The World's Biggest Jet Engine Is Brawnier Than Alan Shepard's Rocket



The largest variant is the GE90-115B. Measuring 216 inches long and 135 inches wide with a 128-inch-diameter fan, the -115B weighs a stout 18,260 pounds. Surprisingly, despite the -115B's size, it is also the most efficient wide-body engine in service today. It utilizes a 10-stage air compressor, driven by the engine's two-stage turbine to generate a 23:1 pressure ratio turbocharger.

The engine's construction is just as impressive as its performance. The GE90 is built from a new ceramic matrix composite material that can withstand far higher operating temperatures (up to 2,400 degrees F) than other similarly sized engines, which saves as much as 10 percent more fuel per long-haul flight than even earlier GE90 models.



[GE Reports - Wikipedia - GE Aviation]

It's one of the busiest travel weeks of the year, so what better time to take a closer look how we get where we're going—and how we could be doing it better. Check out more of Gizmodo's Air Travel Week posts here.

This post originally ran on April 1, 2013