**3.4 General electric and XTI**

GE Aviation's business and general aviation unit's leader in hybrid-electric pursuits. The TriFan 600 will be powered by a new hybrid-electric propulsion system developed by GE Aviation and XTI Aircraft Company. This contrasts with conventional turboprop engines, which require a distinct turbine for each propeller. It makes it possible for a greater number of hybrid aircraft to utilize a greater number of propulsion sources, allowing aircraft designers to re-evaluate even the most fundamental aspects of aircraft design. The current battery technology does not allow for sufficient energy density to make a long-distance electric aircraft feasible.

The TriFan 600's Catalyst will enable it to travel at a much higher altitude (30,000 feet) and at a faster rate than any electric aircraft currently on the market. The Catalyst's power will also make it possible to transport a much larger

**Figure 6.** *Rolls-Royce M50 engine for the APUS i-5 plane [7].*

**Figure 7.** *General electric and XTI TriFan 600 [8].*

payload while still being able to take-off and land vertically. GE engineers have been able to reduce the typical 800 components that would have been made using conventional methods down to just a dozen or so printed parts using 3D printing. They were able to use less fuel and reduce the Catalyst's weight by 5% with this strategy. The TriFan's engine will have approximately 1400 horsepower, or 1 megawatt of power (**Figure 7**).
