General Electric Catalyst

Turboprops February 2020

Program Briefing GE officially launched its new 1,000- to 1,600-shp Advanced Tur- boprop (ATP) family in November 2015 when it announced that Textron had selected the 1,240-shp variant for the new single-engine Cessna Denali. In May 2028, GE renamed the ATP, Catalyst. The Catalyst will be assembled in GE’s Czech facility in Prague. The family is competing against the mon- Source: GE Aviation olithic Pratt Canada PT6A, as well as Honeywell’s TPE331. Quick Specs: We forecast the production of 882 Power Class: 1,000 – 1,600 shp Catalysts (including development en- Pressure Ratio: 16:1 gines) over the next 10 years. Of Airflow: n/a these, the production installs and initial complete engines are projected to SFC: n/a have a total retail value of $705.6 Configuration: 5A + 1C HPC; Annular; 2 HPT; 3 LPT million.

Manufacturer General Electric Co. GE Aviation Business & General Aviation Turboprops Beranových 65 199 02 Praha 9 – Letnany Czech Republic

Technical Description Components Layout stages of stator vanes are variable. HP Turbine Twin-shaft turboprop. Overall pressure ratio is 16:1. Two-stage unit driving the compressor. Cooled blades. Compressor Combustor All-titanium, 3D aerodynamic Single reverse-flow annular com- LP Turbine five-stage axial plus single-stage cen- bustor. Liner is additive-manufac- Three-stage turbine driving the trifugal compressor. The first two tured. propeller via a gearbox.

Summary Forecast

2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 Total Units Produced — 23 51 62 76 103 123 143 147 154 882 Value (2020 $ Millions) — 18.4 40.8 49.6 60.8 82.4 98.4 114.4 117.6 123.2 705.6

World Power Systems Briefing (Aero) ©Teal Group Corporation General Electric Catalyst Page 2

Other Features bearing housings, frames, exhaust The engine features the first Full- Twelve additive manufactured case, combustor liner, heat exchang- Authority Digital Engine and Propel- components replace what would ers and stationary flow path compo- ler Control (FADEPC) in the general have been 855 conventionally manu- nents. aviation market. factures parts. This includes sumps,

Variants GE93—Original in-house designa- Catalyst—Official name of the tion for the Catalyst. GE93.

Specifications (Imperial Units) Max. Power Pressure Comp./Tur. TIT SFC Max. Dia. Length Weight Model Sea Level (shp) Ratio Config. (°F) (lb/shp-hr) (in) (in) (lb)

Catalyst 1,240 16:1 5A/1C + 2A/3A n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

(Metric Units) Max. Power Pressure Comp./Tur. TIT SFC Max. Dia Length Weight Model Sea Level (kW) Ratio Config. (°C) (g/kWhr) (m) (m) (kg)

Catalyst 924.7 16:1 5A/1C + 2A/3A n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

Applications Engine Aircraft Engines per A/C Catalyst Cessna Denali 1

Marketing Data Costs We estimate the retail cost of the Catalyst to be in the range of $800,000.

The Competition The Catalyst competes directly Also, in the mix will be the Honey- with the upper power range of the well TPE331. Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A.

Milestones Date Milestone 2012 ATP concept development begins Nov. 16, 2015 GE announces selection of ATP for Cessna Denali May 23, 2016 Initial combustor tests completed Dec. 22, 2017 First run of the ATP Mar. 7, 2018 ATP given new name, Catalyst July 23, 2029 Catalyst selected for TriFan 600 hybrid propulsion system 2020 GE Turboprop Center of Excellence to open 2020 First flight of Denali planned

World Power Systems Briefing (Aero) ©Teal Group Corporation General Electric Catalyst Page 3

2021 Certification of Denali planned

Program Overview Background Origins GE Turboprop Center of Additive Manufacturing In 2012, GE aviation began stud- Excellence In October 2016, at the Orlando ying concepts for a new clean-sheet In January 2016, GE announced NBAA show, GE announced that it 1,000- to 1,600-shp general aviation plans to build a new turboprop devel- had completed testing a 35%-addi- turboprop. The company officially opment, test and production facility tive manufactured demonstrator en- launched the new Advanced Turbo- located at its Prague (ex-Walter) lo- gine. The engine, based on the CT7- prop (ATP) family in November cation. Officially called the GE Tur- 2E1, and dubbed the a-CT7, was 2015 when it announced that Textron boprop Center of Excellence, when it aimed at validating the additive man- had selected the 1,240-shp variant opens in 2020 it will be the site of ufacturing process that will be used (inhouse designation was GE93) for ATP production. ATP production. The demonstrator the new single-engine Cessna Denali. In October 2016, GE reported that featured 16 additive-manufactured Plans called for detailed design re- it had finalized negotiations with the parts that would normally comprise view for the ATP to be conducted in Czech government on an investment more than 900 individual subtrac- 2017 with first full engine test in late agreement to build the new facility. tive-manufactured (e.g., milled) 2017. parts. Twelve additive-manufactured First ATP Components Tested parts will be used in the ATP, includ- In May 2016, GE completed ini- ing: sumps, bearing housings, tial combustor tests for ATP at the frames, exhaust case, combustor company’s US facility in Cincinnati. liner, heat exchangers and stationary flowpath components. MRO TBO The initial planned time between overhaul (TBO) for the Catalyst is 4,000 hr.

Current Developments Development engine, that would be used for alti- By May 2019, the international GE announced that a complete tude testing, was nearing completion. Catalyst team had completed more ATP had its first run in December In April 2019, a Catalyst equipped than 1,000 hr of testing between three 2017. Certification testing would with a new, state-of-the-art, 105- engines and 300 hr of testing on the begin in June 2018. The company inch, composite McCauley propeller, FADEC in Textron Aviation’s iron said that a second engine was near ran at full power and max RPM at the bird, which is used to validate inte- completion at that time. Czech Technical University’s new gration between systems and the De- test cell in Prague. According to re- nali aircraft. Initial testing up to ATP Gets a New Name ports, the engine and propeller exer- 41,000 ft in an altitude chamber was In March 2018, GE Aviation an- cised the pitch system using a Full completed in May 2019, validating nounced that the ATP had been offi- Authority Digital Engine Control performance and operability. Tests cially named Catalyst. (FADEC) with integrated propeller included chops, bursts and bodies at control. The full-range pitch testing different points in the envelope, cold- Catalyst/Denali Development included beta, fine pitch, course pitch soak starts and auto relight capabil- Program and feather – all integrated and con- ity. In May 2018, GE reported that it trolled by the FADEC. The Catalyst GE said, in May 2019, that five would soon start certification testing will be the first turboprop in the busi- Catalysts had been assembled with on the Catalyst. Further reported was ness and general aviation market to another five scheduled to be com- that the first engine to test was run- use a FADEC. pleted in the second half of the year ning at full power and that a second for certification testing.

Hybrid Propulsion designed to reach 30,000 ft and engines had more than 1,800 hours of In July 2019, GE Aviation and cruise to the destination as a business combined operation and that 10 en- XTI Aircraft Company announced aircraft. The TriFan 600 will incorpo- gines had been assembled. GE said that XTI had selected the Catalyst en- rate advanced safety features, includ- had completed development testing gine as the core of its TriFan 600 hy- ing autopilot and computerized con- for icing certification. Other develop- brid-electric propulsion system. The trols for takeoff and landing. ment tests had included altitude two companies would work together At the time of the announcement, (41,000 ft in an altitude chamber), vi- to define a series hybrid architecture XTI claimed customers had placed bration, durability, ingestion, and in- that would meet the TriFan perfor- 80 orders for the TriFan 600 under tegrated prop controls. mance requirements. XTI’s presale program. At NBAA-BACE in October The TriFan 600 is planned to have 2019, GE officials had explained that the speed, range and comfort of a Program Status newer turboprop testing standards business jet and the ability to take off As of mid-2020, GE Aviation re- and engine preparations for the flying and land vertically, like a helicopter. ported that it expected the first flight testbed were delaying Catalyst’s Using three ducted fans, the TriFan of the Catalyst on a King Air 350 fly- flight testing and delivery. GE and 600 will lift off vertically. Its two ing testbed and delivery of the first Textron Aviation originally expected wing fans then would rotate forward engine to Textron Aviation later in first flight of the Denali in late 2019. for a seamless transition to cruise 2020 to power the first Cessna De- speed and its initial climb. It will be nali. Further reported was that test

Teal Group Evaluation The launch of the ATP confirmed will have an answer to the entire It is too early to asses the technical GE’s goal to seriously take on Pratt PT6A line of props. and market viability of the TriFan & Whitney Canada’s near monopoly Success will not be easy for GE. 600, so we don’t include a dedicated of the small- to mid-size turboprop Pratt Canada has a broad and well en- line for the aircraft in our forecast be- market with its PT6A (500-1,650 trenched product line in the PT6A, low. The “undetermined” line, how- shp). First, in 2008, GE acquired the with a wide range of applications and ever, covers the likelihood that the Czech company Walter Aircraft En- a proven aftermarket presence. Un- Catalyst will garner more applica- gines, which built the M601 turbo- like the battle in the larger engine tions, perhaps including the novel prop in the 550- to 778-shp range. segments, a single application won XTI aircraft. Then the company injected some of cannot tip the balance of power. It We forecast the production of 882 its advanced technology into the will be a long-term contest of win- Catalysts (including development en- M601 and came up with the new H ning new applications, and perhaps gines) over the next 10 years. Of series of small turboprops (see report stealing a few. these, the production installs and ini- herein) in 2012. This gave GE a cred- The Denali just represents the start tial complete engines are projected to itable PT6A competitor in the 750- to of the battle, but it is significant, have a total retail value of $705.6 850-shp power band, which has had nonetheless. We see further suc- million. some initial successes. Now, with the cesses and have included an ‘unde- new Catalyst (1,000-1,600 shp), GE termined” line in our forecast below to represent this.

Production Forecast Units Through 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 Total Catalyst development engines 10 — — — — — — — — — — 10 Denali — — 23 51 56 56 63 63 63 67 74 516 undetermined — — — — 6 20 40 60 80 80 80 366 Total 10 — 23 51 62 76 103 123 143 147 154 892

Value (2020 $Millions) 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 Total Catalyst Denali — 18.4 40.8 44.8 44.8 50.4 50.4 50.4 53.6 59.2 412.8 undetermined — — — 4.8 16.0 32.0 48.0 64.0 64.0 64.0 292.8 Total — 18.4 40.8 49.6 60.8 82.4 98.4 114.4 117.6 123.2 705.6