General Electric CF6
|
CF6 turbofan at the KLM engine shop |
The
General Electric TF39 and
CF6 family of
high-bypass turbofan engines are the most popular large aircraft turbines in the world, powering civil and military widebodies from a variety of manufacturers. They also form the basis for the
LM2500,
LM5000 and
LM6000 marine
turboshafts. The family is produced by
GE-Aviation, formerly
General Electric Aircraft Engines.
General Electric intends to replace the CF6 family with the
GEnx, which will have an
entry into service date of
2008.
TF39
The TF39 is a revolutionary
1960s engine rated from 41,000 to 43,000
lbf (191 to 205 kN) of thrust. It is the world's first high-bypass turbofan engine and the parent of the successful CF6 series. It employed a great deal of then-new technological features such as:
* 1½ stage fan blades (unique to TF39).
* 8:1 bypass ratio.
* Variable stator vanes.
* Turbines equipped with advanced cooling.
* Fuel efficiency better than any engines available at the time.
* Cascade-type
thrust reversers.
Since its introduction on the
Lockheed C-5 Galaxy military transport, the TF39 has benefited directly from CF6 design technology: components, materials, processes, manufacturing techniques, and repair processes.
CF6-6
The CF6-6 was a development of the military TF39. It was first utilized on the
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10.
CF6-50
The CF6-50 series are high-bypass turbofan engines rated between 46,000 to 54,000 lb
f (205 to 240 kN) of thrust. The CF6-50 was developed into the LM2500 industrial and marine
turboshaft engines. It was launched in 1969 to power the long range McDonnell Douglas
DC-10-30, and was derived from the earlier CF6-6.
In late
1969, the CF6-50 was selected to power the then new
Airbus A300.
Air France became the launch customer for the A300 by ordering six aircraft in
1971. In
1975,
KLM was the first airline to order the
Boeing 747 powered by the CF6-50. This led further developments to the CF6 family such as the CF6-80.
CF6-80
The CF6-80 series are high-bypass turbofan engines with a thrust range of 48,000 to 75,000 lb
f (214 to 334 kN). It is an advanced development of the earlier successful CF6-50 series engine. Despite superficial resemblance to the CF6-50, it is a completely new engine with no interchangeable parts. It is divided into three distinct models.
CF6-80A
The CF6-80A, which has a thrust rating of 48,000 to 50,000 lb
f (214 to 222 kN), powered two twinjets, the Boeing
767 and Airbus
A310. The GE-powered 767 entered airline service in
1982, and the GE powered A310 in early 1983. It is rated for
ETOPS operations.
CF6-80C2
The CF6-80C2, which entered revenue service in October 1985, has a thrust rating of 52,500 to 63,500 lb
f (234 to 282 kN). It has a reputation of good fuel economy in its thrust class. The CF6-80C2 is certified with 16 different thrust ratings. This versatile engine has the most widespread use of any large turbofan engine.
The CF6-80C2 is currently certified on eleven
wide-body aircraft models including the Boeing 747 and McDonnell Douglas
MD-11. The CF6-80C2 is also certified for ETOPS-180 for the
A300, A310, and Boeing 767 aircraft.
CF6-80E1
The CF6-80E1 is specifically designed for the Airbus
A330, with thrust rating of 67,500 to 75,000 lb
f (300 to 334 kN).
Other variants
The industrial and marine development of the CF6-80, the
LM6000 Series, has found wide use including fast ferry and high speed cargo ship applications.
CF6-32
The CF6-32 was intended to be a stripped-down version of the CF6-80 for the
Boeing 757. It was never launched due to lack of interest from airlines.
* TF39
**
Lockheed C-5 Galaxy* CF6-6
**
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10* CF6-50
** McDonnell Douglas
DC-10-30**
Boeing 747-200/-300**
Airbus A300** McDonnell Douglas
KC-10 Extender** Boeing
E-4B NAOC* CF6-80
**
Boeing 747-400/-400ER**
VC-25 (Air Force One), the only CF6-80 application on 747-200s
** Boeing
767***
E-10 MC2A***
E-767 AWACS***
KC-767** Lockheed
C-5M Galaxy** McDonnell Douglas
MD-11** Airbus
A310** Airbus
A330
