Always found this interesting, at Continental we used the same CF6-50 engine on our A300's and DC10-30's.
As the engines built up hours on the A300 after a while they would be swapped to the DC10's that weren't subject
to ETOPS rules and the nascent program we started on the Airbus to gain over water twin experience (a shut down
on the DC10 would not have counted against the program)


I know other airlines move engines around amongst widebody types, BA with its 767 / 747 fleet, Lufthansa used I
believe the same CF6-50 engine on their A300B4's, DC10-30's and B747'S, then with the CF6-80 they had a common
engine on their A300-600, MD11 and B747 fleets and I imagine they moved engines around types as needed.


I know there are plenty of other airlines that have done this and do so currently, curious to know other operators
that follow this practice and any stories / anecdotes.

Think QF had also done similar on the 744 and 767

QF's use of the RB-211 on the 747 and 767 fleets wasn't comprehensive or overly deliberate - the 747-438s carried RR engines but the 767-338ERs had CF-6s. Only the six 767-336ERs QF bought from BA had RR engines.

I remember when they were talking about the A3XX back in the late 90s (precursor to A380) they said it would use existing A330 engines. Obviously this didnt happen, but would be about the only way a large twin above 767 size could be used on a Quad.

Because of efficiencies demanded, and meeting other requirements the days of an engine serving on different planes seems to be over. While there never was (?) a generic engine, engines were at one time somewhat generic.

Air Canada has had both the CF6-80 and PW4000 on it's 767-300ERs

It ordered it's own with the PW4060 (commonality with the 767-200ER and 747-400)
Then got CP's fleet with CF6-80C2-B4/B6 (commonality with 747-400 and somewhat DC10), and acquired a few more leased ones after the merger.

It dumped the PW fleet to Rouge now and is sending some GE powered ones there now too.


they had the same issue on the 747-400s, but they were all disposed of of course...

United flew the PW4000 on both the B747-422 and B767-322, We did interchange engines. We did not interchange engines wih the B747-222 and the B767-222's they were both JT9D-7R4 But one was the 7R4D, and the other was the 7R4G. I guess the idea didn't occur while we had that series of Airplane/Engine combo.

XAM2175 wrote:

QF's use of the RB-211 on the 747 and 767 fleets wasn't comprehensive or overly deliberate - the 747-438s carried RR engines but the 767-338ERs had CF-6s. Only the six 767-336ERs QF bought from BA had RR engines.

They also had a CF6 powered 744s VH-OEB, the the 744ERs also CF6

Funny how there used to be three WB engines in a given decade that most of the frames used, and now we've got unique engines for each airframe and a 1:1 pairing of engines and airframes. I guess it's a consequence of a) planes in the past being designed around the most powerful engines around, and b) wanting to optimize every last percentage point.

IIRC ANZ did the same thing with their 767/747 fleets. Because the range of the 744 was so much better, they put the better ones on the 76, and as they got older, they went on the 74. Why they had a mixed RR/GE 744 fleet is a mystery to me though.

LH707330 wrote:

Funny how there used to be three WB engines in a given decade that most of the frames used, and now we've got unique engines for each airframe and a 1:1 pairing of engines and airframes. I guess it's a consequence of a) planes in the past being designed around the most powerful engines around, and b) wanting to optimize every last percentage point.

IIRC ANZ did the same thing with their 767/747 fleets. Because the range of the 744 was so much better, they put the better ones on the 76, and as they got older, they went on the 74. Why they had a mixed RR/GE 744 fleet is a mystery to me though.

The NZ -419 were RR, but they ended up with two ex Varig frames at some point, this may account for it.

A story I heard was that Northwest ordered their DC-10s with P&W engines in order to be complimentary with the 747 100/200s they had. Did Northwest swap out their engines on these birds back in the day?

strfyr51 wrote:

United flew the PW4000 on both the B747-422 and B767-322, We did interchange engines. We did not interchange engines wih the B747-222 and the B767-222's they were both JT9D-7R4 But one was the 7R4D, and the other was the 7R4G. I guess the idea didn't occur while we had that series of Airplane/Engine combo.

The 7R4 and 7R4G were two different beasts and not interchangeable.