You may not have heard much about the Walter engine in the United States, but the rest of the world has. So has GE Aviation, which developed an H80 engine from the Walter M601 series.
GE Aviation is preparing for the start of certification testing on the H80 turboprop engine. The former Walter Engines has produced more than 37,000 engines.
The first customer will be Thrush Aircraft, which wants to use it to power an improved version of its 510-gallon, 10,500-pound gross weight Thrush crop duster. This is the first application for the H80 engine and the first North American installation for the Walter M601 engine family.
“The H80 engine is a collaborative effort of engineers at GA Aviation’s Evendale, Lynn, and Czech Republic facilities,” said Brad Mottier, vice president and general manager of the Business and General Aviation organization at GE Aviation.