World’s Largest Jet Engine

The first in a new line of gas turbine turbofan aircraft engines is due to be ready for testing by the end of the year. Known as UltraFan, the huge prop is more than 11 feet in diameter, making it the largest ever built. Although it runs on traditional jet fuel, the new engine is also being designed for sustainable fuels as the industry transitions to zero net greenhouse gasses over the next decade.

In spite of its size, UltraFan actually reduces overall weight of an aircraft by 1,500 pounds, owing to the fact that it is constructed of lighter but stronger materials like carbon titanium fan blades and advanced ceramic matrix composites. As a result, fuel efficiency is increased by 25 percent compared to conventional engines.

The engine is designed with an array of sensors that can record up to 10,000 parameters at a sample rate of 200,000 samples per second. Each fan also has a “digital twin” to store data that is predictive of in-use performance.