...can we all agree that this can not bode well for the future of the CF6-50 as we know it?
--heracles
Don't forget that spare parts sales is a big chunk of an OEM's profit margin, and there's a reputation to withhold. GE is, I'm sure, motivated to produce a longterm fix for the CF6-50 - not just a beefier stg 3 LPT wheel, but for the HPT blade too. The -50 was the first engine to pass the 20K hr mark on wing, and we'll soon enough see how much of the problem is maintenance-induced.