@ Los Angeles, CA
January 2020
Since the beginning, Southwest Airlines has almost exclusively operated Boeing 737 aircraft. In this view, the flattened shape of the engine nacelles can be seen. In the early 1980s Boeing selected the CFM56-3 to exclusively power the latest Boeing 737 variant, the 737-300. The 737 wings were closer to the ground than previous applications for the CFM56, necessitating several modifications to the engine. The fan diameter was reduced, which reduced the bypass ratio (and thrust), and the engine accessory gearbox was moved from the bottom of the engine to the 9 o’clock position, giving the engine nacelle its distinctive flat-bottomed shape. With well over 700 of them in their fleet, Southwest is the world’s largest operator of the Boeing 737, and was the launch customer of the 737-300, 737-500, 737-700. Nikon D500 w/18-200mm.
