Boeing installs engines on first 747-8 Freighter

Published 7:24 am Wednesday, September 2, 2009

The Boeing Co. has installed the engines on its first 747-8 Freighter, marking another milestone towards the first flight of the jumbo jet later this year.

Boeing finished installation of the GEnx-2B engines on the first freighter here in Everett last week, the company said Wednesday.

“We are another step closer to bringing the 747-8 Freighter to market,” said Mo Yahyavi, vice president and general manager of the 747 program, in a statement.

The GEnx-2B continues its progress through its engine certification testing. It recently completed the first phase of flight testing on GE’s 747 flying testbed.

“The GEnx-2B engine has performed very well during more than 1,500 hours of ground certification tests and 100 hours of flight testing,” said Tom Brisken, general manager of GE Aviation’s GEnx program.

The GE engine for the 747 is based of the GEnx-1B engine the engine maker is providing for Boeing’s delayed 787 Dreamliner.

The new engine and design are expected to help the 747-8 use about 17 percent less fuel than a 747-400. Boeing has won 78 orders for its 747-8 Freighter. It plans to fly the first freighter later this year with first delivery in the third quarter of 2010.