Engines
CFM Leap Testing Now In Full Swing
Snecma and GE are multiplying test engines, while preparing for a sharp production ramp-up.
The Leap-1B, set to power the Boeing 737 Max, ran for the first time in mid-June. Eleven miles of carbon fiber is needed to weave a single Leap fan blade.
The Leap-1B, set to power the Boeing 737 Max, ran for the first time in mid-June. Eleven miles of carbon fiber is needed to weave a single Leap fan blade.

By the end of the year, CFM (OE 22) plans to have put together and tested around 20 Leap-1A/B/C turbofans, in preparation for their first flights next year and in 2016 on their respective application airframes. The Franco-American engine manufacturer is also gearing up for a swift production ramp-up, planned to reach an annual 1,700 engines by the end of the decade. The Leap will power the Airbus A320neo (Leap-1A), the Boeing 737 Max (Leap-1B) and Comac C919 (Leap-1C) narrowbodies.