PropulsionLab · Case studies
Ten engines that shaped the jet age
Short, original write-ups of landmark turbofans — the architecture, the cycle, and why each one mattered. Read in order they trace the arc from the loud low-bypass workhorses of the 1960s to today's high-bypass, composite-fan, geared and three-spool designs.
Pratt & Whitney · 1964Pratt & Whitney JT8DLow-bypass turbofan · BPR ≈ 1.0 – 1.7The engine that made the short- and medium-haul jetliner economic. A rugged low-bypass turbofan, the JT8D was for two decades the most common commercial jet engine in the Western world.
General Electric · 1971General Electric CF6High-bypass turbofan · BPR ≈ 4.3 – 5.3The engine that took GE from the military into the heart of the widebody market. Derived from the TF39 that powered the C-5 Galaxy, the CF6 spent five decades under the wings of nearly every long-haul twin and tri-jet.
Pratt & Whitney · 1987Pratt & Whitney PW4000High-bypass turbofan · BPR ≈ 4.8 – 6.4Pratt & Whitney's widebody mainstay of the 1990s. Built in three fan diameters from one design philosophy, the PW4000 succeeded the JT9D and powered almost every long-haul airframe of its era.
International Aero Engines · 1989IAE V2500High-bypass turbofan · BPR ≈ 4.6A clean, efficient high-bypass turbofan built by a five-nation consortium — and for three decades the A320 family's other engine choice alongside the CFM56.
CFM International (GE + Safran) · 1996CFM56-5B / -7BHigh-bypass turbofan · BPR ≈ 5.0 – 5.5The best-selling jet engine in history. The CFM56 powered the narrowbody market for three decades and proved the GE-Safran partnership that went on to build the LEAP.
General Electric · 1995General Electric GE90High-bypass turbofan · BPR ≈ 8 – 9The most powerful jet engine ever flown, and the one that made composite fan blades mainstream. Built exclusively for the Boeing 777, the GE90 set a thrust record that still stands.
General Electric · 2011General Electric GEnxHigh-bypass turbofan · BPR ≈ 8 – 9.6The GE90's technology distilled into a lighter, cleaner engine for the 787 and 747-8. The GEnx carried composites further, added a low-emissions combustor, and dropped engine bleed air entirely on the Dreamliner.
CFM International (GE + Safran) · 2016CFM LEAP-1A / -1BHigh-bypass turbofan · BPR ≈ 9 – 11The CFM56's successor and a showcase of aerospace materials: woven carbon-fibre fan blades, ceramic-matrix composites in the hot section, and roughly 15% better fuel burn.
Pratt & Whitney · 2016Pratt & Whitney GTF (PW1000G)Geared high-bypass turbofan · BPR ≈ 9 – 12The defining efficiency idea of the 2010s narrowbody generation: a reduction gearbox that lets the fan turn slowly and the low-pressure spool turn fast, each near its own aerodynamic optimum.
Rolls-Royce · 2015Rolls-Royce Trent XWBHigh-bypass turbofan · BPR ≈ 9.3Rolls-Royce's three-spool answer for the Airbus A350. At entry the most efficient large civil engine flying, the Trent XWB showcases an architecture no other manufacturer uses at this scale.
Each engine class is loadable as a representative cycle in the interactive console.
Open the simulator →All figures are public-estimated and approximate, given for a representative variant; exact values vary by sub-model and rating. PropulsionLab is an educational project and is not affiliated with any engine manufacturer. Engine names are the trademarks of their respective owners.