N915AK, one of Alaska's Boeing 737 MAX9s, sits at the gate at Concourse C awaiting its final loads. You can't tell from my photo, but this is the Seattle Kraken 737. It's immediately apparent from the front just how much bigger the LEAP 1B engine is on the MAX compared to the CFM56-7 used on the 737NGs. The LEAP 1B has 18 carbon-fiber reinforced polymer fan blades compared to the 36 titanium fan blades on the CFM56-7. Resin transfer moulding (RTM) was used to produce the LEAP 1B fan blades which is basically forming and curing the carbon fiber in a mould under moderate pressure with resin and other curing compounds "injected" into the mould. The 18 LEAP 1B blades weigh a total of 168 lbs where as the 36 titanium blades used on the CFM56-7 weigh a total of 330 lbs. As the LEAP 1B blades are lighter (but each blade is strong enough to support the weight of a 787 Dreamliner!), this means there is less kinetic energy to manage in a blade-out situation and as a result, the fan blade containment structure can be made lighter, further reducing the weight of the engine. The LEAP 1B's fan containment case is 30% lighter and is made of carbon fiber compared with the aluminum/carbon fiber containment case used on the CFM56. The complex 3-D shape of the LEAP 1B fan blades reduces the noise from the front of the engine caused by fan rotation. #avgeek #aviation #airlines #aircraft #planeporn #SEA #Seattle #SeaTac #Washington #airport #planespotting #instaplane #Boeing #737 #MAX9 #Alaska #AlaskaAirlines #N915AK #instagramaviation #splendid_transport #instaaviation #aviationlovers #aviationphotography #flight #AvGeeksAero #AvgeekSchoolofKnowledge #AvGeekNation (at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport) https://www.instagram.com/p/CeU6K25MhC9/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
