The CFM56-3 turbofan, the first advanced derivative of the CFM56 family, is perfectly tailored to meet the needs of second-generation, short- to medium-range Boeing 737-300/-400/-500 aircraft. Certified by the FAA and DGAC in January 1984—only 20 months after the CFM56-2 began revenue service—the CFM56-3 family covers a thrust range of 18,500 to 23,500 pounds, and offers a fuel burn efficiency improved by 20 percent compared to previous low-bypass engines. Quiet and clean by design, and retaining the CFM56-2 core and low-pressure turbine, the CFM56-3 offers 84 and 60 percent commonality in parts and tooling, respectively, with its predecessor. The final production CFM56-3 engine was shipped to Boeing for installation on the final Classic 737, a 737-400, in December 1999. In early 2001, a CFM56-3C engine in service with Malev set a new CFM56 time-on-wing record, logging more than 35,000 hours and 14,000 cycles without a single removal. When Boeing selected the fledgling engine company to provide the sole powerplant for its 737-300/-400/-500 series of aircraft in 1981, both companies optimistically predicted they would sell about 400 airplanes; 4,496 engines and 1,989 airplanes later, the CFM56-3-powered 737 is a story for the record books.
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Rollout of the Boeing 737-300. The CFM56-3 is the sole engine used on the Boeing 737-300/-400/-500 series.
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