By Berk Kutay Gokmen
ISTANBUL (AA) - China conducted the inaugural flight of an ultra-lightweight miniature jet engine developed domestically and entirely produced through 3D printing technology, state-backed Xinhua News reported Thursday.
The flight test Tuesday in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region reached a peak altitude of 4,000 meters (13,000 feet).
It demonstrated the engine’s operational stability and reliability under real flight conditions, the Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC) said in a statement late Wednesday.
AECC noted that the engine is China’s first turbojet in the 160-kilogram (352-pound) thrust category to be flight-tested after being entirely built through multi-disciplinary topology optimization and additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, techniques.
“This successful inaugural flight lays a more solid technical foundation for the research and development of future advanced aviation engines in China,” it said.
AECC emphasized that the key innovation is the integration of cutting-edge design methods with 3D printing, filling a critical domestic gap in applying the technology to the full-scale development of an entire engine.
The research team led in implementing multi-disciplinary topology optimization tailored specifically for 3D printing. The method, combined with integrated component design, significantly reduced the engine’s weight while substantially improving vital performance indicators, AECC added.
Before the flight test, the engine had already passed extensive ground-based verification procedures to ensure its performance aligned with set targets and that its validated service life was adequate, said AECC.