Ambitious plans to test the world’s most powerful aircraft engine in flight resume
Rolls-Royce has resumed ambitious plans to flight test its UltraFan engine and will begin assembling a second version of the demonstrator next year, as it works to prove its suitability for single-aisle aircraft applications. Ground testing of the engine for widebody aircraft took place in 2023, during which the demonstrator accumulated around 70 hours of operation. Rolls-Royce engineering director Simon Burr claims the UltraFan reached at least its maximum capacity of 85,000 lb (380kN), but was taken “considerably 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 Burr. “The tests of the first UltraFan engine met expectations and we want to put this engineering to flight”, guarantees the director of engineering at Rolls-Royce. 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 midsize plane and the subsequent Covid-19 pandemic. – https://aeroin.net/retomados-os-planos-ambiciosos-de-testar-em-voo-o-motor-aeronautico-mais-potente-do-mundo/