Today the turboprop engine Catalyst It has been certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), following a rigorous process – managed according to the US Federal Aviation Administration Regulations (FAR) – that included testing on more than 23 engines and 190 components.
Il Catalyst It is the first turboprop to be entirely developed and produced in Europe in the last 50 years. A program that actively involved Avio Aero and GE Aerospace sites in Italy, Czech Republic, Poland and Germany.
“The certification of the Catalyst represents a historic achievement for our company and a source of pride for the teams who contributed to the design, development and testing of this new European turboprop engine”, commented Riccardo Procacci, CEO of Avio Aero. “We are now committed to completing the industrialization of the engine and supporting its entry into service in support of our customers”.
This is the first turboprop certified to the current standards, which include over 20 new requirements. During the certification process, the engine accumulated over 8.000 operating hours, achieving all the performance objectives set.
“The Catalyst has passed an extremely rigorous certification process and we are satisfied with the performance demonstrated by the engine during the ground and flight test campaigns”, said Paul Corkery, General Manager of the program Catalyst by Avio Aero. “We continue to support Textron Aviation in the completion phases of the certification process, in view of the entry into service of the Beechcraft Denali”.
This advanced turboprop is set to bring a radical change to the segment in terms of performance and is the first with components made in additive manufacturing. Furthermore, thanks to the compression ratio of 16:1, the engine allows for a reduction in consumption of up to 18% and a cruise power 10% higher than the competition in the same category.
Il Catalyst It is part of the new generation of engines from GE Aerospace, which will help define a new technological standard for the future of flight.
