Ambitious plans to test world's most powerful jet engine in flight resume

Rolls-Royce has resumed ambitious plans to test its UltraFan engine, and will begin assembling a second version of the engine next year as it works to prove its suitability for single-aisle aircraft applications. Ground testing of aircraft engines Wide body It happened in 2023, during which the protester accumulated about 70 hours of work.

Rolls-Royce engineering director Simon Bore claims the UltraFan at least reached its maximum capacity of 85,000 lb (380 kN), but was taken “well above that” during testing.

Parts for the second version of the demonstrator have already been acquired, and the engine will be built next year, according to Borr. “The tests of the first UltraFan engine have been up to expectations and we want to put this engineering into practice.”And the Director of Engineering at Rolls-Royce ensures.

The company’s original goal was to build four engines and conduct flight tests, but plans were scaled back after the failed launch of Boeing’s new mid-sized jet and the subsequent Covid-19 pandemic. However, despite the setbacks, Rolls-Royce maintains its goal of getting the next version of the engine into the air and ensuring that the UltraFan reaches Technology Readiness Level 6 by the end of the decade.

No further information has been released about the test schedule or whether Airbus will participate with an A380 test aircraft. Airbus is working closely with engine manufacturers to explore and mature technology paths for the next generation of engines.“The company commented regarding this project.

Furthermore, Rolls-Royce intends to return to the single-aisle market – which it left in 2012 by selling its stake in International Aero Engines – and is already positioning itself as a potential engine supplier for a potential successor to Airbus’s A320neo family.

The British manufacturer has therefore focused its efforts on ensuring that the UltraFan architecture is adaptable to improve performance in single-aisle aircraft. The intention is to integrate the UltraFan transmission and fan system into a twin-shaft core, already used in the company’s jet engine line.