Contemporary Approach to Commercial Powerplant Development

Vital to the success of the turbine powered airplane is the degree to which the engine manufacturer can develop the entire powerplant to its fullest maturity early in the life of the airplane system. With increasing demands for shorter powerplant development cycles, to meet the needs of the shorter airframe development cycle, new techniques and methods are being employed to accelerate the development of contempory powerplants. Equally important to the improved development techniques and methods is the ability to establish and monitor the technical progress early in the powerplant development program. This paper will describe the approach taken in the development of the CF6 family of engines, including techniques established to monitor technical progress.