BDI Engineering Team Tests New Deflector with B777-300ER
When a new ground run-up deflector needed to be commissioned, the BDI engineering team didn’t let COVID-19, lack of a suitable aircraft or 115,000 pounds of thrust slow them down. Our confidential customer flew a test aircraft to an undisclosed location specifically to evaluate the performance of the jet blast deflector. BDI’s team of Ross Titlow (Engineering Manager), Jake Pargas (Field Representative) and Blanca Rocha (International Business Development) traveled from our headquarters in Reno, Nevada to the test location.
The fully instrumented test, which was completed in a day, was carried out with a Boeing 777-300ER running at takeoff power in front of a recently-installed BDI jet blast deflector, model U21-3. The B777-300ER is the world’s largest long-range twin-engine jetliner, powered by the largest and most powerful commercial jet engine (the GE 90-115B). Producing 115,000 pounds of thrust, the B777-300ER is the optimal aircraft to use in the evaluation of a ground run-up jet blast deflector (the BDI team has tested many blast deflectors and ground run-up enclosures using the B777-300ER for various airports, airlines and Boeing).
With BDI’s more than 60 years of experience and our talented team of design experts, it was no surprise that the new blast deflector met all performance expectations and was handed over for full service. It was surprising how much engine exhaust one breathes in despite wearing an N95 mask!