China’s push toward next-generation propulsion reached a major milestone this month as the country’s aviation engine group announced the successful first flight test of its newly developed 3D printed “minimalist” turbojet engine. The achievement signals a significant step forward for the use of additive manufacturing in operational aerospace systems.

The test flight lasted 30 minutes and reached an altitude of 6,000 meters with a top speed of Mach 0.75. According to program officials, the engine operated across its full power envelope with no abnormal parameters. Completing a single-engine flight trial on an aircraft platform demonstrates that the design has moved beyond laboratory validation and can now be evaluated in real flight environments.

The development team emphasized that reliability was the core focus of this early demonstration. Mi Dong, director at the China Aviation Engine Research Institute, said the test shows the engine has been verified “at higher altitudes and in more complex environments,” while also confirming its compatibility with the host aircraft. He added that the system can support loitering munitions, unmanned aircraft, and target drones, suggesting broad future application potential.

A defining feature of the program is its use of additive manufacturing. More than three-quarters of the engine’s total weight is made up of 3D printed parts. This approach significantly reduces the number of individual components, which helps simplify assembly, improve efficiency, and enable more aggressive design choices that are difficult to produce with traditional manufacturing. Engineers say the weight savings and thermal advantages created through 3D printing will support future work aimed at reaching higher flight speeds and altitudes.

The successful flight test represents a growing trend within China’s aerospace sector, where additive manufacturing is increasingly viewed as a strategic tool for accelerating development cycles and creating lighter, more efficient propulsion systems. While the engine remains in its early stages, the demonstration provides evidence that China is prepared to transition more 3D printed hardware from research to real-world use.

*Photo & Video Credits: China Central Television (CCTV)