Mickey_D said:Yup, they're not turbofan design. They're a pure jet engine. They rely strictly on the thrust of the exhaust to propel the plane, not the turbofan like everything else you see flying passengers today.
Notice there's no large ring around the front part of the engine with spinning blades? Those blades are the turbofan. It works like an enclosed propellor.
You can read all about it here
Amazing the difference it makes. I lived a couple of miles from a major airport for nearly 20 years and I remember the house shaking every couple of minutes when I was younger. The only time that happened in recent years was when Concorde went up - the rest of the time now you mainly just hear the gentle purring of an RB211 going over.
Actually, Aer Lingus insisted on using the old 737's for ages - I remember up until fairly recently one would come screaming over with a very visible black smokey trail behind the engines, smelling up the place
Always made me smile...




