Honeywell’s TFE731 turbofan engine, which has powered aircraft including the Dassault Falcon 900, Bombardier Learjet 70/75 and Gulfstream 150, has passed its fifth decade. Honeywell reports that it has produced around 13,000 TFE731s since the TFE731-2 was certified in August 1972, with 9,400 still in service. Over the past 50 years, the engine family has logged more than 108 million flight hours.
“The TFE731 was the first turbofan engine designed to meet the specific needs of business aviation; most other engines of the era were adapted from existing military jet engines,” the company said. “As Honeywell’s first turbofan, the TFE731 launched one of our signature aerospace businesses, eventually leading to development of the groundbreaking HTF7000 engine family, which has taken the super-midsize market to a new level of performance and reliability.”
The TFE731-2 offered 3,500 pounds of takeoff thrust and entered service with launch customers Learjet and Dassault. Today, the TFE731 family delivers 3,500 to 5,000 pounds of thrust and has been produced in 80 configurations. It has received 34 aircraft type certifications and has been used by manufacturers such as Cessna, Lockheed, Israel Aerospace Industries and Raytheon/Hawker Beechcraft.
