Peebles Testing GE Jet Engines Could Cut Flying Costs

GE Aviation is involved in high tech jet engine testing in Adams County that could lead to lower airline ticket prices.

It’s happening on 7,000 acres of land at the Peebles Test Operation (PTO), a sprawling complex that employs 264 people.

"About 60 percent of what we do here is new engine development," said Plant Manager Tim Stentz during a tour of the facility. "This is the testing out of brand new engine lines as well as additional new design concepts for existing products."

A CFM-56-7 engine was secured to one the outdoor test cells Thursday for a test to determine if a newly designed piece of equipment could lessen the noise output. The engine is produced in a joint venture between GE and SNECMA and has powered Boeing 737 aircraft for years.

About 60 microphones were strategically placed around the engine to record the sound levels. Six technicians clustered around computer screens in a nearby control room to monitor everything.

"Ultimately, it will improve performance which reduces the operating cost of the aircraft," said Test Engineer Kelly Williams. "So, in turn, costs should go down for ticket prices."

In one of the many buildings at PTO Test Engineer Jose Gonsales and others were preparing a GEnx engine for crosswind testing during takeoffs. The specific model of the engines is being prepared for an updated version of the Boeing 747.

"There’s always a concern about safety," he said. "That’s why we do all the testing we do at Peebles so the flying public is as safe as it can be."

Testing is also underway on another new engine – the GE/Rolls Royce F-136 for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. That work is being done at Site 7, which contains 12,000 cubic yards of concrete. The pad beneath the test cell is 12 feet thick because of the engine’s articulated design.

Engines are also pushed to their limits to test for ingestion of objects such as birds, ice and fuel consumption.

The other type of testing is performance acceptance testing.

"That’s important to verify that all customer engines meet specifications before they ship them off to the air framers.

For example, final assembly is done at Peebles on the GE 90 engine, the world’s most powerful jet engine. Once assembled, the engines are transported to Building 5C, the world’s largest horizontal inlet jet engine testing cell. The air inlet is 40 feet wide and 40 feet tall. The walls and doors of the structure are two feet thick.

"All FAA tests have to be met at this facility," Stentz said.

Overall, Peebles Test Operation tests on about 1,200 production engines a year. Once an engine has been certified, it’s loaded onto a truck for shipment to airframe manufacturers.

GE Aviation bought the land for PTO in 1954 to test rocket engines. The test cells and buildings are nestled among the hills, valleys and ridges of rural Adams County. Part of the land is considered a wildlife sanctuary.

Stentz says the company prides itself on the harmony between the facility and nature.