Wikipedia
The FAA has certified GE's new Catalyst turboprop engine, giving Textron a lot more certainty in the introduction of the Beechcraft Denali, the utility single that was basically built around the new engine. GE announced the certification late last week and said it's now gearing up production to let Textron start delivering Denalis as the launch customer in 2026. “We are now fully committed to supporting the production ramp-up of the engine towards the entry into service in support of our customers," said Riccardo Procacci, President and CEO, Propulsion and Additive Technologies at GE Aerospace.
The engine grew out of GE's acquisition of Czech-based turboprop engine maker Walter in 2008. The new engine was developed and built entirely in Europe at GE facilities in Italy, the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany. Some of it is made through additive manufacturing, and it includes design features that give it up to 18 percent better fuel consumption and 10 percent more cruise power than comparable engines. The engine was announced in 2015 and first ran in 2017.
