The world's largest aircraft engine, the GE90-115B found on all Boeing 777-300ERs and 200LRs

I have always loved the General Electric GE90-115B engines which exclusively power all Boeing 777-200LRs and 777-300ERs. The super large size and low throated moan when operating just tickles me.
GE90-115B fitted on Emirates Boeing 777-300ER A6-EBL
GE90-115B fitted on Emirates Boeing 777-300ER A6-EBL
The GE90 series are physically the largest engines in aviation today, the GE90-115B, has a fan diameter of 3.25 meter (10ft 8 in). The engine has a larger diameter than most smaller airliners such as the Bombardier CRJ family or the Embraer ERJ. In fact it is only slightly smaller than the 3.7 metre cabin width of the Boeing 737. The diameter of the engine allows it to spin at slower revolutions and makes for a more quieter engine.

It performance specifications are equally impressive.
  • Maximum Thrust: max at sea level: 115,300 lbf (512.9 kN) ; world record set at 127,900 lbf (568,9 kN) 827 feet above sea level
  • Overall pressure ratio: 42:1
  • Thrust-to-weight ratio: approx. 6.3:1
Some other notable facts
  • Approximative unit price is $24 million
  • A GE90-115B delivers twice power of a single engine on the Boeing 747 or the Titanic which is roughly equivalent to 111,526 HP. Compare this to the 100~150BHP produced by the average car.
  • At take off thrust, a GE90 engine ingests around two million cubic feet of air per minute.
However, all these performance does come at a price. GE90 engines can only be airfreighted in assembled form by outsize cargo aircraft such as the Antonov An-124 'Condor', presenting unique problems if a 777 was stranded in a place without the proper spare parts.

The GE90 is being used as the platform for development of new GEnx engine which will power the Boeing 787, 747-8. Across the Atlantic a separate GE90 derivative engine for the Airbus A380 called the GP7000 which is used by Emirates airline, is being developed by Engine Alliance, a cooperative venture between GE Aircraft Engines and Pratt & Whitney.
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Spotting images: Jetting in the rain--Emirates A330, Air India A319, Oman Air Boeing 737

A few days ago, while I was at the Bengaluru International Airport to receive Rotary International President Elect Ray Klinginsmith, I took these photos in the midst of a typical afternoon monsoon thunderstorm.

Oman Air 737-800 Boeing 737-8BK Bangalore Bengaluru Int'l Airport - VOBL A40-BA CN 29685
Air India Airbus A319-112 VT-SCN
Emirates Airline Airbus Airbis A330-243 A6-EAR
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Night spotting images: Air France Airbus A330 F-GZCD, Lufthansa Boeing 747-430 D-ABTL

I am travelling to Thailand and Malaysia this week. Some night time long exposure images for your enjoyment.

Last week we had Air France's Airbus A330-203 F-GZCM baking in the sun due to a flight delay , here we have it's sister F-GZCD getting ready to depart Bangalore for Paris Charles De Gaulle at it's regularly scheduled time around 01:30.

Air France Airbus A330-203 F-GZCD
Lufthansa's Boeing 747-400 being prepared for it's flight to Frankfurt.

Lufthansa Boeing 747-400 D-ABTL tail

The Bengaluru International Airport as an island of light in the midst of the dark night.

BIA_Terminal_ATC_Tower_Night
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Images: Smokin Touchdowns - Kingfisher A320s

This edition of Smokin Touchdowns is all about Kingfisher Airline's Airbus A320 fleet, featuring VT-KFC, VT-KFE, VT-KFX.

To see more Smokin Touchdowns, click here.

Kingfisher_Airbus_A320_VT-KFC
Kingfisher_Airbus_A320_VT-KFE
Kingfisher_Airbus_A320_VT-KFX

Today is Gandhi Jayanti, the birth anniversary of the father of India Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Across the nation it is a "dry day" i.e. all sales of alcoholic beverages is prohibited.

As usual comments, bouquets or brickbats, are always welcome.
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Air India staff pool money and pay for bereaved passenger's ticket

PTI reports that in a show of compassion, Air India staffers and officials at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport, pooled money to pay for the ticket of a bereaved passenger who had to rush to Chennai but was short of cash.

M Pandian had lost one of his dear ones in Chennai and reached IGI airport in the morning with a hope of getting a seat in one of the low-cost carriers.

"After reaching airport, Pandian was unable to get a low priced ticket" an airport official said.

With great hopes Pandian reached the Air India ticketing counter where he found the ticket price to be Rs 5,059.

Unfortunately, he had only Rs 4,200 in cash and had no ATM or credit card. Seeing his desperate plight, Air India officials present at the spot came to his rescue and pooled the deficit amount to pay for his ticket on flight IC-429.

Pandian profusely thanked them for their humanitarian gesture and took the flight.

Compare this humanitarian gesture of these junior staffers with the blackmail resorted to by the executive pilots who earn hundreds of thousands of rupees each month.

Bangalore Aviation salutes you.
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