Recently in Zurich, the testing of a pair of GE90 engines on a Boeing 777 in Switzerland took a dramatic turn when the thrust of the power unit caused damage to the components of the noise protection hangar. The visually spectacular event caused the soundproofing materials to be scattered in the surrounding area, giving the impression that the tornado had landed in the middle of the hangar. Using this example, let's see how powerful Boeing 777's GE90 engine is.

According to GE Aviation, the -115B variant of GE90 set a thrust world record in the 2002 certification test. In 60 hours under the "triple red line condition", the maximum thrust reached 127,900 lbf. This operating limit test found that the engine was running at maximum fan speed, core speed, and exhaust gas temperature.

Precise numbers are great, but to most people who have never been exposed to these types of units and measurements, they may not make much sense. Putting it another way, a contributor on the Quora website pointed out that the power of the GE90 will be able to "blow the world's heaviest tank like a leaf in the wind. Maybe throw it 50 meters away." That would be one. Very worth seeing place!

Of course, the most obvious and visible "application" of engine thrust is the fact that only two of these powerplants can take a behemoth machine like the Boeing 777-300 into the sky and rise about 30,000 feet. Even more impressive is that just one operation (according to ETOPS certification) can keep the aircraft in the air for a period of time. This is something that most of us often see (at least in aircraft observation videos), but may not reflect frequently.

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On December 4, 2021, the Twitter account "Breaking Aviation News and Videos" posted a video showing the Boeing 777 test error (at least the structure around it).

A SWISS 777-300ER parked at Zurich Airport is undergoing some unspecified date and time engine tests. Portuguese media Aeroin reported that the use of the aircraft’s powerful GE90 engine had an unfortunate effect on the custom noise protection hangar where it was located.

The video and photos embedded below show that a deflection plate of the hangar was destroyed and the soundproofing material was blown up and scattered on the apron surrounding the hangar. In fact, the captured video of the incident showed fragments of material floating and falling, as if a small storm somehow stopped on the hangar.

— Breaking Aviation News and Videos (@aviationbrk), December 4, 2021

Manufactured by WTM Engineers for Zurich Airport, the noise protection hangar is designed to suppress engine noise during aircraft engine testing (as evident from the name). In terms of noise control, residents and surrounding communities were protected from the incredible roar of GE90 and other large power plants during the test.

Aeroin pointed out that the hangar is designed to accommodate an aircraft as large as a Boeing 747-8, and can suppress noise emissions of up to 156 decibels (measured near the engine) to less than 60 decibels in the area outside the hangar.

The GE90 and its carbon fiber fan blades debuted on British Airways’ 777 in 1995. Although engines from other manufacturers power certain variants of the 777, the GE90 is the exclusive power unit on -300ER, -200LR and cargo aircraft.

“It took GE another 15 years to break the record when they reached 134,300 pounds. GE Aviation’s website states that GE9X is the exclusive powerplant for Boeing’s 777X, and this aircraft is expected to be at the end of 2023 or sometime in early 2024. Enter commercial services.

Associate Editor-An experienced photographer and video producer, Chris is a news reporter. Chris has a rich history of travel education, and his insight into routes, networks, and alliances has brought unsurpassed in-depth quality to his work. His strong relationship with the Middle East and Air Canada has made him an asset to the team. Currently located in Vilnius, Lithuania.