Work will be performed in San Antonio, Texas (70%); Winnipeg, Canada (25%); and Indianapolis, Indiana (5%), and is expected to be completed in November 2022.

No funds will be obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was not competitively procured under 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1).

The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N0001922D0003).

Source:  U.S. Navy
Associated URL: navy.mil

The Beechcraft Denali is designed and manufactured by Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. company.

“Today’s landmark flight is not only a significant occasion for the Denali, it’s a truly great moment for our employees, our suppliers and the customers who will be flying this aircraft,” said Ron Draper, president and CEO, Textron Aviation. “With its more environmentally friendly engine and largest cabin in its class, this is an aircraft that will change the landscape for high-performance single-engine turboprop aircraft. Today’s flight is just the beginning for what we anticipate will be a long list of important accomplishments as we prepare the aircraft for certification and customer deliveries.”

Piloted by senior test pilot Peter Gracey and chief test pilot Dustin Smisor, the Beechcraft Denali prototype aircraft, powered by GE Aviation’s new Catalyst engine, took off at approximately 8:20 a.m. from the company’s west campus at Eisenhower International Airport. During the 2-hour and 50-minute flight, the team tested the aircraft’s performance, stability and control, as well as its propulsion, environmental, flight controls and avionics systems. The aircraft reached an altitude of 15,600 feet and attained speeds of 180 knots.

The Denali is the first aircraft powered with GE’s Catalyst engine, a more sustainable engine that burns up to 20 percent less fuel than older turboprop technologies. Like the company’s other aircraft, the Denali can also use sustainable aviation fuel. The FADEC-equipped, 1,300 shaft horsepower (SHP)-rated turboprop engine eases pilot workload with its single-lever power and propeller control.

The Denali prototype aircraft, along with two additional flight test articles and three full airframe ground test articles, will continue to expand on operational goals, focusing on testing aircraft systems, engine, avionics and overall performance. The company is targeting certification for the Denali in 2023.

Source:  Textron Aviation
Associated URL: Click here to visit

The Trent XWB-84, the world’s most efficient aero engine in service, is the latest in the Trent family to reach this milestone and has done so faster than any of its predecessors.

Following its entry into service in 2015, the Trent XWB-84 quickly became the fastest-selling large engine of all time. It has now achieved more than eight million engine flying hours in service with more than 30 operators, demonstrating its versatility and capability by flying a range of different routes, from short-range segments to ultra-long-range flights of more than 18 hours.

Enabling our airline customers to build more efficient fleets, the Trent XWB-84 has a 15 percent fuel consumption advantage over the first Trent engine, goes further on less fuel, and offers leading performance and noise levels. It is also ready to operate on Sustainable Aviation Fuels as they become more available to airlines in the future. In addition, the Trent XWB-84 has contributed to avoiding more than 10 million tonnes of CO2 since it launched in 2015 - that’s the same amount of CO2 it takes to provide electricity to nearly two million homes each year.

As well as offering improved efficiency, the Trent XWB-84 delivers a step-change in maturity and reliability for the industry, consistently achieving better than 99.9% dispatch reliability.

Source:  Rolls-Royce
Associated URL: Click here to visit