CFM Introduces Upgraded HPT Blade For CFM56 Engines

New blade will maximize time on wing, provide fleet transition flexibility

WEST CHESTER, Ohio – 16 October 2023 – CFM announced today that it is offering an upgraded High-Pressure Turbine (HPT) blade designed to enhance the durability of its CFM56-5B and CFM56-7B engines.

The new blade design leverages millions of hours of engine field data. Updates include increased wall thickness, optimized dovetail loading, and tightened manufacturing tolerances. The blade maintains the fuel burn benefit achieved with CFM56 Tech Insertion blade configurations launched in 2007.

“These upgraded CFM56-5B/-7B HPT blades are designed to keep our customers flying with OEM parts they know and trust.” - Jacey Welsh, CFM Executive Vice President – CFM56

“These upgraded CFM56-5B/-7B HPT blades are designed to keep our customers flying with OEM parts they know and trust,” said Jacey Welsh, CFM executive vice president – CFM56 at GE Aerospace. “Many of our customers are transitioning their narrowbody fleets and the new CFM56 HPT blade can help them to extend time on-wing to optimize cost of ownership and enhance the residual value of their engines. We are also providing attractive upgrade options to customers operating older CFM56 configurations.”

The new HPT blades are being produced in Greenville, South Carolina. This state-of-the-art GE Aerospace facility, with 250 employees, has manufactured HPT blades for a diverse portfolio of commercial and military engines for more than a decade. On average, the site ships 1,000 parts per day, 5,000 part per week and 250,000 parts per year.

“With more than 1.2 billion engine flight hours logged, the CFM56 engine delivers for our customers 24/7, 365 days a year,” said Jérôme Morhet, CFM executive vice president at Safran Aircraft Engines. “We continue to invest in both product and support upgrades for this fleet. With the introduction of the new HPT blade, we are focused on building inventory to support our customers’ future shop visits.”

CFM engines are designed, tested, and certified at the engine operating system level, ensuring optimized system and product performance. The CFM56-5B and -7B have a world-class dispatch reliability rate of 99.98%.