GE Aerospace

Overview

• Name: General Electric Company, DBA GE Aerospace
• Headquarters: Evendale, Ohio, near Cincinnati
• Industry: Aerospace
• Founded: 1917
• Key People: H. Lawrence Culp Jr. (Chair & CEO)
• Employees: 53,000 (2024)
• Revenue: $38.7 billion (2024)
• Net Income: $6.56 billion (2024)
• Assets: $123.1 billion (2024)
• Equity: $19.3 billion (2024)
• Website: geaerospace.com

History

• Early Developments:
  • GE pioneered steam turbine technology in the early 1900s.
  • Began developing turbosuperchargers in 1903, leading to dominance in high-altitude flight technology.
  • Played a key role in the development of jet engines during WWII.
• Jet Engine Development:
  • Initially worked on Frank Whittle’s W.1 engine in 1941.
  • Developed the I-16 (J31) and I-40 (J33), powering early US jet fighters.
• Post-War Developments:
  • Developed the J47 engine, leading to the J79, which was widely used in military aircraft.
  • Won the Collier Trophy for F-104 fighter development.

Military and Civilian Expansion

• TF39 Engine:
  • The first high-bypass turbofan engine, used in the C-5 Galaxy.
  • Led to the civilian CF6 model used in commercial planes like the DC-10 and Boeing 747.
• CF34 Engine: Used in regional jets; derived from the military TF34.
• T700 Engine: Developed for helicopters and adapted for commercial use.

Key Partnerships and Acquisitions

• CFM International:
  • Joint venture with Safran (France) for the CFM56 engine.
  • A major supplier with 39% market share.
• Smiths Aerospace Acquisition:
  • Acquired in 2007 for $4.8 billion, becoming GE Aviation Systems.

Technological Innovations

• 3D Printing:
  • Utilized in manufacturing the GE9X, the largest jet engine.
  • Focus on additive manufacturing for efficiency and complex parts.

Current Operations

• Main Facilities:
  • Lynn, MA, and Evendale, OH, for assembly of military and commercial engines.
  • Durham, NC, for final assembly of various power plants.
  • Numerous facilities for parts manufacturing.

Products

• Turbojets:
  • Notable models include the J79 and I-16 engines.
• Turbofans:
  • Includes the GE90, GEnx, and CFM56 engines.
• Turboprops and Turboshafts:
  • Models include the GE Catalyst and T700.
• Industrial and Marine Turbines:
  • Includes the LM6000 and LMS100 turbines.

Future Directions

• Renaming and Rebranding:
  • Renamed to GE Aerospace in 2022 to reflect a broader focus.
  • Plans to become the sole successor to GE's conglomerate legacy post-spin-offs.

References and Further Reading

• Extensive history and bibliographies can be accessed through GE Aerospace's official website and various historical archives.