Rolls Royce : We’ve only just begun

We've only just begun

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Preparations are on track to start building the very first UltraFan^® demonstrator and it all builds up piece by piece…

Emily Matthews with a silvered nut that will be part of the very first UltraFan demonstrator

The most epic of journeys can start with the shortest of steps.

And while in engineering terms this small silvered nut might look a pretty humble piece of equipment, it actually represents something much, much bigger.

For this nut is one of the very first items to be delivered to the build line for UF001 - the first Rolls-Royce UltraFan gas turbine demonstrator.

The UltraFan demonstrator, with a fan diameter of 140 inches, will be the world's largest engine

Eventually it will be incorporated into one of more than 30,000 parts that makes up UltraFan. And when completed UltraFan will be the biggest engine in the world with a fan diameter of 140 inches.

The nuts, delivered to the Rolls-Royce Derby site, are part of a series of items that can be put together in a build kit. And reaching the 'kitting' phase is a prelude to the start of module assembly. Once complete, the engine will then be delivered in 2021 to our new Testbed 80, also in Derby.

'UltraFan will become a key part of the Rolls-Royce story, I'm proud to be playing my part in delivering this project and the start of kitting is another step on the journey to building our first UltraFan demonstrator,' said Emily Matthews, DemoWorks Production Leader.

'UltraFan isn't just about pioneering new products, it's about pioneering the way we work. We have created a demonstrator engine space, called DemoWorks, which will enable us to develop new technologies and collaborate better to deliver the demonstrator programme. We know that everyone will be following our progress and I can't wait to see the actual engine come together and run for the first time in our new test facility.

'I love the job I'm doing and feel lucky to be part of such an amazing project; helping to create a brand new product and make it a reality.'

UltraFan is designed to deliver up to 100,000lb thrust, making it a scalable engine technology capable of powering both narrowbody and widebody aircraft.

While kitting starts in Derby, other elements of UltraFan are being built elsewhere in preparation for delivery. For example, the demonstrator's composite fanblades and fancase are already under construction at our dedicated composite facility in Bristol, as is the power gearbox at Rolls-Royce in Dahlewitz, Germany.

UltraFan is more than an exciting engineering project, and an important part of Rolls-Royce's future - it is also vital to our mission to pioneer the power the matters.

For while we continue to research new technologies such as electrification, the gas turbine will continue to be the bedrock of long-haul aviation for many years. It is therefore vital that we continue to increase its efficiency, which will help improve the economics of the transition to more sustainable fuels, which are likely to be more expensive in the short-term than fossil fuels. UltraFan will meet that challenge by delivering a 25 per cent fuel consumption reduction compared to the first generation of Trent engines.

As a result, UltraFan will be a vital component in achieving sustainable aviation.

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