GE’s breakthrough GEnx debuts at the Paris Air Show

GE Aviation unveiled its new GEnx engine in a special ceremony — with a Rolling Stones hit blasting — at the 2009 Paris Air Show today. As Aviation Week described it: “‘Paint it Black’ may have been aimed at a slightly more care-free audience when it was a hit in 1966, but at Paris 43 years on, it will be used by GE to help deliver an eco-centric message. This time when the music blares and the curtains are drawn back, it will reveal the engine maker’s GEnx-1B — the first time GE has publicly exhibited the powerplant for the Boeing 787. The ‘black’ represents the unprecedented amount of carbon composite structure used to make the engine’s fan blades and fan case. The latter saves around 400 lb. per engine, or around 800 lb. plus per shipset, which GE says translates directly into fuel savings. On top of the engine’s in-built low fuel burn and reduced emissions, GE says “black is the new green.’”

Back in black: David Joyce, President and CEO of GE Aviation, at the Paris Air Show’s unveiling of the GEnx engine. It offers up to 15 percent improved fuel efficiency compared with GE’s CF6 engine that it will replace. This fuel efficiency translates to approximately 15 percent less CO2.

The GEnx engine is the best selling engine for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the sole source engine for the Boeing 747-8 aircraft. With more than 1,100 engines on order, the GEnx is the fastest-selling large jet engine in GE history.

Meanwhile, the GE Aviation team continues to chronicle their work at the Paris Air Show — which is the world’s largest aviation industry event. Our engineer, Brian Pfeiffer, is on the scene with his flip cam. Check out his latest report, below, and continue to check GE Reports for more updates this week.



* Watch Brian’s coverage of the GEnx unveiling
* Watch Brian’s interview with Tom Brisken, GEnx Project Manager
* Read about our work with NASA on open rotor engines
* Watch Part 1 of our series: Born to run: Building the GEnx jet engine
* Watch Part 2 of our series: In the factory: Building the GEnx jet engine
* Watch Part 3 of our series: The right stuff: Building the GEnx jet engine
* Watch all of the videos in the series
* Read the media releases about the engines’ milestones
* Learn more about the GEnx and ecomagination
* Learn more about GE Aviation
* Explore the GEnx timelines of development
* Download Part 1 and Part 2 of a podcast series on the GEnx and Leap-X engines