During the last quarter of the 20th century, Snecma would make good on the potential it showed in the early 1970s. The CFM56 engine family proved to be a worldwide success, the M53 and M88 have proven their mettle, and Ariane launchers earned clear leadership in the fiercely competitive commercial satellite launch market. Over these 25 years, the Snecma group also underwent profound changes, in particular the increasing weight of its equipment businesses, coupled with external growth and global presence.

CFM56, the world's best seller

Flight tests of the first CFM56 aero-engine started in 1977, and came off without a hitch. Tests on a Boeing 707 were performed as early as 1979. That same year, United Airlines decided to reengine 30 McDonnell Douglas DC-8s with the CFM56-2. Starting with this first contract, the CFM56 began to score more business wins. In 1980, it was chosen to reengine KC-135 and C135-R tankers for the American and French air forces. The following year, Boeing chose the CFM56-3 to power its planned 737-300 twinjets. The first CFM56-2 engines entered service on a Delta Airlines DC-8 on April 24, 1982.

Over the years, the CFM56 has built up an enviable reputation around the world - in fact, today, it is the world's best-selling aircraft engine. Back in 1989, only 880 had been produced. Ten years later, in June 1999, the 10,000th CFM56 was delivered, and these engines power more than half of all mainline jets (over 100 seats) produced by Airbus and Boeing.

The CFM56 is the exclusive powerplant for the entire Boeing 737 family, and powers all members of the Airbus A320 twinjet family, as well as the A340-200/300 four-engine long-haul jets. Today, the CFM56 powers over 5,000 airplanes deployed by 380 airlines around the world. At July 31, 2002, a total of 12,700 CFM56 engines were in service worldwide. In short, the CFM56 is the most striking commercial and technical success of the 20th century, and will continue to power planes well into the 21st!

Teaming up on large turbofans

Snecma's collaboration with General Electric doesn't stop with the CFM56, but is also going from strength to strength on high-thrust commercial turbofans. As early as 1969, Snecma began to lay the foundations of its contribution to the General Electric CF6, first on the CF6-50 then the CF6-80C, the most powerful commercial jet engine of its time. Designed for the Airbus A300, A310, Boeing 747 and 767, the CF6-80C started production in 1983.

The two cross-Atlantic partners would go even further with the GE90, the largest and most powerful commercial aircraft engine ever built. In January 1990, Snecma announced that it was taking a 25% stake in this program. The first test flight was in December 1993, after the GE90 had already set a new world thrust record in April, at 105,400 lb. It would set another record in 1994, at 110,300 lb, then enter service the following year on the Boeing 777. In 2001, the GE90-115 variant would set another absolute thrust record, developing over 120,000 lb in a ground test.

From Mirage to Rafale

The Mirage 2000 prototype took off for the first time in March 1978 at the Istres base in Provence, powered by a Snecma M53-2 engine - also making its first flight! But even then Snecma was looking ahead to the next generation, and in 1980 it launched a demonstration program for the M88 military jet engine. Likewise, as early as 1982, with the 1,000th Larzac 04C-6 being delivered, the partners in this program signed an agreement for production of a new version, the 04C-20. The M53 would also evolve, to the -5 then -P2 version, tested in flight for the first time in 1983. Meanwhile, the Atar was going steadily along, and in 1986 Snecma feted production of its 5,000th Atar engine.

In February 1990, the M88-2 made its first flight on the Rafale A demonstrator built by Dassault Aviation. It showed exemplary performance throughout its test flights. During the first flight, it hit Mach 2 and almost 15,000 meters (almost 50,000 feets), without using its afterburner. The engine offered startling takeoff acceleration, from idle to full throttle with reheat in less than 3 seconds. By November, the 12 preproduction M88-2 engines had already logged some 1,250 hours of operation.

The M53 powers all versions of the Mirage 2000 fighter, and has proven its performance and reliability in the field. During the Gulf War, back in January and February 1991, French Mirages logged 1,416 hours in the hour with no engine-caused groundings. In April of that year, the prototype of the new Mirage 2000-5 made its maiden flight, hitting Mach 1.5. A month later, the twin M88-2-powered Rafale C01 prototype hit "supercruise" (supersonic flight without afterburner) during its first flight. The naval version of the Rafale entered service in 2001 onboard the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier.