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The Denali has an ergonomically designed pedestal that includes dual touchscreen controllers for its Garmin™ G3000™ avionics. It also features a single lever power for engine control, an electric trim system with a pitch trim wheel for fine adjustment and a minimized profile for easy access in and out of the cockpit. Getting ready to go is as simple as pushing a single button which starts the Denali with a FADEC controlled automated start sequence.
GE Aviation announced the official name for the Denali’s Advanced Turboprop engine on March 7, 2018. The high technology dual channel FADEC powerplant is now the GE Catalyst.
The Catalyst™ engine has now entered certification testing, where GE Aviation will validate its aerodynamics, mechanics and aerothermal systems. The 1,240 shp-rated engine introduces 79 new technologies to offer higher efficiency, better performance and greater durability than other engines in its class.
With the first engine run and most of the individual component testing completed, early indications show that the Catalyst will meet or exceed all the performance numbers quoted.
With the latest mockup build, we now have the first opportunity for customers to experience the full power of the Denali’s cockpit – one that revolutionizes the single engine turboprop segment. The Garmin™ G3000™ flight deck modernizes turboprop avionics and significantly reduces pilot workload with dual touchscreen controllers and Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) technology, allowing pilots to easily perform common tasks and manage the flight deck.
Left to right:
Steve Carroll (A & P Mechanic), Patrick Wanless (Engineer Specialist), Aasiri Fernando (Engineering Manager), Marc McHenry (Engineer Specialist), Brett Lusby (Engineer Specialist), John Christensen (Senior Engineer), Courtney Balzer (Engineer Specialist), Chris Andress (Engineer) , Dan Oltjenbruns (Engineer Specialist), Rodney Cline (Avionics Technician)
The Flight Systems Simulator department consists of about ten engineers. It usually takes one to two years to build a simulator depending on its complexity and how many models are being built at the same time. The Denali Iron Bird took about 18 months to build. Because of Textron Aviation’s aggressive investment in new products, there are eight completed iron birds across multiple models, with three currently seeing heavy use.
The development program of the Denali single-engine turboprop marked a recent milestone with the successful mating by GE Aviation of its advanced Catalyst engine with the MCCAULEY composite propeller at the test facility in Prague. Watch the video produced by GE Aviation on the progress of the Catalyst.
The 1,300 shp turboprop engine has already completed more than 1,000 hours of testing on three test articles. With the new composite 5-blade propeller mated, GE Aviation successfully achieved full power and max RPM and demonstrated the full range of pitch using a FADEC with integrated propeller control. The Denali aircraft is the first new turboprop to employ a FADEC that controls both the engine and propeller.
GE Aviation’s Catalyst engine currently has 98 patented technologies on the engine. It is the first turboprop engine in its class to introduce two stages of variable stator vanes, cooled high-pressure turbine blades and a FADEC – technologies that have proven themselves in millions of flying hours on GE Aviation’s other commercial and military engines. It performs at an industry-best 16:1 overall pressure ratio, enabling the engine to achieve 10 percent more power compared to competitor offerings in the same size class.
Regarding the Catalyst, GE Aviation recently produced a 3D printed mockup of the engine used by Textron Aviation engineers to assess the ease of access for maintenance, once the actual engine is installed.
Using 3D Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) techniques, this plastic mockup is an exact replica printed from the final computer design that includes various mounting and attachment holes which was then fitted with other 3D printed or real attachments such as hoses and required operational components. The engine mockup is available for viewing at this year’s Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture Fly-In Convention, July 22-28 at GE Aviation’s booth #373-376.
Apart from the 3D printed FDM mockup, the actual production engine incorporates similar, but more advanced additive manufacturing technique to create metal parts. This allows components like the heat exchangers, that would normally be constructed using dozens of individual components, to be manufactured as a one-piece part, eliminating complexity and increasing cooling efficiency while reducing weight, wear and leakage. The engine is designed for predictive maintenance enabling personalized service and improved aircraft availability.
With a jet-like cabin design, dual-channel FADEC and the first clean-sheet turboprop engine in more than 30 years, the DENALI aircraft is sure to disrupt the marketplace. But behind the features and capabilities of the new aircraft is a team of experts invested in both the plane and those who will sit inside.
“It becomes a big part of your life,” Braaten said about the Denali aircraft. “The Denali turboprop is a high priority program for Textron Aviation, so it’s a huge but exciting responsibility.”
It’s been nearly five years of work for many on the Denali Core Team and that time and investment means passion.
“We’re all personally connected to the Denali turboprop,” IT Senior Specialist Mark Thomas said. “It’s more than an airplane for those of us involved. It’s a collection of work from tons of people and the relationships that you build.”
Dorner equated the project to other legacy designs when he said, “KING AIR turboprops, CARAVAN turboprops, those have been around for a very long time and I fully believe that the Denali turboprop will be the next one of those. It’s an advanced turboprop and I believe it will be here for a long time. I think someday I’ll be telling my grandkids, ‘I was on that team.’”
Braaten added, “We’re doing something that’s unique. This is a brand-new clean-sheet airplane and when we’re done, I can say our team did that. That’ll be out there for who knows how long. Long past my lifespan, I’m sure.”
For some, it could be their future left seat.
“Because I have my pilot’s license and enjoy the plane aspect of this business, with the Denali turboprop, maybe it’s something I’ll be flying in the future,” Bednar added.
The launch of the DENALI turboprop will, without question, disrupt its aircraft market segment. But designers, developers and engineers at Textron Aviation want to be sure your trips utilizing the new aircraft are anything but disrupted.
Therein lie two solutions - the Maintenance Steering Group – 3 (MSG-3) and the On-board Maintenance and Diagnostics system. Both tools are implemented with reliability and your bottom line in mind.
1. ANSWERS FASTER: The On-board Maintenance and Diagnostics identifies both the root cause and corrective action of an issue the first time it happens. The system makes the discovery portion of service quicker while also identifying trends.
2. ADVANCED INFORMATION: In cases where the application of CMC does not resolve the issue, AReS data takes the process farther, becoming a powerful tool for advanced troubleshooting. The combination of the two systems renders a comprehensive set of tools leading to user success.
3. SIMPLE USE AND STORAGE: With all diagnostic data stored securely on LinxUs, our customer data portal, users have easy access to detailed information, including the root cause of issues and relevant parameters.
4. MORE ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS, FASTER: Service providers utilize the system to quickly identify the root cause and correction action of a fault. The ease of information transmission and detailed nature of the data reduces repeat visits to a service provider related to improper diagnosis.
Textron Aviation prides itself in supporting you throughout the entire ownership experience. When you embark upon a journey with Textron Aviation, you become part of the family for life. Our teams continue to utilize the most advanced, useful resources to make your experience during purchase and in the aftermarket better and more enjoyable.
Piloted by senior test pilot Peter Gracey and chief test pilot Dustin Smisor, the BEECHCRAFT DENALI prototype aircraft, powered by GE Aviation’s new CATALYST engine, took off at approximately 8:20 a.m. on November 23, 2021 from Textron Aviation’s west campus at Eisenhower International Airport for its first flight. During the 2-hour and 50-minute flight, the team tested the aircraft’s performance, stability and control, as well as its propulsion, environmental, flight controls and avionics systems. The aircraft reached an altitude of 15,600 feet and attained speeds of 180 knots. The following is an exclusive cut of the video for Denali Insiders only.
The new Beechcraft Denali turboprop is accompanied by an engine GE Aviation calls “next-generation.” As sustainability becomes a greater focus of aviators across the world, GE Aviation and Textron Aviation are joining together to provide an aircraft that reduces CO2 emissions, increases efficiency and works with Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
While we are overcome with joy and confidence that the Beechcraft Denali turboprop’s first flight was successful, we expected nothing less. Did you know the Denali aircraft’s first flight wasn’t the first time the GE Aviation Catalyst engine hit the skies? Before our clean sheet aircraft took off for the first time, the Catalyst engine went through hours of rigorous testing in the sky on the tried and trusted KING AIR turboprop. This allowed engineers to go through extensive tests with a single Catalyst engine and prepare it for the big day of first flight.
Here’s some behind the scenes video showing the test on the King Air turboprop. You can see the performance was as stellar as we imagined even before the Denali turboprop took flight.
©2021 Textron Aviation Inc. All rights reserved. BEECHCRAFT, DENALI and KING AIR are trademarks or service marks of Textron Aviation Inc. or an affiliate and may be registered in the United States or other jurisdictions. CATALYST is a trademark or service mark of others.