Rolls-Roys 747

Rolls-Royce has completed the first flight test of aircraft featuring its composite carbon/titanium (CTi) fan blade with advance and ultrafan engine design.

The CTi fan blades were integrated into a Trent 1000 ‘donor’ engine of the Rolls-Royce 747, which recently completed its successful flying test at Tucson, Arizona, US.

Rolls-Royce executive vice-president (strategy and future programmes – civil large engines) Simon Carlisle said: "This first flight is another major milestone for our Advance and UltraFan engine designs.

"The CTi fan set will now undergo a range of flight tests."

The advance engine design provide a minimum 20% less fuel consumption and CO2 emissions compared to the Rolls-Royce Trent engine. Rolls-Royce is targeting to put Advance engine design into service from 2020 onwards.

UltraFan design equipped with pitch fan system gives 25% less fuel consumption and CO2 emissions and it would be in service from 2025.

The new technology, which comes with lighter fan blades and composite engine casing, is expected to reduce the system weight up to 1,500lb per aircraft.

In September, Rolls-Royce completed crosswind testing on this fan system at the company’s outdoor jet engine test facility at the John C Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, US.

The Stennis Space Center, established in 2007, is one of the three company testing sites worldwide and it conducts specialist development engine testing including noise, crosswind, thrust reverse, cyclic and endurance testing on all current Rolls-Royce large engine types.

Image: Rolls-Royce 747. Photo: courtesy of Rolls-Royce plc.

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