The Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 TEN engine has taken to the skies from Tucson, Arizona, USA, for the first time, beginning a series of flight tests while installed on the Boeing 747 flying test bed.
The Trent 1000 TEN (Thrust, Efficiency and New Technology) will power all variants of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner family. The engine draws on technologies from the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engine and the Advance engine program, delivering thrust and efficiency improvements.
The engine was installed on the extensively modified Boeing 747-200 Spirit of Excellence, which has provided test bed support for new Rolls-Royce engine programs since 2007. Test engines are installed on the inboard pylon of the aircraft, which is equipped with extensive instrumentation to allow sophisticated measurements to be taken of engine performance in flight. Using a flying test bed ensures the engine design and technology is mature and ready for the intensive flight tests needed for new aircraft certification.
April 1, 2016
