A new 737-900ER for Continental Airlines departed Boeing Field on August 15th with something new under its wing. If you look closely, you can spot the new CFM56-7B Evolution engine on the left wing of N37434. The nacelle is elongated and the nozzle plug shortened to accomodate the new engine that Boeing says will improve fuel burn on the 737 by 1%. In conjunction with changes to the wing control surfaces, a redesigned anti-collision light, revised wheel well fairing and ECS inlet and exhaust changes, Boeing hopes to improve the fuel consumption of the 737 NG family by a total of 2% by mid-2011.However, did the 7BE really make its first flight? According to CFM, which unveiled the Evolution engine in April, the engine isn't supposed to fly on a 737 for more than a year. The first time the 7BE is expected to take to the sky is in February of 2010 under the wing of GE's 747 testbed, followed by certification in July 2010 and first flight on a Continental 737 in October 2010.
So, what's going on here? Just a test of the new nacelle and plug? Can someone shed some light?
UPDATE 2:10 PM: N37434 did fly with the revised nacelle on August 15th, but without the Evolution engine. We have about another year to wait before the 7BE is flown on a 737.
Photo Credit Joe Walker
on August 25, 2009 2:06 PM | Reply
Interesting five day surge in the BA stock price. Something good happening? The Boeing haters can't like this.
on August 25, 2009 2:11 PM | Reply
And what, pray tell, is all the test instrumentation affixed to the aft fuselage?
on August 25, 2009 3:32 PM | Reply
It's for the Flux Capacitor no doubt.
on August 25, 2009 5:59 PM | Reply
The flight was to understand the changes to the thermal environment downstream of the engine with the new hot nozzle design. The article is wrong. The nacelle is not elongated. The new CFM56-7BE engine has the same harware interfaces as the current CFM56-7B engine. The new Hot Nozzle is shorter and the plug, while the same length as the current one is re-contoured to maintain engine performance.
on August 25, 2009 8:07 PM | Reply
Are those microphones (on the aft-body)?
http://verovenia.wordpress.com/2009/08/18/guessing-game/
on August 26, 2009 5:05 AM | Reply
Wow, looks so looooong for a 737... seems almost more like a 757!
on August 26, 2009 7:13 AM | Reply
Looks as though the 737 is the true successor to the DC-3. Such a long lived project?!
on August 26, 2009 9:53 AM | Reply
Giant circuit board on side of body, terminating at the windows, very interesting. Probably Temp/Pres. sensors.
on August 26, 2009 10:50 AM | Reply
The 737 really IS the new DC3, in fact Basler is looking into re engine older 737's with a turboprop. The turbo conversion will called the 737-BT67!
on August 26, 2009 4:04 PM | Reply
I seen the plane yesterday in Charleston near the airport. A place called Odessey Air.