5C/P engine has been certified on schedule by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the French Direction Gnrale de l'Aviation Civile (DGAC), paving the way for A340-300 aircraft certification and entry into service in October 2003.
The CFM56-5C/P is produced by CFM International (CFM), a 50/50 joint company between Snecma Moteurs (Safran Group) and General Electric Company. CFM is the world's leading supplier of commercial aircraft engines, with more than 13,700 delivered to date to 377 operators worldwide.
The CFM56-5C/P was developed for both the A340 Enhanced aircraft, which is scheduled for certification and entry into service in early 2004, as well as an upgrade package for current CFM56-5C operators. CFM sees a potential market for 500 engines/upgrade kits. The upgrade kits will be available to operators later this year.
The -5C/P incorporates the advanced 3-D aerodynamic technology originally developed for the CFM56-5B/P, including the high-pressure compressor and high-pressure turbine design. Additional improvements have also been incorporated into the high-pressure turbine to enhance durability. Overall, the CFM56-5C/P provides operators a 1 percent improvement in specific fuel consumption and a 13° C improvement in exhaust gas temperature (EGT). This added margin will translate to 10 percent lower maintenance costs through longer time on wing. In September, CFM will complete back-to-back engines tests with an overhauled CFM56-5C engine to verify the benefits of the upgrade kit for current A340 operators.
The engine will maintain the CFM56-5C noise signature, which is the quietest in its class. The CFM56-5C-powered A340 meets all current noise regulations with a cumulative margin of 23 EPNdB (effective perceived noise in decibels). The CFM56-5C/P becomes the production configuration in 2004.