Rolls-Royce technology powers Farnborough announcements

This week’s Farnborough International Airshow saw Rolls-Royce further enhance its broad portfolio of engines and its order book. The Group also announced significant milestones in the development of its aerospace propulsion technologies, while the show saw the debuts of the Airbus A350 XWB and the new ‘stretch’ Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

The selection of the new Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engine as the exclusive powerplant for Airbus’s A330neo aircraft preceded selection announcements by AirAsia X (50 aircraft), Transaero Airlines (12) and lessors Air Lease Corporation (25), CIT (15) and Avolon (15). The Trent 7000 builds on the market-leading Trent 700 to deliver significant performance benefits, improving specific fuel consumption by 10 per cent and halving perceived noise.

Elsewhere in the Civil market, Kuwait Airways selected the Trent 700 to power their fleet of five new A330 aircraft and Air Mauritius ordered six Airbus A350 XWB aircraft, powered by the Trent XWB. Away from the show, a higher thrust version of the Trent XWB, the world’s most efficient large civil aero engine, ran for the first time on the test bed.

Rolls-Royce also announced an $86m order from lessor MG Aviation for Trent 1000 engines to power two Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. United Airlines extended its TotalCare® agreement to support its fleet of RB211-535 engines powering the Boeing 757.

In Defence, the development of future combat engine technologies was underpinned by the signing of a new Programme Arrangement for the Anglo-French Future Combat Air System, on which Rolls-Royce and Snecma are working together. Rolls-Royce was also able to reveal more details of its embedded propulsion system that enhances the stealth capability of the UK’s Taranis Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle demonstrator.

Meanwhile, the United States Air Force approved the T56 3.5 engine enhancement package, which introduces fuel saving technology to the legacy C-130 transport fleet.