Work starts on building first UltraFan aero engine

Work is underway on the world’s largest aero-engine at the company’s DemoWorks facility in Derby and the demonstrator engine will be completed by the end of the year. The first test run of the engine will be conducted on 100 per cent Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

Interview: Alan Newby, director of aerospace technology and future programmes, Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce unveils world’s largest engine testbed

The engine is the basis for a potential new family of UltraFan engines for narrow and widebody aircraft and will deliver a 25 per cent fuel efficiency improvement compared with first-generation Trent engines. According to Rolls-Royce, gas turbines will continue to power long-haul aviation for many years and UltraFan is expected to help the transition to more sustainable fuels, which are likely to be more expensive in the short-term than traditional jet fuel.

Sources of funding for the UltraFan demonstrator and associated technologies include the Aerospace Technology Institute and Innovate UK, LuFo (Germany) and the EU’s Clean Sky Joint Undertaking.