The Foundation of CFM: General Electric Innovation

GE Aviation, a division of General Electric Company, is a world-leading producer of commercial and military jet engines and components as well as integrated digital, electric power, and mechanical systems for aircraft. The business employs more than 38,000 people in more than 50 locations worldwide.

Technological excellence, supported by continuing substantial investments in research and development, has been the foundation of GE Aviation's growth and helps to ensure quality products for customers.

Maker of the First U.S. Jet Engine

GE’s Aviation business has scored many firsts. Among them: America's first jet engine, the first turbojet engines to power flights at two and three times the speed of sound, and the world's first high-bypass turbofan engine to enter service.

The path to leadership for jet engines began for GE when the United States entered World War I in 1917. The U.S. government was searching for a company to develop the first airplane engine turbosupercharger for the fledgling U.S. aviation industry.

GE accepted the challenge first, but another team also requested the chance to develop the turbosupercharger. Then began the first military aircraft engine competition in the U.S. Under wartime secrecy, both companies tested and developed various designs until the Army called for a test demonstration.

In the bitter atmosphere of Pikes Peak, 14,000 feet above sea level, GE demonstrated a 350-horsepower, turbosupercharged Liberty aircraft engine and entered the business of making airplanes fly higher, faster, and with more efficiency than ever before. That mountaintop test of the first turbosupercharger landed GE's first aviation-related government contract and paved the way for GE to become a world leader in jet engines.