Blades of the Rolls-Royce Pearl have obviously been fashioned with great care. The certified engine was revealed at EBACE 2018 on the Bombardier Global 5500 and 6500. The Gulfstream G700 and Falcon 10X have followed. Credit: Mark Wagner/Aviation Images
Pipistrel Panthera
Pipistrels’ Panthera began life with a four-cylinder Rotax, but is now flight-testing under Europe’s MAHEPA (Modular Approach to Hybrid Electric Propulsion Architecture) program. Credit: Mark Wagner/Aviation Images
Pratt & Whitney Canada PW300
Under pressure. A cutaway view of the PW300’s turbine blades. Credit: Mark Wagner/Aviation Images
General Electric Passport
Keen fans. Close-up to the Passport air intake. Credit: Mark Wagner/Aviation Images
MagniX
MagniX specialises in electric propulsion, such as this Model 650 motor on stand N61, which will have an output of 640 kW. Propeller is omitted for simplicity. Credit: Mark Wagner/Aviation Images
Honeywell HTF7000
Hot end of the HTF7000, mercifully created by visual effects, rather than actuality. Credit: Mark Wagner/Aviation Images
General Electric Passport
Rear aspect of a GE Passport reveals an intricacy of design. Credit: Mark Wagner/Aviation Images
General Electric Catalyst power gearbox
The General Electric Catalyst’s power gearbox case is 3D printed from nickel alloy 718. Credit: Mark Wagner/Aviation Images
General Electric Catalyst
A new turboprop from General Electric, the Catalyst is now flying in its first application, the Beechcraft Denali single-engine utility type. Credit: Mark Wagner/Aviation Images
Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney’s counter on Booth K67 is the PW300 family, as used by several types of Dassault Falcons, Cessna Citations, smaller Gulfstreams, the Learjet 60 and others. Credit: Mark Wagner/Aviation Images
Honeywell
A typical bizjet engine, as offered by Honeywell on Booth N94, the HTF7000 turbofan powers the Bombardier Challenger 300 and Challenger 350, the Gulfstream G280, the Embraer Legacy 450 and Legacy 500, and the Cessna Citation Longitude. Credit: Mark Wagner/Aviation Images
General Electric Passport
Wide view of a General Electric Passport. The turbofan powers larger business jets, including Bombardier’s Global 7500. Credit: Mark Wagner/Aviation Images
Engines can make or break a business aircraft, as Cessna and Dassault discovered a few years ago. The exhibition halls display a range of established, reliable types of turbofan, intermingled with newer types yet to prove themselves in the hard slog of daily use. There is always scope for innovation, hence the appearance of some promising electric powerplants. Whether their likes will dominate the EBACE booths in a decade’s time is a matter for a "happy hour" debate after the show closes.
