Rolls Royce - The Magazine Issue 140

ISSUE 140 MARCH 2014

Expressive Powering FedEx Express

The Ceramicist A top scientist explains ceramic technology

Ferry fast MTU engines power 90 per cent of Norway’s coastal vessels

Fuelled up!

The MV-22 Osprey has a new role

Rolls-Royce is a global company providing integrated power solutions for customers in aerospace, marine, energy and power systems markets. We support our customers through a worldwide network of offices, manufacturing and service facilities.

Welcome to the March issue High-speed deliveries, top secret take-offs and game-changing ceramics. These, plus how Norway keeps its economy connected and how the Airbus A350 XWB stole the show in Singapore.

Our first issue of 2014 is power packed and variety stacked.

For over 30 years the magazine has been highlighting how Rolls-Royce works closely with customers all over the world.

Providing power systems for use on land, at sea and in the air.

Seeking to be ‘trusted to deliver excellence’ in all we do.

We hope you find this latest issue both informative and entertaining.

David Howie Editor

rolls-royce.com

CONTENTS

inside the magazine

Editorial Board Tom Bell, Ian Craighead, Simon Goodson, Lawrie Haynes, Andrew Heath, Peter Morgan, Mark Morris, John Paterson, Colin Smith, Tony Wood Editor: David Howie david.howie@rolls-royce.com Design & Production: Hubert Burda Media UK LP Print: Pureprint Group Printed in England ISSN 0142-9469 © Rolls-Royce plc 2014 the magazine March 2014 Rolls-Royce plc 65 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6AT England www.rolls-royce.com

2 Express way Ever wondered how your FedEx package gets to its destination so quickly? We show you how at the Memphis super hub. FedEx Express has a fleet of 72 Rolls-Royce powered Boeing 757s at the core of its air transport operations.

8 Tiltrotor tanker It’s already one of the most remarkable and versatile transport aircraft in the world but now the MV-22 tiltrotor Osprey could also have a role as a tanker after successful flight testing in the US.

13 Singapore star One of the biggest stars at this year’s Singapore Airshow was the Rolls-Royce powered Airbus A350 XWB. The new aircraft is conducting flight trials around the world and this was its first public flight display.

21 The ceramicist Ceramic matrix composites may well be a gamechanging technology in the future of gas turbines.

In this article, Jay Lane, a Rolls-Royce scientist explains just why these materials and their inherent qualities are so important.

24 700 club The Trent 700 engine on the Airbus A330 has been, and continues to be, an outstanding success story. Now with the ‘Regional’ version a new chapter begins.

28 Top secret Taranis Only now has information been released on the successful first flight last year of the UK’s advanced unmanned aerial vehicle, Taranis, powered by an Adour Mk951 engine.

30 100 years of building aero engines 16 Norwegian connection Ferries are an indispensable transport resource for Norway. Almost 90 per cent of the ferries in the country are driven by MTU engines, a brand that now sits under the Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG banner.

In 2014, Rolls-Royce celebrates 100 years of building aero engines. However, the first engine built by the company was not designed by Henry Royce. That was something he quickly resolved.

Front cover: The MV-22 Osprey is powered by two Rolls-Royce AE 1107C-Liberty turboshafts.

ISSUE140 1

Express way FedEx Corp. is based in Memphis, Tennessee, and it’s here that the main super hub of FedEx Express and its air operations are centred.

Cargo pallets are unloaded from a Rolls-Royce powered Boeing 757 at Memphis International Airport.

2 rolls-royce.com

AVIATION

ISSUE140 3

W

ith a fleet of over 640 aircraft and ten air express hubs, FedEx is the largest express transportation company in the world, carrying 3.9 million shipments

each business day, as it flies to 375 airports and serves over 220 countries and territories.

On average, 200 FedEx Express aircraft a day arrive at the Memphis International Airport, all laden with packages that need to be de-planed, sorted and then re-loaded for onward distribution. Night time tends to be the busiest at the super hub with around 1.2 million items being processed by about 7,000 team members.

Taking into account the daily volume of the other FedEx transportation operating companies, FedEx Ground and FedEx Freight, FedEx Corporation as a whole handles ten million shipments a day generating annual revenues of US$45 billion.

The FedEx Express aircraft fleet is both large and varied. The FedEx Express trunk fleet includes seven different aircraft types: Boeing 777s, 767s, 757s, Airbus A300s, A310s, MD11s and MD10s, and until recently, Boeing 727s. FedEx Express utilises fleet types depending on the specific routes, the different volumes on those routes and the range of distances flown. Until the last of its Boeing 727s were phased out of the operations last year, FedEx Express depended on the Boeing 727 as its narrow body workhorse – now though, it looks to the Boeing 757 to fill that niche.

The company has been, and is, busily acquiring and converting Boeing 757 passenger aircraft to meet the current and future demands of its narrow body express cargo operations. At the programme’s height, FedEx was converting a passenger Boeing 757 to a cargo-carrier every three weeks.

Above George Silverman, VP of Materiel for FedEx Express.

Left Justin Brownlee (left) MD Propulsion Maintenence for FedEx Express works closely with Rolls-Royce senior service representative Steve Shinfield.

Right The RB211-535 is the powerplant for the Boeing 757.

4 rolls-royce.com

and continually improve the engineering of these engines far into the future.

“Our two companies wanted a structure that would be appropriate for us in terms of cost and that would allow Rolls-Royce to commit to the engine – for both maintenance and continuous improvement engineering.”

Justin and his propulsion team take the lead role in evaluating and ensuring how to make the very best use of every engine. The 757 aircraft that FedEx acquires comes to them from numerous operators and are at different stages of their lifecycles. However, before delivery of any aircraft is completed, the propulsion team has a plan for managing the engines.

Some engines stay with the aircraft during the conversion from passenger aircraft to freighters, some are removed to use in other FedEx aircraft, and some

A Boeing 757 will typically carry around 40,000lbs of

engines can stay on the wing for about 10-12 years

undergo maintenance. Whatever their location, all

cargo; when they analysed their load factors and the

before planned removal!

engines need to be ready on time, because delays in

distances flown, according to FedEx Express the

FedEx Express intends to maximise fully the life of

Boeing 757’s capability was able to fit their

these engines. “We have signed a TotalCare contract

requirements ‘like a glove’.

with Rolls-Royce because we need a long-term

Currently, FedEx Express has 72 Boeing 757s powered by Rolls-Royce RB211-535

engine-readiness mean a delay of service-ready aircraft, and to FedEx, that is unacceptable.

“Our goal is to ensure that every aircraft comes out

commitment to the entire lifecycle of these engines,”

of conversion on time and that it is not delayed by lack

says Justin Brownlee, Managing Director Propulsion

of engines, or spares. We do that consistently as part of

engines. They began operating the aircraft/engine combination seven years ago and the number may grow as its Boeing 757 fleet increases in size. All of the engines

the programme. At the moment we

A typical Boeing 757 cargo load contains about 3,000-3,500 packages.

are covered by a TotalCare® service agreement with Rolls-Royce.

The FedEx Express experience with engine

are still in a big aircraft acquisition phase but once we get to a steadystate in fleet numbers then our role becomes more about ensuring smooth operations and planned

Maintenance for FedEx Express. “With meticulous planning and maintenance, RB211-535 engines can

maintenance,” says Justin.

When The Magazine visited FedEx in Memphis it

utilisation is different from other aircraft operators.

have an active lifespan of up to 50 years since initial

was in January during the prolonged severe winter

The daily hours of aircraft in service are comparatively

entry into service. One of our goals when Rolls-Royce

spell when nearly every state in the country was either

low, with most aircraft being flown only two or three

and FedEx Express began collaborating on a strategy

encased in snow or experiencing below freezing

times a day with flights averaging two-three hours in

for the care of these engines was to develop a plan that

temperatures – including Tennessee.

duration or less. These low utilisation rates mean that

is cost-effective and enables Rolls-Royce to maintain

Memphis, as well as being the super hub, is also

ISSUE140 5

The Boeing 757 is now the backbone of the FedEx Express narrowbody fleet.

There are 72 Rolls-Royce powered Boeing 757s currently in the fleet.

An RB211-535 in the FedEx Express engine maintenance shop at Memphis.

the location of the company’s Global Operations Control Centre. From here routes are coordinated and the company also has its own team of meteorologists to constantly track weather conditions throughout the world. That way, they can re-route flights to avoid weather delays or make other contingency plans.

“FedEx is all about service,” says George Silverman, Vice President of Materiel. “Everything we do has a contingency plan. We find any way we can to meet our delivery commitments, even in bad weather, as long as it is logistically possible and doesn’t jeopardise the safety of our employees.”

George has been with FedEx for 19 years, and has been in his current role for four years heading the Materiel group. It’s his job to ensure the aircraft maintenance team has all the parts, components, engines and supplies to maintain and repair the aircraft fleet effectively.

“A typical Boeing 757 cargo load contains about

6 rolls-royce.com

We have signed a TotalCare contract with Rolls-Royce because we need a long-term commitment to the entire lifecycle of these engines.

3,000-3,500 packages. Customers’ property is in our

come. We also believe that Rolls-Royce will continue to

hands and we either deliver a good experience or a bad

seek ways to advance that reliable performance even

experience for those 3,000+ people. Cancelling a flight

further and create new engine monitoring techniques

or being late impacts a far greater number of

to predictably manage engines. Continuous

customers for us than when a passenger airline

improvement is critical; we always strive to do better,”

cancels or delays a flight. So the on-time departure of

explains George.

every flight is important and we aim to get it right 100

The FedEx Express Technical Operations (TechOps)

per cent of the time. That’s how we fulfil what we call

team, headed by Sr. VP Greg Hall, embarked on its

our ‘Purple Promise’ commitment to our customers to

continuous improvement programme about seven

deliver an outstanding overall experience.”

years ago. The improved working processes that

Planning to be able to deliver on such a commitment is vital to the success of FedEx. An important part of being able to

resulted from those efforts enabled FedEx to reduce the amount of time that aircraft are out of service due to repairs or maintenance.

achieve that is being able to rely on the aircraft. “We want to assume the aircraft and

Accuracy This improved performance has spurred the team to

engine will always work as

seek additional improvement opportunities. Its latest

expected. If they don’t, it

mission involves embracing technology, including the

diverts us from delivering

use of iPad tablets, in its maintenance operations. The

the best possible experience

use of these tablets is enabling greater accuracy, speed

to our customers. With the

and effectiveness of information access and

TotalCare service

communications for maintenance technicians and

agreement, Rolls-Royce will

those who support them.

ensure that the engines work as promised for years to

A strong relationship with key suppliers is something to which FedEx is committed. The company has engaged with Rolls-Royce on its ‘voice of the customer’ campaign to help explain to Rolls-Royce employees just how important the work they do is to its aircraft reliability.

“I can’t overstate to Rolls-Royce employees how vital your work is to the service we provide our customers,” says George Silverman. “We want to work together to achieve the very best results because in the end, that’s what counts. We appeal to our suppliers to approach service for FedEx with the same enthusiastic vim and vigour that we do on behalf of our customers. I am confident that Rolls-Royce is up for this challenge.”

In other words, FedEx Express needs Rolls-Royce and the RB211-535 to help deliver the Purple Promise!

Author: David Howie is Director of Brand for Rolls-Royce. He joined the company from a marketing consultancy and prior to that was a press officer.

ISSUE140 7

MV-22 Tiltrotor tan 8 rolls-royce.com

DEFENCE

nker esigned as a joint-service multirole combat aircraft, but already emerging as the main transport aircraft for the US Marine Corps (USMC), where it is designated the MV-22, the tiltrotor is currently undergoing tests to prove its capability as an air-to-air refueller.

During the summer of 2013, an MV-22 conducted proximity tests with F/A-18s in the skies over Northern Texas. This demonstrated that the concept is feasible.

Bell Boeing, who developed the airframe, has already produced a roll-on, roll-off kit that allows crews to install fuel tanks into the Osprey’s cargo hold. The company had previously validated the ability to extend and retract the refuelling hose and drogue.

Concerns that the wake generated by the MV-22’s 36.1ft (11.6 metre) rotors powered by its two Rolls-Royce AE 1107C-Liberty engines would cause turbulence for the receiver aircraft, had prompted tests involving F-18 aircraft flying behind an MV-22.

The engines are housed in wing-tip rotating nacelles, which transform the aircraft from

D

It may not look much like an air-to-air refuelling tanker, but the MV-22 Osprey is well on the way to adding a valuable new role to its already extensive repertoire.

helicopter to turboprop aircraft configuration, as would be the operating mode during conventional refuelling. However, the F-18 pilots did not report any significant wake turbulence, thus validating earlier modelling and input from a Cessna aircraft trial to simulate the F-18.

Deployed During the recent proximity tests, the MV-22’s drogue chute was deployed and an F-18 Hornet flew to within 30ft. Both aircraft were flying at a speed of 210kts – the hose/drogue refuelling system is designed to be deployed at 185kts and function at up to 250kts, just 30kts below the Osprey’s maximum cruise speed.

It is hoped that following the next tests in which the hose will be extended and retracted during low-speed proximity tests, further tests will be able to demonstrate contact between the MV-22 refueller and receiver aircraft.

If the Osprey’s refuelling role is approved, supplementing the USMC’s current fleet of KC-130 and KC-130J refuellers, it could both enhance the range of the USMC’s combat

aircraft and also help the US military’s quick response force to react better to any worldwide catastrophe, be they humanitarian crises or attacks on US facilities.

The MV-22’s speed and range would also allow it to keep pace with future combat aircraft to enter USMC service, such as the F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, possibly extending its range from 450 to 600 miles.

Such is the versatility of the MV-22, it could also be used as a tanker for helicopters, although it would need a separate drogue used specifically for helicopters. The MV-22 would operate in helicopter mode with a partially converted nacelle. Both aircraft would fly at around 105kts.

This expanded capability of the MV-22 is one of the reasons the US Marine Corps is becoming such a fan of the aircraft, which is the corps’ priority aviation programme to replace its ageing CH-46 Sea Knight and CH-53 medium lift helicopters and is the cornerstone of its expeditionary manouevre warfare. Its other main roles are combat, combat support, search and rescue and fleet logistics.

ISSUE140 9

Ospreys in operation across ten Marine Corps and two Special Operations Command squadrons. The aircraft have achieved more than 200,000 flight hours, of which more than half have been logged in the past three years.

More than 10,000 hours have been achieved by MV-22s in Afghanistan, supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Indeed, it was Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 264 (VMM-264), then operating out of Camp Bastion in Helmand Province, that took the MV-22 over the 100,000-hour mark in 2011.

The MV-22 has been deployed continuously since 2007 for combat, special operations and humanitarian purposes.

The AE 1107C-Liberty engine.

Two squadrons a year are being transitioned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor squadrons, with both Marine and Air Force pilots and units undergoing conversion training at the Marine Medium Tiltrotor Training Squadron at MCAS New River, North Carolina.

The aircraft is designated CV-22 by the Air Force and SOCOM for Special Operations missions.

Tom Hartmann, Rolls-Royce Vice President, Customer Business, US Government, says: “The USMC is absolutely excited about the enhanced capability of this aircraft – they like the fact they can expand the capability through missions such as air-to-air refuelling.

“We’re excited, too, especially as from a cruise and altitude point of view, the refuelling mission is well within the capability of the AE 1107C-Liberty engines. The excellent controllability of the engines is, we think, one of the reasons the aircraft has been able to expand its mission capability.”

Indeed, a current programme of engine enhancements will increase the engine’s power by 17 per cent from its current 6,150 shaft horsepower (shp).

As Tom explains: “We are working on a road map that takes the engine up the growth curve, through a more efficient turbine and increased fuel flow through the fuel valve. For the turbine we have introduced enhanced materials and modified cooling, so that the engine’s higher temperature means the pilot will be able to push the throttle up. The USMC is very happy with that.

“As we repair engines in the field, we’ll overhaul them and put the newer features in.”

Testing of an increased power engine should be completed during the autumn and follows improvements from the Rolls-Royce AE 3007 engine programme which, with the AE 2100, the AE 1107C-Liberty shares a common core architecture, enabling improvements to be introduced across the family fleet. The fleet has accumulated more than 14 million hours of operation.

Support More recently, at least eight MV-22s were deployed to the Philippines to support Operation Damayan, the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operation following Typhoon Haiyan. Lt Col. Joseph Lee, executive officer of VMM 652 says: “The MV-22 Opsrey is the ideal situation for this situation.

Its medium-lift capacity and ability to fly great distances are essential to support relief efforts of such a large-scale area.”

In mid-2013, the US Naval Air Systems Command (Navair) awarded the Bell Boeing team a five-year contract to supply a further 99 MV-22 Osprey, specifying 92 MV-22s for the USMC and seven CV-22s for the US Air Force for delivery

by September 2019. The contract included an option for up to 23 additional aircraft.

The USMC’s appreciation of the MV-22’s capabilities was given in early 2012 by General James F Amos, Commandant of the Marine Corps, who says: “The MV-22 has a proven record of performance and safety and brings a force multiplier to today’s battlefields in support of Marines and the Joint Force.”

An indication of the importance of the MV-22 to the USMC is also given by Tom, who says they are moving more people and cargo around in theatre than they ever thought possible.

“The payload is better and they are surprised how quickly the aircraft can move stuff around,” says Tom. The Osprey can carry 24 combat troops, or up to 20,000lbs of internal cargo, or 15,000lbs of external cargo, at twice the speed of a helicopter.

From a cruise and altitude point of view, the refuelling mission is well within the capability of the AE 1107C-Liberty engines.

10 rolls-royce.com

“In the longer term, we hope to be able to increase the power by 30 per cent within the next few years, through further improvements in the engine’s hot section,” says Tom. The AE 1107C-Liberty, is a new-generation 6,000shp class turboshaft developed as the T406 for the MV-22 tiltrotor transport. The engines are provided to the US Military under a commercial procurement agreement and are supported under a commercial Power by the Hour™ agreement.

The USMC has a current requirement for 360 MV-22s and the US Air Force Special Operations Command has a requirement for 50 CV-22s, configured for terrain-following, low-level, high speed flight for long-range special operations. The US Navy has a requirement for 48 aircraft.

There are currently more than 200 MV-22

The AE 1107C-Liberty is a new generation 6,000shp class turboshaft engine.

ISSUE140 11

The excellent controllability of the engines is, we think, one of the reasons the aircraft has been able to expand its mission capability.

“The MV-22 is also proving to be a very effective combat aircraft. The troops like it because of the speed with which they can get in and get out of theatre. The USMC is absolutely excited about its capability and they like the fact they can expand the capability of the aircraft.”

An example of the aircraft’s ability to make a significant contribution to humanitarian relief came in the Haiti earthquake in January 2010, when squadron VMM-162’s MV-22s, which were operating from the USS Nassau as the aviation combat element of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, were diverted from their scheduled Middle East deployment to provide the aircraft’s first humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mission.

A more unexpected role for the MV-22 is as part of Marine Helicopter Squadron One, the US Marine aviation squadron charged with shuttling the President, administration officials and their equipment/supplies and other utility tasks. However, under current plans, the MV-22 will not be replacing the VH-3 Sea Kings and VH-60 Blackhawks ‘white tops’ normally used to carry the president; up to 14 aircraft will be assigned to VIP support duties in the place of the squadron’s Sea Stallion heavy-lift helicopters.

In the six years since the MV-22 tiltrotor entered service it has not only proved to be the

12 rolls-royce.com

multi-role combat aircraft that its designers and military customers hoped it would be, but it has also proven its capability to expand its roles. Being an air-to-air refueller for the USMC is just one of these new roles.

Author: Martin Brodie is a freelance writer/media relations consultant following a career as a journalist and as a member of the Rolls-Royce Corporate Communications department, holding senior roles in defence, civil aerospace and corporate headquarters.

Below The MV-22 was recently deployed to the Philippines to assist in the disaster relief operation.

AVIATION

Singapore

STAR

Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines have powered an Airbus A350 XWB on a visit to the Singapore Airshow, marking the aircraft’s debut public appearance in Asia.

ISSUE140 13

Rolls-Royce has started final assembly of the first production Trent XWB, the world’s most efficient aero engine, that will power the first Airbus A350 XWB into commercial service.

TRENT XWB

WORLD’S MOST EFFICIENT ENGINE: one engine for widebody market.

• Number lightweight three-shaft design.

• Unique member of successful Trent family.

• Newest • 1,600 sold, enters service later this year.

14 rolls-royce.com

A350 XWB arrives in Singapore for public debut The engine powered the A350 XWB’s first test flight in June 2013 and is now powering a variety of flight tests around the world that have recently included high altitude testing in Bolivia and cold weather testing in Iqaluit, Canada.

Earlier this year the A350 XWB made a visit to the Singapore Airshow, marking the aircraft's debut public appearance in Asia. The A350 XWB is scheduled to enter service with Qatar Airways as launch customer this year. Qatar Airways has ordered 80 of the aircraft (43 A350-900s and 37 A350-1000s).

Phil Harris, Rolls-Royce Senior Vice President –

Customers, says: “This visit to the Singapore Airshow will be just the first of many exciting moments in the life of the A350 XWB and Trent XWB in 2014. We look forward to powering the A350 XWB into service with Qatar Airways and then supporting another 40 customers, including Singapore Airlines, around the world to a smooth entry into service.”

Chris Young, Rolls-Royce Trent XWB Programme Director, says: “Starting final assembly of the first Trent XWB to go into service with Qatar Airways is an important milestone and the beginning of an exciting journey for the engine this year. The development programme has been very robust and on schedule all the way.”

This visit to the Singapore Airshow will be just the first of many exciting moments in the life of the A350 XWB and Trent XWB in 2014.

ISSUE140 15

Fast ferries are indispensable in Norway. They connect towns and villages along the country’s 21,437 kilometres of deeply indented coastline. Almost 90 per cent of those ferries are powered by MTU engines.

NORWEGIAN CONNECTION 16 rolls-royce.com

MARINE

ISSUE140 17

Kore Morstøm is the captain of the catamaran MS Vingtor.

ithout sea transport the country is truly inaccessible.

So motor ferries have provided the solution for over 100 years. They travel along the coast, taking only minutes to connect small communities that are half a day apart by car. Craggy cliffs that drop steeply to the sea, bare mountainsides and deep, dark water – Norway’s coastline is nothing if not spectacular. Picture-book wooden houses and trees reflected in the water by the sunlight also make it a perfectly picturesque landscape containing a world of contrasts as the innumerable fjords frequently twist and turn deep into the coastline.

The ferries nowadays are catamarans, whose light weight make them particularly fast. With a top speed of 35 knots, the catamarans are like the express trains of the Norwegian fjords.

“The catamarans bring us closer together,” explains Liv Gravdal.

From her seat on the catamaran MS Teisten, she gazes out of the window, holding her handbag firmly in her lap as she would a child. But Liv Gravdal is 87 years old. Her home is south of Bergen in the small town of Rubbestadneset. Every couple of weeks she has to visit the doctor in Bergen. In a straight line, Bergen is actually only 70km away from her home, but the village is on a little island south of the city. By car she would have to take a circuitous route across a series of other islands to reach the mainland. The ferry is not only

W

Passengers are welcomed onboard the ferry.

18 rolls-royce.com

faster, it is also much more comfortable. Just one example of why the ferries are an essential lifeline to the dispersed communities of the Norwegian coastline.

The quiet hum of the MTU engines on the MS Teisten is almost inaudible. In Norway, MTU engines are sold, serviced and repaired by the staff of Norwegian distributor, Bertel O. Steen Teknikk. It is a partnership that benefits all sides: MTU, the distributor, the ferry operators in Norway and the passengers.

Awesome The MS Teisten is powered by four 10-cylinder MTU Series 2000 engines that develop 900kW each. They are harnessed together by a CODAD propulsion system (two pairs of diesel engines are each connected to a multi-engine gearbox). If the MS Teisten requires less power, the captain shuts down one engine in each pair. “These engines are awesome; I trust them absolutely,” says Jan Marcussen, the ferry’s technical officer. It’s his job to make sure the engines run smoothly.

The servicing is done by Bertel O. Steen Teknikk. The company has its service workshop close to the port of Bergen. The 25 service technicians and sales staff based there make sure that the MTU engines are properly looked after.

One of the technicians is John Asle Marhaug. He greets Marcussen with a friendly handshake. The two know each other well. They speak regularly on the phone when John Asle Marhaug calls to ask about the engines.

“The people at Bertel O. Steen Teknikk really are always there when we need them,” said Marcussen. He was given proof of that most recently this morning. One of the four engines should have been serviced 1,000 hours ago. “In the high season we couldn’t do without the MS Teisten for even a single day, so we couldn’t afford to take the engine out,” Marcussen explained. This morning he decided that he could not wait any longer to have the engine serviced. So he called Bertel O. Steen Teknikk to book a service appointment for the next day. They had a replacement engine ready and waiting. If necessary they can remove an MTU engine and install the replacement in the space of just eight hours.

Around the Lofoten Islands

Norway’s coast is deeply indented. Roughly 50 ferries driven by MTU engines connect remote communities and coastal towns with one another.

The area around the Lofoten Islands is very popular with tourists. Eleven fast ferries run by Torghatten serve even the smallest communities in the region.

In the far north Nine MTU-engined ferries operated by Boreal serve the area around the city of Hammerfest in the north of Norway.

Between Trondheim and Namsos

In the region between Stavanger and Bergen there are 22 ferries with MTU engines working for the ferry companies Norled AS and Rødne Fjord-cruise.

Six ferries operated by Forsen Namsos Sjø ply between Trondheim and Namsos to the north.

Fjords around Oslo Two Norled AS ferries powered by MTU Series 2000 engines operate in the region around Oslo.

ISSUE140 19

Captain Anders Pedersen is in charge of the MS Teisten. He sits proudly up on the bridge with his chief officer next to him as they head south. His mind is always on the conditions he may face in Norwegian waters. “Every day is a challenge. Above all, it is the weather that is unpredictable,” he says.

At the same time, Captain Kore Mostrøm is heading northwards in his catamaran, the MS Vingtor. His journey passes spectacular coastal scenery before entering the Sognefjord after two hours of sailing. At 200 kilometres end to end, this is Norway’s longest fjord, and with a depth of 1,304 metres, also one of its deepest. It’s information he tells his passengers over the public address system while steering the MS Vingtor along the fjord towards Flåm

BERGEN AND MTU – A POWERFUL NEW FORCE Bergen is the home town of Bergen •Engines AS, part of Rolls-Royce Power

Systems AG. The Bergen range of mediumspeed diesel engines has power outputs ranging from 1,800 to 8,000kW and gas engines spanning power ratings from 1,400 to 9,700kW. Although Bergen series engines are •manufactured in the town of the same name in Norway, Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG is based in Friedrichshafen in southern Germany. From here it produces the famous MTU engine product range alongside its MTU Onsite Energy brand and L’Orange fuel injection systems. Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG therefore encompasses a strong porfolio of medium-speed reciprocating engines for marine and land power applications and high-speed reciprocating engines for marine, land, oil and gas, rail and defence applications. for the town of Bergen itself, it is not •onlyAs the European city with the most rainfall – 248 days a year. It is also Norway’s second biggest after Oslo with a population of nearly 270,000. It is often called the gateway to the fjords. In fact Bergen has one of the busiest seaports in Europe as well as being the starting point for the Norwegian Coastal Express route.

20 rolls-royce.com

at the far end of the inlet.

The MS Vingtor is another of the ferries powered by MTU engines – and again, it benefits from four Series 2000 10-cylinder units.

Captain Mostrøm‘s employer, Norled, is contracted by the Norwegian government to run the ferry routes. Every five to ten years, the franchises are renewed. Any operator that has not been reliable loses his contract. “So we can’t afford for our engines to break down,” says Captain Mostrøm.

He and his family live on a small island near Bergen. In the past there was no bridge connecting the island to the mainland so he had to travel by ferry every day and as a result he dreamt of becoming a captain when he was a child.

His grandfather was a captain and his father too – so how could he have been anything else? A seafaring pedigree as reliable as the MTU engines and the vessel he now commands.

Author: Lucie Maluck

The people at Bertel O. Steen Teknikk really are always there when we need them.

Jan Marcussen (right) is technical officer of the MS Teisten.

Engineers at MTU distributors Bertel O. Steen Teknikk offer him advice and assistance with engine servicing.

TECHNOLOGY

The

ceramicist

This man has access to some of the most closely guarded secrets in the aerospace industry…

is name is Jay Lane and he is a Rolls-Royce material scientist and Engineering Fellow in ceramics and composite materials. His particular area of interest is Ceramic Matrix Composites or CMCs, the development of which he leads for Rolls-Royce.

Ceramic Matrix Composites are a “game-changing technology for turbine engines and a step change for the industry which will bring real benefits for the customer. As such it is extremely competitive and we’re very careful that none of our trade secrets leak out to our competition.”

All the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) say very little about their capabilities. Indeed the technology is so important that each aero engine OEM – GE, Rolls-Royce, Snecma, Pratt & Whitney – has felt they need to own or develop their own capability.

Rolls-Royce has been doing so for many years and in 2013 also purchased California based Hyper-Therm High Temperature Composites, renaming them Rolls-Royce High Temperature Composites Inc. The company is also increasing its investment in CMC research and looking to recruit more specialists. The acquisition will boost Rolls-Royce capability in the area.

“CMCs are a high temperature lightweight material able to operate at higher temperature than nickel-based superalloys.

They have the potential to replace combustor components and turbine seal segments, blades and vanes used in the hotter sections of a gas turbine engine where temperatures can exceed the melting point of nickel-based alloys,” says Lane.

H

ISSUE140 21

DR JAY LANE Replacing – nickel based superalloys will make the engine lighter and able to run hotter. This gives a consequent reduction in specific fuel consumption and emissions, mostly of CO but also potentially NOx. CMC parts may also be more durable which could cut maintenance costs. Their application to exhaust components could improve engine performance and reduce weight.

“There are no commercial engines flying yet with CMC parts so we are breaking new ground, building our understanding of the capabilities of the technology using ground based demonstrators. The plan is to have engines containing CMC materials flying by the end of the decade,” he adds.

Dr Lane has been working in CMC technology for about 20 years and has “grown up with the industry.”

His PhD was in Material Science and Engineering and the subject of his thesis was high temperature silicon carbide. His first job was doing research in the development of high temperature structural ceramic materials from where it was a natural progression from looking at high temperature monolithic materials to looking at CMCs; the next generation of high temperature structural materials.

In 2008 he joined Rolls-Royce from Siemens Power Generation, where he was working on the use of CMCs in utility sized turbines. He leads the development of CMCs for Rolls-Royce.

Properties Other forms of composites – polymer matrix composites – are also being developed by Rolls-Royce to reduce weight. These take the form of composite fan blades and cases. See Rolls-Royce Magazine 133.

A composite material is a combination of two, or more, different materials to form a third different material with superior properties.

“In this case, we use coated silicon carbide fibres surrounded by a silicon carbide ceramic matrix – the matrix is basically a ceramic material brittle in nature similar to your coffee cup – but reinforced with silicon carbide fibres. The fibres add toughness and ductility to the material.

“If you compare the stress/strain behaviour of a metal and a ceramic the latter fails much more dramatically –a coffee cup shatters if you drop it on a hard tile floor, a car door dents if you hit it against a lamppost. By adding the fibres to the ceramic matrix material you start

22 rolls-royce.com

to combine some of the advantages of both materials. CMCs have the toughness of a metal (behave like a metallic material under load) but with the lightness and higher temperature capability of a ceramic. The best of both worlds.

Solution

CMCs have a variety of material and manufacturing options which can be tailored to meet components requirements. The overall manufacturing process for CMCs is unlike anything else Rolls-Royce does right now.

“The starting point is a twenty first century version of two much older technologies – spinning and weaving. Silicon carbide fibres are drawn from a polymeric solution using a spinneret with, for example, up to 500 holes creating 500 individual fibres at any one time. The fibres are sent by Rolls-Royce to be woven into a cloth – like the cotton in your shirt. That fabric is cut into different sizes and shapes and laid into a graphite mould (or ‘tool’) in the shape of the part required.

“The shape goes into a chemical vapour infiltration reactor to put an interphase coating on the fibre which, in conjunction with the fibre, enables the composite’s tough behaviour. A second coating is applied on top of the fibre interphase coating. At this point the structure is being held together by the material deposited via chemical vapour infiltration process.

“The part is then taken out of the mould and put through a slurry infiltration process. This fills any remaining empty spaces in the part with tiny ceramic particles. It also creates the right type of pore network for the

final process known as ‘melt infiltration.’ Molten silicon, at a temperature of over 1,400˚C, is drawn into the CMC using capillary forces, similar to a paper kitchen towel soaking up spilled coffee, to fill in the remaining gaps and bond everything together.”

According to Lane, the “clever bit is what you do after you have the fibre in the mould. Our competition use the same fibres as we do, they put coatings on the fibres like we do but we have a different, efficient approach to matrix processing that results in the right material behaviour at an affordable cost.”

Getting the right behaviour is where the designers and stress analysts come into the picture. “It’s an iterative process,” according to Lane, “designers and stress analysts talk to our in-house CMC technology company about the kinds of capabilities and requirements that we need; for example thermal and pressure loads, service life requirements, temperature ranges, component shape and features and so on. Then the team determines what if any activity is necessary to develop a material or process to meet these requirements.”

“We can’t necessarily give them everything they want, so we work with them telling them what we can and can’t do – the sorts of shapes and forms we can put the fibres into in order to get the types of behaviour characteristics we want. Because you’re working with fibres there may be some limitations in terms of the shapes you can form with them whilst having them orientated in the right directions to be as strong as possible. This is a different approach to that used in more mature metal industries.”

CMCs are not a new technology. In the 1970s a number of companies were looking at the development of ‘monolithic’ ceramic materials

for use in turbine engines. Without fibres these were very brittle and subject to catastrophic failure. This made them unacceptably risky for use in aero-engine technology.

The oil shock of the early 1990s brought considerable investment in fundamental research into CMCs by the US Government in pursuit of more fuel efficient utility power generation. However, by the early 2000s there was a growing recognition that power generation would not provide the levels of demand for parts which would bring the costs of the technology down to a more economic level. The potential size of the civil aerospace gas turbine market and the advantages that CMCs would bring to the customer was much more attractive.

According to Lane, “working on cutting edge next generation technologies, trying to do something that hasn’t been done before, is a constant learning process. Fortunately we have a great team of people working on CMCs. Everybody understands the benefits of the technology to the customer and our company so they’re very excited about the potential to give the customer a more efficient and effective product.

Once we’re comfortable with the properties and behaviours of the current generation of CMCs and they start to enter service the next step will be to push the temperature capability of CMCs still higher.”

The search is on for higher temperature fibres.

The plan is to have engines containing CMC materials flying by the end of the decade.

Author: Simon Kirby consults and lectures in marketing communications with a particular interest in technology. He has worked in communications roles extensively in both the public and private sector.

ISSUE140 23

When two Trent 700s powered the first Airbus A330 airliner into the skies on its debut revenue-earning flight in 1995, little did anyone – even those most closely associated with the engine project – realise just what a legend had been born.

club rent 700, the Rolls-Royce power behind the Airbus A330 widebody airliner, has proved a huge success for the company – both in its own right and as progenitor of a six-strong engine family that has carved an enviable reputation for efficient and dependable power among the world’s leading airlines.

The Trent programme, as well as being the

T

rolls-royce.com

biggest ever Rolls-Royce engine programme, represents one of british engineering’s most notable export success stories of recent times.

In the 20 years since that day in Hong Kong, nearly 1,400 Trent 700 engines have been built, accumulating 26 million flying hours with 63 operators, including most of the world’s top 50 flag carriers. It is now the engine of choice on the A330, with 58 per cent of the market for

this popular twinjet, a share expected to soar to 73 per cent within 20 years at the current rate of aircraft sales and retirements.

And yet, even after almost two decades in service, the Trent 700 is young in aviation terms: it is barely 20 per cent into its anticipated service life, with many developments and milestones still to come. It is only just reaching peak production, is still

the magazine AVIATION

successfully seeking out new customers, and technical programmes are being executed to hone a sharper performance edge, with newgeneration versions of the engine being introduced into service.

Furthermore, the engine was the touchstone for a whole family of Trent engines, each building on the strong technology foundation of its predecessors. The older engines then

incorporate, at the appropriate time, any new technologies emerging with new engine developments, thereby ensuring continuous improvement of every marque.

More than 2,500 Trent engines have so far been built – a total that is set to more than double in the coming years, based on current firm orders for Trent-powered airliners.

Tom Palmer, Trent 700 Project Director,

explains the important role the 700 plays as the first and most experienced Trent: “Not only is it an excellent generator of revenue for the company, but it effectively promotes the whole Trent family to the marketplace. customers who have enjoyed a great experience operating the Trent 700 will look at Rolls-Royce engine options when looking to renew their fleet.” but Tom is also quick to stress that his issue140

project team is certainly not resting on its laurels. “We are pursuing a product strategy that will result in a lot of improvements over the coming years to ensure the engine’s competitiveness and we’ve also just launched a further version to power the latest aircraft variant, the Airbus A330 Regional, which is targeting the growth in short-haul, regional flights in places like Asia, most particularly china. We are calling this engine the Trent 700 Regional.”

This, he says, underpins the company’s policy

“continuous improvement is a way of life for Rolls-Royce engineering,” underlines Ash Owen, Trent 700 chief Engineer, “and the Trent 700 fully reflects this philosophy. In almost 20 years in service, the Trent 700 has had three major upgrades. In 1999, Trent 800 mods provided extra thrust and in 2009 we delivered a 1.3 per cent improvement in fuel burn through our ‘EP’ (Enhanced Performance) package embodying 3D aerodynamic compressor rotors, improved turbine case cooling and optimised fan, compressor and turbine tip clearances.

burn by a further one per cent.”

The Regional engine, meanwhile, will be optimised for shorter flights as the lowerweight aircraft allows the engine to operate at lower thrust and, so, lower cost, but the whole package is upgradable.

“Regional and EP2 are just two planks of our current product strategy,” adds Ash. “by the end of 2015 we will have delivered a new fan blade and refreshed our electronic engine control (EEc), which recognises the step change in electronics over the past two decades and aims

The Trent 700 is the engine of choice on the A330.

of a strong product focus.

“Since organising more closely around the product, we’ve seen gains in all key metrics vital to the customer. Our supply chain performance has improved enormously, boosting on-time deliveries, quality and reliability.”

The Trent 700 product strategy being executed will, by 2015, have delivered several key goals – including a further decrease in fuel consumption – by incorporating technologies developed on other Trent programmes.

to take advantage of nextgeneration software platforms.

“We’re developing a new step-aside gearbox, and already have virtually every tick in the box for compliance against 2016 regulatory limits on both noise and emissions, which firmly maintains our reputation as cleanest engine on the A330.

We’ve also launched, in the engine build area, a design team to work with the fitters to improve the production process.”

“This,” adds Tom, “has dramatically reduced

Trent 700s will still be flying 30 years from now and, realistically, we’re only 15-20 per cent into its total service life.

rolls-royce.com

“Our EP2 programme is also under way, which includes Trent 1000 and Trent XWb technologies such as further aerodynamic improvements in the intermediate (IP) and lowpressure (lP) turbine and 3D stator vanes through the IP and high-pressure compressors.

These enhancements will cut Trent 700 fuel

the turnround time of small product modifications and, importantly, has engaged our team on quality... We’ve seen the start of a real cultural change.”

The project works ever more closely with customers to resolve emerging issues. “More than 90 per cent of Trent 700 operators are on long-term Totalcare® service agreements, which really do work because they align the customer’s interests with ours, and result in the steady reliability improvements we’ve been witnessing,” says Tom. Ash values the interface with customers on resolving technical issues: “cathay Pacific, for example, has an excellent powerplant team.

They’re tough, yes, but also very helpful in providing information or practical support, and are happy to give us a clear picture of what’s happening day-to-day in their fleet. This all helps us to help them.

LiFeTiMe TOTALCARe DeAL

exceeded “We even collaborated recently on the project to address smaller technical ‘niggles’ and the project exceeded our success target. We now plan to stage similar exercises with other customers in an effort to reduce those ‘amber’ issues and raise customer satisfaction further still.”

Tom believes the Trent 700 has a very bright future indeed, not just through new versions, technology improvements and new markets opening up, but also new ways of doing business and getting ever closer to the customer in business terms.

“We expect to see production levels still healthy as we enter the 2020s. There are 560 Trent-powered A330s flying today; we see that peaking at over 1,000 – including Regional – by the early 2020s.

“In fact, Trent 700s will still be flying 30 years from now and, realistically, we’re only 15-20 per cent into its total service life. beyond upgrades and the introduction of the A330 Regional, Airbus sees growth in A330s used as freighters and military transport/air-to-air refuelling aircraft – with the convertible aircraft now in service with the Royal Air Force and on order for the uAE.” Although a founding member of the Trent family, the Trent 700 has a big future and is destined to grace the skies for a long time to come.

Rolls-Royce and Cathay Pacific have agreed a TotalCare support contract for Trent 700 engines that power Cathay Pacific group’s 0 Airbus A330 aircraft in-service and on-order. The contract will run for as long as Cathay Pacific and its sister company Dragonair operate the Trent-powered A330s.

Cathay Pacific became the first airline to operate any Trent engine when its Airbus A330s entered service in 199 and today it is the largest Rolls-Royce Trent 700 customer.

Phil Harris, Rolls-Royce senior Vice President – Customers, says: “We are delighted that Cathay Pacific has extended its TotalCare requirements for

its entire A330 fleet, continuing a relationship that is part of the fabric of the Trent engine story.”

Christopher Gibbs, Cathay Pacific’s engineering Director, says: “This contract will enable Cathay Pacific to realise the benefits of TotalCare on the Trent 700 as part of our continued drive to maximise aircraft availability and efficiency.”

The Trent 700 is the only engine specifically designed for the Airbus A330 and over 1, 00 are now in service or on firm order. The engine is the market leader on the Airbus A330 and has won 70 per cent of new orders over the last four years.

Above Cathay Pacific was the first A330/Trent 700 customer and more recently they received the 1,000th A330 (below) from Airbus.

Author: Gary Atkins writes on a range of industrial, engineering and technology topics. With a background in corporate PR and communications, his main focus is on high-technology sectors including aerospace, marine and specialist manufacturing. issue140 7

---

---

---- --------ECR-- TO----S ---- ---

Taranis

Powered by a Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour Mk951 engine, the UK’s new Taranis unmanned aerial vehicle – described as ‘the most advanced air system to be conceived, designed and built in the UK’ – has made a successful first flight. etails of the flight, which took place at an undisclosed test range in August 2013, were only released at a briefing held in London in February of this year.

The demonstrator aircraft, designed and built by BAE Systems made a perfect take-off, rotation, ‘climb-out’ and landing on its 15 minute first flight. A number of flights then took place in 2013 of up to one hour in duration and at a variety of altitudes and speeds.

Taranis, named after the Celtic god of thunder, is the result of one-and-a-half-million man hours of work by the UK’s leading scientists, aerodynamicists and systems engineers from 250 UK companies.

The aircraft has been designed to demonstrate the UK’s ability to create an unmanned air system which, under the control of a human operator, is capable of undertaking sustained surveillance, marking targets, gathering intelligence, deterring adversaries and carrying out strikes in hostile territory.

D

Its Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour turbofan is a collaborative engine between Rolls-Royce of the UK and Turbomeca of France, with a thrust range from 5,240lbf dry to 8,400lbf with reheat. So far over 2,800 Adours have been sold for a variety of applications including the Jaguar strike aircraft and the Hawk fast trainer jet. It is one of the most successful military engines in the world and is in service with major Defence forces.

In addition to the supply of the core engine Rolls-Royce has been involved in the integration of the innovative and class-leading low-observable technologies to meet the airframe requirements. The full propulsion system was assembled and extensively bench tested at the Rolls-Royce facility in Bristol, UK, prior to installation in the Taranis airframe.

Commenting on the Rolls-Royce participation, Conrad Banks, Chief Engineer Defence Technology Programmes says: “The successful flight trials represent the culmination of seven years of innovative and groundbreaking low

Taranis is towed out and readied for take-off.

28 rolls-royce.com

DEFENCE

observable propulsion research. This wasn’t a typical aerospace programme about gas turbine development; instead our focus was on the complex and embedded installation of the engine into the body of the airframe itself, with particular attention on the low observable exhaust system.

Throughout the Taranis journey Rolls-Royce has developed a series of leading-edge capabilities across design, analysis and advanced manufacturing. These all came together for the fully successful flight tests, a very proud moment for myself and the wider Rolls-Royce team who have worked together, mostly in secret, for these last seven years.”

The findings from the Taranis aircraft’s flight programme prove that the UK has developed a significant lead in understanding unmanned aircraft which could strike with precision over a long range whilst remaining undetected. The technological advances made through Taranis will also help the UK MOD and Royal Air Force make decisions on the future mix of manned and unmanned fast jet aircraft and how they will operate together in a safe and effective manner for the UK’s defences.

Philip Dunne, Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology said: “Taranis is providing vital insights that will help shape future capabilities for our Armed Forces in coming decades. Its advanced technology is testament to the UKs world leading engineering skills that keep Britain at the cutting edge of defence.”

Costing £185 million and funded jointly by the UK MOD and UK industry, the Taranis demonstrator aircraft was formally unveiled in July 2010 but only a very limited number of scientists and engineers have ever been given full access to the top secret aircraft.

Initial ‘power-up’ or ground testing commenced later in 2010 in Warton, Lancashire followed by a comprehensive and highly detailed programme of pre-first flight milestones including unmanned pilot training, radar cross section measurements, ground station system integration and, in April 2013 taxi trials.

The aircraft and its ground station were then shipped from Warton to the test-range before being re-assembled and undergoing systems and diagnostics checks. Taranis then made a number of high speed taxi tests in July before its maiden flight.

The successful flight trials represent the culmination of seven years of innovative and groundbreaking low observable propulsion research.

ISSUE140 29

100

years

of BuilDiNg AeRo eNgiNes Aero engines? Not for us, said Rolls-Royce one hundred years ago. But then came a change of mind that would be far reaching… isbelief, shock and bewilderment surged through the people of Britain as newspapers reported the nation was at war with germany.

Nearly 100 years ago, on 4 August, 1914, when that fateful declaration was made, the events came as a total surprise to everyone outside the senior military. leaders of industry felt the shock just as profoundly, not least frederick Henry Royce, the engineer-in-Chief of a successful manufacturer of luxury automobiles. Rolls-Royce board members, meeting in emergency on 7 August, feared the company’s bank would refuse to support an expensive luxury product at this time of war and call in the overdraft on which the business depended. Drastic measures followed at once. They would halve the company’s workforce, halve the hours the remaining staff could

D

30 rolls-royce.com

work – and refuse any government request to switch to aero engine work of any kind.

But the company quickly changed that third policy. Within days Royce and Claude Johnson, the company’s general Managing Director, had been called to a meeting with the head of the Royal Aircraft factory, responsible for supplying military aircraft, who had convinced them to tender to build a batch of Renault aero engines.

Perfection Another emergency board meeting agreed to the plan, in the process unknowingly opening a far-reaching new era for the young Derby-based company. fifty-one-year-old Royce, whose foresight, passion for perfection and technical genius had already made his company a world leader

in automobiles, immediately threw himself into this daunting new challenge.

He faced immense difficulties: his poor health (worsened by his relentless urge to work as hard as possible), the ensuing need for him to work remote from the pressures of the factory (in a healthy seaside location 300km away, supported only by a small team); and a total lack of experience in the field of aero engines.

Typically, Royce was less than impressed when he first reviewed the design of the Renault engine before his company began to construct an initial batch of 50 that were needed

Eagle VIII engines await installation in Vimy Bombers at the Vickers factory during the First World War.

urgently to power British B.e.2 light bombers.

Heavy, low-powered and fueland oil-thirsty V8 with cast-iron cylinders and air cooling, the Renault 80 horsepower (hp) unit convinced

HISTORICAL

government orders would immediately ensue’. At the same time the company reinstated all its shop-floor and clerical workers because the bank had agreed to finance the new project, patriotism proving an effective driver of new business initiatives.

By october 1914, Rolls-Royce was fully committed to aero engine work, with development underway as well on two smaller derivative engines. All later gained names of birds of prey: eagle for the big V12, falcon for the smaller 150hp V12 and Hawk for the 75hp in-line six-cylinder unit, effectively one bank of the V12 falcon.

Confidence

and at the same time inspired Royce to develop a far better product; one that would be watercooled to provide a much higher power-to-weight ratio than Royce had ever achieved before.

The company’s board quickly agreed with his proposal and, within just one month of the outbreak of war, Royce had agreed to a military plea to develop a new 200hp aero engine and had already sketched-out a V12 design.

This was based partly on proven

Renault 80hp engine.

characteristics of the company’s successful 40/50hp car engine and partly on a german six-cylinder Df80 aero engine Rolls-Royce had acquired earlier in 1914 for detailed examination (Mercedes had plans to develop it for use in rival luxury cars). lighter and better cooled than rival aero engines, the promising Df80 had recently set new aero records for endurance and performance in germany. it included technical advances such

as forged steel cylinders and water-cooling jackets of sheet steel, technologies that Royce rapidly incorporated in his new V12 design. four weeks after war starting, the company’s board agreed to build two experimental V-engines at a cost of about £1,500 each (some £120,000 or $200,000 today), a technical and commercial risk justified in the board’s view, believing ‘that if such an engine were placed before the

Work on the Renault engine continued but its low-tech specification meant it would never match the performance of the high-flying eagle, first orders for which came at the start of 1915 (for 25 engines at £930 each, or £75,0000/$123,000 today) to power 12 Handley Page o/100 twin-engined patrol bombers. The confidence the uK military showed in this new engine, still at the drawing-board stage, was undoubtedly influenced by its experiences with rival manufacturers, whose aero products had varied from underpowered and unreliable to expensively disastrous.

Anxious to avoid similar problems, Royce urged his engineers to put maximum effort into effective bench- and flighttesting, while continuously striving to improve reliability and increase performance. The eagle

Renault power: Early B.E.2c and Armstrong-Whitworth FK3.

ISSUE140 31

Crowds gather at Newfoundland (left) to watch Alcock and Brown take off on their historic flight.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

made its first test-bench run at the start of March 1915 and within two days it achieved 225hp, exactly the target figure Royce had set just six months earlier – and 12.5 per cent more than the military had contracted for.

A Vickers Vimy IV powered by two Eagle VIIIs won headlines worldwide with the first non-stop flight across the North Atlantic.

Pressure As further eagles joined the programme Royce cranked-up the pressure on rival engine suppliers, testing engines ruthlessly to discover the weakest components and designing and proof-testing replacement parts. engineers purposely mis-handled eagles to induce major stresses in a relentless campaign to create a reliable and mission-capable product that would serve effectively in arduous combat roles. industry-leading innovations such as aluminium-alloy pistons (replacing steel) continued to increase the eagle’s power

potential and by December 1915 the engine flew for the first time, in the Handley Page o/100 bomber – less than 16 months after getting the go-ahead.

Due to the wartime requirements, Britain soon began to need many more eagles. War office officials tried to persuade Royce and his senior colleagues to agree to other uK manufacturers sharing production, something they stoutly resisted (although they gave the Brazil straker of Bristol approval to build eagles and falcons), gaining instead a big expansion of the Derby factory.

This was timely, for in June 1916 eagle found a second application in the Curtiss H12 flying boat – soon followed by the vital role of

re-engining and enhancing the fe2d fighter. installation of the eagle in the Airco DH4 light bomber made it faster than enemy fighters.

Curtailed By 1917, against future plans to launch a British bombing campaign on germany in 1919, vast additional numbers of eagles were ordered – but the end of the conflict in 1918 curtailed much of that work, by which time some 2000 eagles had been produced. overall, this pioneering V12 – an engine in which, ironically, Royce warmly embraced effective technologies developed in germany for the Df80 engine, while the smaller Rolls-Royce falcon and Hawk also gave vital service.

famously, the engine designed for the darkness of war gained its final accolade with an epic achievement seven months after the Armistice.

Piloted by John Alcock and navigated by Arthur Whitten Brown, a Vickers Vimy iV powered by two eagle Viiis won headlines worldwide with the first non-stop flight across the North Atlantic, taking off from Newfoundland, landing in a bog in ireland and earning its crew knighthoods for their achievement.

History also notes how Henry Royce’s devotion to technical excellence in the eagle would lay the foundations of engineering experience and technical strength that empowered the creation of the most successful aero engine of the next world war – the Rolls-Royce Merlin.

Author: John Hutchinson is an independent writer on a range of topics including technology. He has worked in various corporate and media communication roles, never far from the leading-edge industry of aerospace.

Henry Royce designed the Eagle engine.

Eagle power: Felixstowe Flying boat and Handley Page 0/400.

32 rolls-royce.com

Tr usted to deliver excel lence

®

®

®

Published quarterly

Please inform us if your details have changed

Material contained in this magazine may be reprinted but permission must be obtained in advance from the editor.

if your details have changed, or if you would like a colleague to receive complimentary issues of The Rolls-Royce Magazine, please contact the circulation department for an application form via email: craig.brown@rolls-royce.com

Picture credits All photographs Rolls-Royce plc except: Cover, us Air force P2-P7, Peter Holman, Motordrive Photographic P6-7 top, fedex express P8-9, Bell Boeing P12, us Marine Corps P13, P14 bottom, P15, Airbus s.A.s P16-20, Robert Hack P21-23, Karen Kay Marlett Photography llC P28-29, BAe systems Copyright owned by photographer/organisation.

The information in this document is the property of Rolls-Royce plc and may not be copied, communicated to a third party, or used for any purpose other than that for which it is supplied, without the express written consent of Rolls-Royce plc.

While this information is given in good faith based upon the latest available to Rolls-Royce plc, no warranty or representation is given concerning such information, which must not be taken as establishing any contractual or other commitment binding upon Rolls-Royce plc or any of its subsidiary or associated companies.

Download ’The Rolls-Royce Magazine’ App free from the following:

scan the code to access www.rolls-royce.com