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Aviation History
1981
1981 - 0153.PDF
FLIGHT International, 17January 1981 January 1971 and the DC-10 entered service in August 1971. By October the 100th CF6-6D was with McDonnell Douglas, and in August of the following year the 250th engine was delivered. The larger CF6-50A first flew in a B-52 testbed during September 1971—only two months ahead of first production delivery. It powered the first long-range DC-10-30 in June 1972 and was in airline service five months later. The 51,0001b(227kN)-thrust CF6-50C was chosen by Airbus Industrie, and first flew in the A300 in October 1972. The CF6-50 was also chosen to power military versions of the Boeing 747, and is now used in six examples of the Boeing E-4B Advanced Airborne National Command Post operated by the US Air Force. Versions of the engine were also installed in the two Boeing YC-14 Advanced Medium Stol Transport (AMST) prototypes, which flew during 1976-77, and the McDonnell Douglas KC-10A Extender, which first flew on July 12, 1980 using three CF6-50C2, 52,5001b(234kN)-thrust, engines. The CF-50 family now extends from 48,0001b (214kN) to 54,0001b(240kN) thrust. Having concentrated successfully on high- thrust versions, GE launched the smaller CF6-32, scheduling it to operate at around 30,0001b(133.5kN) thrust, in June 1977. This is a joint development project with Snecma and is fighting the Boeing 757 marketplace along side the RB.211-535 and P & W JT10D. The first engine was run in late 1979 and certifica tion is expected at 36,5001b(162kN) thrust in time for service entry in 1983. The most significant new variant has been the 48,0001b(214kN)-thrust CF6-80, of which eight development examples are in the process of being built and tested. One engine will be flown in a Boeing 747 testbed any week now, and certification is expected by September this year. The CF6-80A is rated at 48,0001b (214kN) thrust and will power a large pro portion of the Boeing 767s and Airbus A310s now on order, which are due to enter service in late 1982. The longer term should see certification of CF6-80 engines at up to 58,000(268kN)-thrust. This is on offer to power the proposed A300- 600, and core components were tested by GE in early 1980. Earliest in-service date will be spring 1984. Pratt & Whitney JT3D Two-shaft turbofan. In the tradition of successful engines being derivatives the JT3D was a front-fan version of the J57/JT3C turbojet. It was the first US commercial turbofan to enter service and became commonplace at international air ports worldwide as the most common power- plant for the Boeing 707 and McDonnell Douglas DC-8. In military service the engine is known as the TF35. DC-8 production ceased in 1972 and 707 production is now almost negligible—US Air Force and Nato orders for the E-3A Awacs generating what demand there remains for the military TF33. The engine still remains a respectable example of early-1960s engine design, but it has been overtaken by less thirsty newcomers and FAR36 noise regula tions. Total JT3D production was about 5,700 units, and TF33 deliveries are about 2,800 units. Total flying time in service is approaching 200 million hours. It has been the world's most well-used gas-turbine for many years but seems sure to be overtaken by the JT8D in the next few months. Pratt & Whitney JT8D Two-shaft turbofan. Stemming from military J52/civil JT8B Top left General Electric's CF6-32 has been chosen for Aloha and Transbrasil's Boeing 757's. Top right Pratt &. Whitney's JT8D-209 powers the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 Super 80. Below Genera/ Electric's CF6-50 is a growth version of the CF6-6 and powers the DC-10-30, A300 and some Boeing 747s ''/W: m M> f - v='! - >$§?'< * /'' /f- / • : fll- ft -Ml; '•F <r •*" jto£ JJJKJ. • ^^H Tf* p '•••*'- 1 B stock, the JT8D was a front-fan derivative launched as a private-venture for the Boeing 727. Initial variants were rated at or slightly more than 14,5001b(64.5kN) thrust, and these represented almost 5,000 engines produced between 1963-1973. In a bid to quieten the engine—which has been by far the best- selling commercial gas-turbine—Pratt & Whitney redesigned the compressor with one less fan stage and two extra compressor stages aft of the fan, simultaneously increasing thrust to around 17,0001b(75 -6kN). This engine remains a best-seller with over 10,000 examples now in service and 173 million flying hours logged. Pratt & Whitney JT8D-200 series Two-shaft turbofan. Long discussed as a 'quiet' variant of the basic JT8D, the 200-series has the same internal configuration as late model JT8Ds, but with almost double the by-pass flow. The low-pressure section of the core has seen significant changes also, so this is virtually a new engine. Its performance is within FAR36 noise regulations, but with a by-pass ratio of only 1 '8:1—compared to 5:1 or so for the newer engines now battling for the 20,0001b(89kN)-thrust market—it is neither the quietest nor most fuel-efficient engine. But fuel economy is such that P & W can claim very attractive life-cycle costs. It was on these predictions, and especially for current JT8D operators whose maintenance facilities can cope with the new variant, that the 200-series was launched with the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 Super 80 in October 1977. The first engine, a JT8D-209, had run in May 1976 and flew for the first time in the port outer nacelle of a McDonnell Douglas YC-15 ptototype in March 1977. This version was certificated at 19,2501b(85-6kN)-thrust in June 1979 and entered service last Sep tember in the DC-9 Super 80. Also on offer for the same airframe, and certificated in October 1980, is the 20,8501b(92-7kN)-thrust JT8D-217. The JT8D-200 series are the first engines to be certificated to class III noise limits by the FAA. These seem certain to be the last derivatives of the long and successful line of related civil and military turbojet and turbofan power- plants (JT3/JT8) built by P&W. Their places will be taken over eventually by the JT9D/ JT10D high bypass-ratio family, but JT8Ds will remain in production well into the future. Pratt & Whitney JT9D Two-shaft turbofan. Although General Electric won the world's first turbofan order with the military TF39, its commercial derivative lost the competition for initial place on the prestigious Boeing 747 in 1966 to the JT9D. Pratt & Whitney had developed the JT9D initially as a 42,0001b (187kN)-thrust two-spool engine. It has been
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