Pontifications: “The need for radical fuel improvements will only increase over time.”

May 30, 2023, © Leeham News: “The need for radical fuel improvements will only increase over time.” That’s the definitive conclusion of Arjan Hegeman, GE Aerospace’s general manager of advanced technology. GE is working on Performance Improvement Packages… Read More

Bjorn’s Corner: New aircraft technologies. Part 11. Airframe.

May 5, 2023, ©. Leeham News: In our series on the different technologies available when developing next-generation airliners, we have covered the fuselage configuration and engine options. Now we turn to airframe technologies. We will look at different… Read More

Bjorn’s Corner: New aircraft technologies. Part 10P. The engine choice

Subscription required By Bjorn Fehrm April 28, 2023, ©. Leeham News: This is a complementary article to Part 10. The engine choice. It discusses in detail the next-generation engines for the Heart of the Market airliners that today… Read More

Bjorn’s Corner: Aircraft technology developments. Part 1.

February 24, 2023, ©. Leeham News: In the Sustainable Air Transport series we finished last week, we described new aircraft technologies developed to reduce Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. There was one area we didn’t discuss, the progress… Read More

CFM’s Open Fan targets mid-2030s for entry into service

Subscription Required By Scott Hamilton CFM RISE Open Fan. Credit: CFM. Feb. 1, 2020, © Leeham News: GE Aviation appears confident the CFM open rotor engine—a concept that was flight tested back in the 1980s—is an engine whose… Read More

Engine OEMs pushing ahead for next airplane, even as Boeing pauses

Subscription Required By Scott Hamilton Nov. 1, 2021, © Leeham News: David Calhoun may not be anywhere near ready to launch the Next Boeing Airplane (NBA), but the engine makers are actively researching and developing engines to hang… Read More

Pontifications: Biofuels, hydrogen, batteries are nice but far in the future. Solution exists now.

Oct. 11, 2021, © Leeham News: EcoAviation was the Number One topic at the Oct. 3-5 IATA AGM in Boston. IATA, the International Air Transport Assn., set a number of lofty goals to remove carbon emissions from commercial… Read More

IATA AGM: Airplanes, engines SAF capable coming; feedstock lags by years

Subscription Required By Scott Hamilton Introduction Oct. 4, 2021, © Leeham News: Engine and airframe makers are well on their way to becoming fully capable of using Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). But the industries providing SAF are way… Read More

CFM announces the RISE engine program

June 14, 2021, © Leeham News: GE and SAFRAN took to the stage today to announce the extension of their CFM joint venture to 2050 and the CFM technology program RISE. RISE stands for Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable… Read More

Differentiation in the marketplace and the time for the open rotor

Subscription Required By the Leeham News Team Introduction Feb. 22, 2021, © Leeham News: Airliners are now so efficient, one challenge facing Airbus and Boeing in competing is overcoming the laws of diminishing returns. The time may finally… Read More