GE tested an experimental propfan engine.

General Electric reported that its turbofan operated successfully during its first test flight at its Mojave airfield. The 16-bladed turbofan, which replaced a conventional jet engine on a specially equipped Boeing 727-200 trijet, was tested for slightly more than an hour. GE, which had predicted fuel savings of up to 70% over current turbofan engines, said that fuel consumption in earlier ground tests had been lower than its predictions and was “the lowest level ever achieved by a turbofan engine.”