General Electric GEnx-2B on the Boeing 747-8
The General Electric GEnx-2B was Boeing’s sole engine choice on the 747-8, selected in 2006. Its composite fan and TAPS combustor cut fuel burn about 13 percent versus the 747-400’s CF6, and it powered Cargolux’s first 747-8F in October 2011.
The GEnx-2B is the only engine ever offered on the 747-8, selected by Boeing as the sole propulsion supplier in January 2006 — a reversal of the three-engine competition that decided classic 747 purchases.
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| Applications | Boeing 747-8F and 747-8 Intercontinental; later selected for the VC-25B |
| Thrust | 66,500 lbf (296 kN) takeoff rating — one rating for the 747-8 |
| Bypass / fan | 8.0:1 at takeoff (7.4:1 top of climb); 104.7 in fan — the largest fan on any 747 |
| Launch customers | Cargolux (747-8F, first revenue flight 12 October 2011); Lufthansa (747-8I, service 1 June 2012) |
The GEnx-2B first flew on the first 747-8F in February 2010 — the first GEnx variant to fly — and was FAA/EASA certified in August 2011. Cargolux launched the freighter on 12 October 2011 and Lufthansa launched the 747-8 Intercontinental on 1 June 2012.
Despite being the only choice, the engine offered a major step forward: composite fan blades and case, a TAPS (Twin Annular Premixing Swirler) combustor cutting NOx by roughly 60 percent versus the CF6, and about 13 percent better fuel burn than the CF6-80C2 on the 747-400.
GEnx-2B production continued to the very end of the 747 line: the last 747-8F, delivered to Atlas Air in January 2023, closed out 54 years of 747 manufacturing.
Sources
- GEnx engine family — GE Aerospace
- Boeing selects suppliers for 747-8 propulsion — Boeing
- Boeing delivers first 747-8 Freighter to Cargolux — Boeing
- First GEnx-powered 747-8 Intercontinental delivered — Aviation Pros
- Boeing 747-8 article — Wikipedia
Sources
Facts on this page are checked against the primary and institutional references below.
- GEnx engine family — GE Aerospace
- Boeing selects suppliers for 747-8 propulsion — Boeing
- Boeing delivers first 747-8 Freighter to Cargolux — Boeing
- First GEnx-powered 747-8 Intercontinental delivered — Aviation Pros
- Boeing 747-8 article — Wikipedia
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