Rolls-Royce starts building the world’s largest engine

Rolls-Royce has officially started building the world’s largest engine, UltraFan, which it says will redefine sustainable travel for decades to come.

 

Rolls-Royce has officially started building the world’s largest engine, UltraFan.  Image:  Rolls-Royce

The engine is the basis for a potential new family of UltraFan engines able to power both narrowbody and widebody aircraft and deliver a 25 per cent fuel efficiency improvement compared with the first generation of Trent engine.

 

That performance improvement is crucial to aviation sustainability. Gas turbines will continue to be the bedrock of long-haul aviation, and UltraFan’s efficiency will help improve the economics of an industry transition to more sustainable fuels, which are likely to be more expensive in the short-term than traditional jet fuel. The first test run of the engine will be conducted on 100 per cent Sustainable Aviation Fuel.

 

Chris Cholerton, Rolls-Royce, President – Civil Aerospace, said: “This is an exciting moment for all of us at Rolls-Royce. Our first engine demonstrator, UF001, is now coming together and I’m really looking forward to seeing it built and ready for test. It is arriving at a time when the world is seeking ever more sustainable ways to travel in a post-COVID 19 world, and it makes me and everyone on our UltraFan team very proud to know we are part of the solution.”