Engine CFM56-5B6

The CFM56 series is a high-bypass turbofan aircraft engines with thrust that ranges from 18,000 to 34,000 pounds-force. It is made by CFM International, a joint company owned by SNECMA of France and GE Aviation of USA. It first ran in June 1972 and as of June 2011, the number of engines built with this kind is 22, 208.

The CFM56-5B6 is a CFM56 variant with a thrust of 23,500 lbf, bypass ratio of 5.9, pressure ratio of 5,250 lb, and is basically applied to Airbus A319 and A320.

Although it has been initially restricted, CFM56 is now widely used mostly by Airbus A320 family, Airbus A340, Boeing 737 Classic, Boeing 737 Next Generation, McDonnell Douglas DC-8-70 series, and KC-135R Stratotanker.

Its first flight was in February 1977 on McDonnell Douglas YC-15, a competitor plane in the Advanced Medium STOL Transport competition of the Air Force. The engine’s applications are both military and commercial. During its early service, it suffered several fan blade failures, some engine problems on flights through hail and rain, and some fuel flow problems. But those issues have been solved with the modifications made on the engine. As of January 2010, the engine has flown a total of more than 54,000 years or 470 million cumulative hours.

Editor’s Note: More facts on AirAsia Indonesia Flight QZ8501 in the next page.