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340-001-038-0 – CFM International Aircraft Gas Turbine Fan Blade (CFM56-7B)
Available now on the Airparts.aero Marketplace.
The CFM International 340-001-038-0 is a flight-critical, high-bypass ratio fan blade specifically engineered for the CFM56-7B turbofan engine. As the primary component of the low-pressure compressor (LPC) section, this blade is designed to accelerate massive volumes of bypass air—generating approximately 80% of the engine's total thrust while simultaneously providing the initial stage of compression for the core airflow. Each blade is a masterpiece of aerodynamic and metallurgical engineering, designed to maintain peak propulsive efficiency under the extreme centrifugal stresses and varying atmospheric conditions encountered throughout the flight envelope of the Boeing 737 Next Generation fleet.
Fabricated from a high-strength titanium alloy, the 340-001-038-0 features a wide-chord, snubberless design that optimizes airflow and reduces acoustic signatures. The blade’s structural integrity is paramount, as it must withstand high-cycle fatigue (HCF) and potential Foreign Object Debris (FOD) ingestion, such as bird strikes, without catastrophic failure. For operators, the management of these blades—including precise moment-weight balancing and leading-edge contour maintenance—is the single most significant factor in maintaining engine fuel burn performance and reducing secondary wear on the engine core.
Key Features
Wide-Chord Aerodynamic Profile: Designed to maximize air mass flow while minimizing shockwave-induced losses at transonic tip speeds.
Ti-6Al-4V Titanium Alloy Construction: Forged from premium α-β titanium to provide an exceptional strength-to-weight ratio and superior fracture toughness.
Dovetail Attachment Root: Precision-machined root geometry ensuring secure retention in the fan disk and optimized load distribution during high-RPM operations.
Leading-Edge Erosion Protection: Engineered with specific surface treatments or material reinforcements to mitigate the abrasive effects of ice, volcanic ash, and environmental particulates.
Moment-Weight Optimized: Each blade is manufactured to exacting weight tolerances to ensure the rotational balance of the fan module, reducing vibration and extending the life of the #1 bearing.
Technical Specifications
Part Number: 340-001-038-0
Component Type: High-Bypass Fan Blade
Manufacturer: CFM International (GE/Safran JV)
Engine Application: CFM56-7B Series
Material: Titanium Alloy (Ti-6Al-4V)
Coating: Anti-galling dry film lubricant on root surfaces
Design Type: Wide-chord, snubberless
Governing Specifications: EASA/FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet E37NE
Weight Class: Specific moment-weight coding required for installation sets
Aircraft Compatibility
Boeing 737 Next Generation (NG): 737-600, -700, -800, -900, and -900ER.
Boeing Business Jet (BBJ): BBJ1, BBJ2, and BBJ3 variants.
Boeing P-8 Poseidon: Military derivatives of the 737-800.
Note: The Engine Manual (EM) and Illustrated Parts Catalog (IPC) are the final authorities for verifying blade part number compatibility and interchangeability within specific engine serial number ranges.
Applications
The 340-001-038-0 is the primary element of the Stage 1 Fan Module. Its application is to convert rotational energy from the low-pressure turbine (LPT) into kinetic energy in the bypass air stream. It also provides the "Supercharge" effect for the core, increasing the pressure of the air entering the High-Pressure Compressor (HPC).
Why Choose 340-001-038-0?
Choosing genuine CFM International fan blades ensures that the engine maintains its certified "on-wing" life and fuel efficiency targets. The 340-001-038-0 is designed to fail predictably under extreme impact (containment), ensuring that the fan case can successfully restrain a released blade. Using non-certified or improperly matched blades can lead to severe harmonic vibrations, premature bearing failure, and decreased stall margins, posing a significant risk to flight safety and operational economy.
The 340-001-038-0 represents the pinnacle of transonic aeroelasticity management. Operating at tip speeds exceeding Mach 1.5, the blade must navigate complex shock-cell structures while maintaining structural stability. The Ti-6Al-4V alloy is selected for its anisotropic mechanical properties, which are meticulously managed during the forging process to align the grain flow with the primary stress vectors. This minimizes the risk of creep-rupture and enhances the blade's fatigue limit against the pulsating loads of inlet turbulence. Furthermore, the blade's "twist" is a result of complex computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling, ensuring a constant work coefficient from root to tip. The dovetail root utilizes a specialized anti-fretting coating to mitigate the stress concentration factors at the disk interface, preventing the initiation of micro-cracks that could lead to Uncontained Engine Failures (UEF).
Note: This is a flight-critical, life-limited component. Installation must be performed as part of a matched moment-weight set by a certified powerplant mechanic in an FAA-authorized Powerplant Repair Station. Blades must be inspected for "trailing edge" thinning and "leading edge" nicks according to the Engine Maintenance Manual (EMM) limits. Refer to Service Bulletins for mandatory ultrasonic or eddy current inspections of the blade roots.
