones of 2020 involving a turbofan engine was FAA certification of GE Aviation’s GE9X engine for the Boeing 777X, its 134-in.-dia. fan making it the largest commercial turbofan to date. Here are some of the propulsion highlights of 2020.

Graham Warwick

Graham leads Aviation Week's coverage of technology, focusing on engineering and technology across the aerospace industry, with a special focus on identifying technologies of strategic importance to aviation, aerospace and defense.

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