GKN Aerospace Biz-Jet Engine Facility Makes First Delivery

Site situated alongside Honeywell's Arizona operation is expected to employ 50.

Just 6 months after construction began, GKN Aerospace's new business jet engine integration facility, in Phoenix, Ariz., made its first delivery.

The facility supplied Honeywell HTF7250 engines, fully integrated into GKN Aerospace designed and manufactured nacelle systems, to Gulfstream for its newest aircraft – the G280 super mid-sized business jet.

Today, the new 24,000ft2 facility, which is situated alongside Honeywell's Arizona operation, employs 30 people. At capacity it will employ 50 and assemble 28 complete power systems per month.

By mid-2014, it will be performing all podding of HTF7000 engines into GKN Aerospace nacelles, delivering each complete propulsion system, on Honeywell's behalf, directly to the airframe end customer assembly line for business jets such as the G280 as well as the Bombardier CL350 and the Embraer Legacy 450/500.

Neil McManus, CEO, GKN Aerospace - Europe and Special Products, said, "We are delighted to make this first delivery for the impressive G280 airframe from our new purpose-built facility situated alongside our customer, Honeywell. We are looking forward to seeing the site reach full production capability later this year, able to integrate our uniquely adaptable, multi-application nacelle with HTF7000 engines for all Honeywell's airframe customers."

GKN Aerospace has been delivering nacelles for the HTF7000 series of engines for well over a decade and in 2008 gained a lifetime supply contract which included responsibility for the full nacelle/engine integration process. Manufacturing of the nacelle system takes place at GKN Aerospace sites St Louis, Mo. and Cowes in the UK.