CFM Photo CFM International has delivered the first advanced LEAP-1B engines to Boeing to support factory roll out of the first 737 MAX...
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| CFM Photo |
The new generation engine has been put through thousands of test hours and cycles on the ground and in the air on a 747 flying testbed.
CFM is executing the most extensive ground and flight test certification program in its history. There are currently a total of more than 30 LEAP engines (all three models) on test or in final assembly and the program has logged a total of nearly 6,150 certification ground and flight test hours and 12,400 cycles.
In addition to the LEAP-1B engine, the 737 MAX incorporates advanced technology winglets and other improvements to deliver 20 percent lower fuel consumption than the first Next-Generation 737s delivered. To date, Boeing has received orders for a total of 2,898 737 MAX aircraft from 59 customers worldwide.
Launch customer Southwest Airlines is scheduled to take delivery of the first 737 MAX in the third quarter of 2017.
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| Marian Lockhart photo |
Boeing has also achieved power-on for the first MAX in final assembly. The New large flight deck displays were lit up, demonstrating that power is on.
The LEAP-1B engine promises to be the most advanced, reliable, fuel-efficient powerplant for the new generation of single-aisle aircraft. The engine incorporates many industry firsts, including the 3-D woven carbon fiber composite fan blade and case; the one-of-a-kind debris rejection system; fourth-generation 3-D aerodynamics; the first commercial use of ceramic matrix composites (CMCs); the revolutionary combustor design featuring fuel nozzles grown using additive manufacturing; and light-weight Titanium Aluminide airfoils.
The lower weight and higher durability these components provide will result in a 15 percent improvement in fuel efficiency, with an equivalent reduction in CO2 emissions; a 50 percent margin to new emissions regulations; a dramatically lower noise signature; CFM’s industry-leading reliability and low overall operating costs.
CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between Snecma (Safran) and GE.
