The world's largest jet engine GE9X made the first flight

Jet engine for the world's largest aircraft flew for the first time in the Mojave desert sky in California. It was GE Aviation's GE9X, which started from a runway in Victorville, California, on a four-hour test flight to test basic functions like the initial tests for official service certification.

Designed for next-generation aircraft in Boeing's 777X family of large passenger aircraft, the GE9X is "a monster" compared to its predecessors. Due to the use of a lot of composite materials in the manufacture of propellers, fan covers, 3D printed exhaust pipes, new lightweight and heat-resistant ceramic types are also integrated, and the number of propellers reduced. From 22 to 16, GE was able to slightly reduce the engine weight, expand the fan size to 341cm and the entire engine is the same size as the Boeing 737.

In addition, it could push the 100,000-pound (about 45,000kg) propulsion force and the engine to operate 10% more efficiently than the GE90 engine used in today's 777 generation.

GE Aviation said it has more than 700 orders for GE9X from customers including Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Lufthansa, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways. The company is currently completing backup power systems for the 777X while continuing test flights with GE9X for several months to determine performance as well as in other flight stages.

So far the GE9X has undergone ground tests at GE Aviation's facility in Winnipeg, Canada, and is conducting tests at the Peebles Test Operation in Ohio.

The company hopes the GE9X will be certified next year.