General Electric CF6

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The General Electric CF6 is a family of high-bypass turbofan engines. A development of the first high-power high-bypass jet engine available, the TF39, the CF6 powers a wide variety of civilian airliners. The basic engine core formed the basis for the LM2500, LM5000, and LM6000 marine and power generation turboshaft. GE Aviation intends to replace the CF6 family with the GEnx.

Development

After the successful development in the late 1960s of the TF39 for the C-5 Galaxy, GE offered a more powerful development for civilian use as the CF6, and quickly found interest in two designs being offered for a recent Eastern Airlines contract, the Lockheed L-1011 and McDonnell Douglas DC-10. Although the L-1011 would eventually select the Rolls-Royce RB211, the DC-10 stuck with the CF6, and entered service in 1971. It was also selected for versions of the Boeing 747. Since then, the CF6 has powered versions of the Airbus A300, 310 and 330, Boeing 767, and McDonnell Douglas MD-11.

Variants

CF6-6

The CF6-6 was a development of the military TF39. It was first utilized on the McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10.

This initial version of the CF6...
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