Aircraft engine centre heats up

KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Enlarge Image

Lynne Yelich, federal minister of state for Western Economic Diversification, announces $5 million in funding to enable West Canitest R&D Inc. (WestCaRD) to set up high-tech research projects associated with the GE testing facility.

Even before its official opening next week, a $50-million cold-weather aircraft engine testing facility has already been enhanced to conduct year-round work.

The GE Aviation Engine Testing and Research Development Centre on the northwest quadrant of the Richardson International Airport property will conduct a full range of engine certification tests, not just those related to cold weather and ice crystals.

It likely means the 22,000-square-foot facility will be busier, employ more people and create more economic development spinoffs than contemplated when the project was announced a year ago.

On Friday, it was announced the centre will also benefit from the work of a newly created non-profit research organization.

West Canitest R&D Inc., to be known as WestCaRD, received a $5-million stake from the federal Department of Western Economic Diversification. It will set up ancillary high-tech research projects that would assist third-party technology development programs and academic research associated with the engine-testing facility. WestCaRD will be headed by Vic Gerden, the outgoing executive director of the Manitoba Aerospace Association.

"This is a very exciting project. The leverage we get from this investment is a very big," Gerden said.

The opening of the GE facility follows completion of a $42-million engine-testing plant in Thompson 15 months ago. That one includes a non-profit centre specializing in supporting engine-icing certification and research and a joint venture between Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Whitney.

WestCaRD and the Thompson facility already have a signed co-operation agreement.

StandardAero, the large Winnipeg gas-turbine engine repair company, is poised to ultimately leverage the most benefit from the new General Electric Aviation test facility. StandardAero built the massive test cell and has a 10-year contract to run it for GE.

Kim Olson, StandardAero's senior vice-president in charge of technology, said its engineers and technical staff will be able to do even more work on behalf of GE.

"We think it will forge a closer relationship," Olson said. "We hope it leads to future maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) work. That's our core business."

That is a scenario GE officials are also acknowledging. GE, one of the largest aircraft engine suppliers in the world, is in the process of redoing all its engines during the next five to seven years to introduce innovations in areas such as fuel efficiency and emission controls.

Daniel Verreault, GE's Canadian director of military systems operations, said the Winnipeg test facility is a strategically important asset that will add crucial capacity for the company as it rolls out new models.

He said GE Aviation's Peebles Test Operation in rural Ohio is running at capacity now. He said the design and technical capabilities of the Winnipeg facility makes it a one-of-a-kind operation.

GE and StandardAero already have very close ties. StandardAero is one of the key licensed MRO facilities for GE's CF-34 engines used on regional jets, as well as GE's CFM56 engines used on Boeing 737s.

"There are several reasons why we are in Manitoba, and one was the presence of Standar Aero," Verreault said. "Our corporate relationship has been terrific. Why not leverage it into a new relationship?"

He said Standard Aero has already worked closely with GE and it would only make sense to turn to the Winnipeg company when new engines start being commissioned.

Olson said the engine testing will include cold-weather and ice-crystal testing, "but also it will extend to every conceivable type of testing needed to certify an engine."

The new GE facility will have its official opening Wednesday.

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 28, 2012 B4