GE Aviation's H80 turboprop engine has received type certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) during a celebration in Prague in the Czech Republic. This is the first GE Aviation engine to receive its initial type certification from EASA.

"The type certification on the H80 engine is a significant achievement for the GE Aviation facility in the Czech Republic along with the engineering teams in Evendale, Ohio, and Lynn, Massachusetts, which helped in the design of the new turboprop engine," said Paul Theofan, president and managing executive of GE Aviation's Business and General Aviation Turboprops.

The H80 engine combines the elegant, robust design of the M601 engine with GE's 3-D aerodynamic design techniques and advanced materials to create a more powerful, fuel-efficient, durable engine compared with the M601 engine, with no recurrent fuel nozzle inspections and no hot section inspection. The H80 engine will features an extended service life of 3,600 flight-hours or 6,600 cycles between overhauls. It will provide the option of a single- or dual-acting governor, allowing customers to have flexibility in propeller selection.

The H80 engine has been selected to power multiple applications, including the Aircraft Industries L410 commuter plane, Thrush 510G agriculture aircraft and Technoavia's newly designed Rysachok aircraft, a twin-engine, 10-seat general aviation aircraft. The H80-powered Thrush 510G aircraft has been flight testing since last year and entry into services is anticipated early next year. Last month, Aircraft Industries began its flight testing the H80-powered L410 aircraft, which is expected to enter service in the third quarter of 2012.

When the H80 enters service next year, GE Aviation is prepared with a vast network of service and support centers. GE has named Premier Turbine as a Designated Repair Center for M601 and H80 engines in North and South America. The following were named Authorized Service Centers for M601 and H80 engines: Smyrna Air Center, Cascade Aircraft Conversions, Winnipeg River Aircraft, Sky Tractor Supply Company and Cutter Aviation for North America; Alagro Fumigaciones, Solo Aviation, and TAM AE for South America; and AG Aero for Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines.

Contributed by GE Aviation