Propulsion flight testing

Originally conceived for just the GE90 aircraft engine program, GE Aircraft Engines' Boeing 747 flying test bed has evolved into the company's primary commercial engine test aircraft.

GE Aircraft Engines Flight Test Operations, currently located al the Mojave Airport in Mojave, CA, has been the company's commercial flight test center for more than 30 years. Early flight testing was conducted al Edwards Air Force Base. During this time, the company used several different aircraft as flying test beds for the primary purpose of propulsion development. Since 1994, the company's primary commercial engine lest aircraft has been the B747 Flying Test Bed (FTB).

Originally the FTB was conceived as a platform to conduct in-flight development of the GE90. However, this later evolved to include the CFM56-7 and CF34-8C engines, with future work planned for other engine families.