Engines
Rolls-Royce Lines Up Greener Future With UltraFan
Rolls-Royce is investing heavily in its UltraFan and the Advance technology program so it can be ready for airframers' next gen aircraft.
Testbed 80
Testbed 80

Rolls-Royce (Chalet 93) reports "great progress" with the UltraFan engine that it plans to run in a testbed in 2021. With lean-burn/low-emission combustion, an advanced core with ceramic-matrix composites and super nickel alloys, as well as a power gearbox (PGB) to reduce fan speed, program building blocks are falling into place, according to Rolls-Royce civil aerospace future programs chief engineer Phil Curnock.

Other characteristics include carbon/titanium (CTi) fan blades and composite engine casing to reduce weight. The manufacturer aims to complete design and analysis this year, ahead of manufacture and assembly in 2020.