@easternwhisperliner: In 1987, McDonnell Douglas flew into the future with an experimental MD-81 (N980DC) powered by the revolutionary GE36 propfan engine — a hybrid between a jet and a turboprop, with two counter-rotating open rotors and up to 60% better fuel efficiency. Tested by GE, Snecma, NASA, and McDonnell Douglas (NASA also used a Boeing 727 testbed), it led to the futuristic MD-91X, 92X, and 94X projects. But as fuel prices dropped and noise issues rose, the program was canceled and abandoned by 1989. Today, the GE36 stands as a symbol of 1980s innovation — the bold open-fan idea reborn decades later in the CFM RISE program. #Plane #GE36 #McDonnelDouglas #Boeing #NASA

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Monday 10 November 2025 16:45:50 GMT