International Aero Engines · Case study
IAE V2500
A 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.
Architecture
The V2500 is a two-spool high-bypass turbofan from International Aero Engines, a consortium of Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce, Japanese Aero Engines and German and Italian partners. It pairs a wide-chord fan with a high-pressure-ratio high-pressure compressor — the source of much of its efficiency for the thrust class.
A bypass ratio near 4.6 and an overall pressure ratio around 33 place it squarely in the modern single-aisle bracket: most thrust now comes from the cool, efficient bypass stream rather than the core jet.
The cycle
The V2500's calling card was a notably efficient HP core. A high compressor pressure ratio raises the thermal efficiency, and the engine became known for low cruise fuel burn and long on-wing life — the metrics that matter most to a narrowbody operator flying many short cycles a day.
Engineering significance
On the A320 the V2500 went head-to-head with the CFM56, and the two split the market for two decades. Beyond the sales contest, the consortium's HP-core experience fed directly into Pratt & Whitney's thinking on the geared turbofan that would eventually follow.
Applications
Airbus A320 family · McDonnell Douglas MD-90
Explore a representative turbofan cycle for this engine class in the interactive console.
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