the magazine - issue 142 (september 2014)

8/18/2019 The Magazine - Issue 142 (September 2014)

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the magazine ISSUE 142 SEPTEMBER 2014 for customers

United AirlinesA fan of the -535 and

anticipating the Trent XWB-97

ProtectorTaking care of ceramic composites

Surveying at seaSimulators for seismic survey vessels

What happens in Vegas…Exercise ‘Red Flag’


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rolls-royce.com

Rolls-Royce is a global company providing integrated powersolutions for customers in aerospace, marine and industrialmarkets. We support our customers through a worldwidenetwork of offices, manufacturing and service facilities.

Welcome to the September issueHow do ceramic coatings work, what are the top-gun pilots up toin Las Vegas and how do you learn to conduct seismic surveys atsea without leaving shore?

Plus, find out what United Airlines think of their -535 poweredBoeing 757s as they eagerly await the arrival of their new AirbusA350-1000s with Trent XWB engines.

For over 30 years the magazine has been highlighting howRolls-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 informativeand entertaining.

David HowieEditor


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the magazine CONTEN

the magazine ISSUE 14

inside the magazine

2 We are UnitedUnited Airlines is delighted with the reliable

performance of the RB211-535 engines on

its current Boeing 757 fleet and that gives it

confidence in looking forward to the arrival of the

Trent XWB-97 on its future Airbus A350-1000s.

7 Seismic simulatorA Seismic survey vessel can house equipment

worth up to £2 billion. Deploying such expensive

survey equipment is a complex task, so having the

opportunity to learn and to make your mistakes in

a simulator is far less costly than doing so at sea.

10 Generation VinelandOwned by the citizens of Vineland, NJ, their local

municipal electricity utility has been operating a

Rolls-Royce Trent 60 gas turbine since 2012.

14 Keep the ‘Red Flag’ flying

Within sight of the Las Vegas casinos, top-gunfighter pilots take part in exercise ‘Red Flag’. It’s

a chance for allied nations to train together

and for aircrews to hone their skills against the

best in the world.

19 Bluebird doubleDonald Campbell was the only man ever to hold

both the world land and water speed records in

the same year. It was 50 years ago in 1964.

22 Sea greenUsing Bergen-class engines, which run on

liquefied natural gas is cleaner, more efficient

according to operator Fjord Line, will make the

ferry operations 30-40 per cent more competit

when Europe’s new emission boundaries come

into force in January.

26 ProtectorCeramic composites can work at very high

temperatures but they need protection in the

harsh environment of a gas turbine. Dr Kang L

is the man who knows how to do it.

28 “I name this ship...”HMS Queen Elizabeth, the Royal Navy’s new

aircraft carrier has been named, floated and is

now being outfitted, ready for commissioning

trials which are due to start next year.

30 Turboprop to turbofanIt’s 100 years since Rolls-Royce first entered theaero engine business. Here we tell the story of

Dart and the RB211, two of the most importan

engines in the company’s history.

Editorial Board

Tom Bell, Ian Craighead,

Simon Goodson, Lawrie Haynes,

Andrew Heath, Peter Morgan,

Mark Morris, Colin Smith,

Tony Wood

Editor:

David Howie

[email protected]

Design & Production:

Hubert Burda Media UK LP

Print: Pureprint Group

Printed in England

ISSN 0142-9469

© Rolls-Royce plc 2014

the magazine September 2014

Rolls-Royce plc

65 Buckingham Gate,

London SW1E 6AT England

www.rolls-royce.com

Front cover: A pilot checks his

EJ200-powered Eurofighter

Typhoon during exercise ‘Red Flag’.


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the magazine AVIAT

ISSUE 14

hen United Airlines merged with Continental

in 2010 it created a new airline with a fleet of

700 aircraft. The headquarters of the new

airline became the Willis Tower in Chicago,

which at 108 storeys and 1,451 feet tall, dominates the city’s

skyline and which, when it first opened in 1973, was the

tallest building in the world.

Apart from the executive offices, the building is also

home to the airline’s network operations center (NOC) which

was opened in 2012 to provide a state-of-the-art hub to

manage effectively the day-today flying activities of the

new, larger United. Here on

the 27th floor, the NOC

houses representatives of all

the essential teams to ensure

smooth flying operations:

dispatch; air traffic control;

flight information; crew

management; maintenance;

communications and of

course, meteorology.

It’s a lot to monitor and a

lot to manage. United Airlines

and United Express (operated

by regional partners) have

over 5,200 daily departures

and a network that

encompasses 374 airports

across six continents. In 2013,

United and United Express operated nearly two million

flights carrying 139 million customers.

The merger of United and Continental airlines brought

large numbers of Rolls-Royce-powered aircraft under the

United umbrella. United Express is a big operator of theRolls-Royce AE 3007-powered Embraer -145 series regional

jet, with 240 of these flying for the carrier.

And the Rolls-Royce reputation in the mainline fleet is

currently being enhanced by the operation of the RB211-535

engine on 62 of United’s Boeing 757-200 and -300 aircraft.

United flies the 757-200 on several long-haul routes,

including its trans-Atlantic operations - for example,

Rolls-Royce powered 757s are currently operating routes

such as New York to Berlin and Chicago to Edinburgh -

whereas the 757-300s are flown domestically and to Hawaii.

“The 757-200 is a versatile aircraft and when operated at

long-stage lengths the economics are superior. The

capabilities and the reliability of the Rolls-Royce engines

definitely give us the ability to use this aircraft to fly

trans-Atlantic into the European market,” says Chandresh

Malkani, Senior Manager of Fleet Transactions and Plann

for United.

“The reliability of -535 engine has allowed us to keep i

our fleet for 20 years and to sign the new TotalCare contr

We are confident this engine will continue to operate in o

fleet for years to come,” he adds.

The new TotalCare serv

and maintenance agreem

Chandresh is referring to

was announced in July at

this year’s Farnborough

International Air Show,

and covers the lifetime

support by Rolls-Royce of

all the -535 engines opera

by United. An important

element of the new contr

was that it focused on the

most effective manageme

of mature engines.

Alex Orosz, Director

Technical Procurement fo

United agrees, “Once you

start seeing the engine fle

mature then it is a challenge to balance recently overhau

engines with some that have been flying for a long time a

may need overhauling. We also had to consider that,

because of the maturity, we may need the flexibility to st

exiting engines from the fleet.“We initially considered alternative maintenance opti

for this fleet. However, we were pleased when Rolls-Royce

came up with a very creative solution. They took the curr

structure of their TotalCare programme and modified it t

make it work. ”

So the 757 and RB211-535 combination look set to

provide sterling service for some time to come within

United’s mainline fleet. The airline is also due to become

operator of the Trent engine for the first time as a result

its decision to place a large order for the Airbus A350-100

In the heart of Chicago’s business district,the world’s largest airline is managed from one

of the world’s largest buildings.

W

The Willis Tower dominatesthe Chicago skyline.


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This is the longer range version of the new Airbus aircraft

and comes powered by the Trent XWB-97.

“This is the first time United will have employed Trent

engines in our fleet and we are really looking forward to the

engine arriving. This is leading-edge technology and we have

worked closely with Rolls-Royce on a great deal of technical

information exchange.” says Alex Orosz.

United has ordered 35 A350-1000s, the first of which are

due to start arriving in 2018. The airline is already planning a

two-three year ramp-up programme internally to ensure a

smooth introduction. Everything needs to be considered

from airport capability at departure and destination points,

to engineering and maintenance, crew and pilot training.

United’s pilot training is undertaken at both Denver and

Houston, although the airline is yet to decide which of

these bases will have A350 responsibility.

With regard to the decision to select the A350, Chandresh

Malkani says: “In any fleet renewal decision the cost of

acquiring a new aircraft is weighed against the benefits you

will gain in efficiency and reduced operating costs. With the

A350’s capacity of 330-350 passengers, we are able to serve

our long-haul, high-demand markets more efficiently than

with older Boeing 747 and 777 aircraft.”

Long-haul routes are ideal for the A350-1000s.

Traditionally it is the Asian market that United has

served with 747s but the A350 can provide capability

from Chicago to Asia and from its West-coast hub of

San Francisco into Europe.

Above Checking inat Chicago.

Below The airline’snetwork operationscentre manages theday-to-day flyingactivities.

4 rolls-royce.com


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United also knows that the arrival of new airframes bring

marketing opportunities and a strong public relations eff

both within the airline for employees and among its

customers – particularly frequent flyers. These days, the b

created on social media by the arrival of the new aircraft i

an airline creates its own marketing momentum.

United’s focus is not just on future aircraft, however. T

airline has been investing substantially in its existing flee

enhance the passenger experience. The airline expects to

have more than 450 aircraft in its fleet equipped with Wi

by the end of 2014 and has begun installing a new person

device entertainment system on select aircraft, enabling

customers to choose from more than 150 movies and nea

200 television shows and then watch them on their own

laptops or iOS devices.On United’s IAE powered A320 fleet, new slimline seat

have been introduced, new lighting and overhead bins th

nearly double each plane’s carry-on capacity – all resultin

very positive customer feedback.

In addition to the aircraft improvements, passengers t

and from London will have noted that United has now

consolidated its operations into Heathrow’s new Termina

or Queen’s Terminal, and at Boston Logan the company

recently unveiled a new ten-gate concourse to help

streamline customer experience there.

ISSUE 14t e magaz ne ISSUE 14I UE 1

Right Alex Orosz, DirectorTechnical Procurement.

The -535 has been the backbone for our 757 fleet for 20 years, and we look forward to working togetheron the new Trent XWB when it arrives.


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6 rolls-royce.com

“We know that everybody has a choice and United is focused

on providing clean, safe and reliable service. However, at

United, we strive for more. To set ourselves apart from the

competition, we are investing in our fleet and our customer

experience to make us the preferred carrier.” says Alex.

“Rolls-Royce has been and continues to be a great partner

to United and gives us the ability to reach our goals.Rolls- Royce’s continued dedication towards technological

innovation and to improve the reliability of its engines

matches United’s pursuit for excellence. The -535 has been

the backbone for our 757 fleet for 20 years, and we look

forward to working together on the new Trent XWB when it

arrives,” he added.

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

The capabilities and the reliability of the Rolls-Royceengines definitely give us the ability to use this aircraft to

fly trans-Atlantic into the European market.

A new TotalCare service andmaintenance contract has recenbeen signed to cover lifetimesupport of the -535E4 fleet.

United’s network encompasses374 airports across six continents.

Chandresh Malkani, Senior Manager - Fleet Transactions and Planning.


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the magazine MAR

ISSUE 14

Seismic SIMULATOR

You are standing on the aft-deck of the latest seismic survey vesselsupervising the deployment of multi-million pound high tech cablewhich rolls from a drum and disappears over the stern at the rate of

36 metres per minute. Suddenly the spur line breaks. The cablesalready deployed are out of control. What do you do?


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8 rolls-royce.com

he answer? Press pause. The deck you arelooking down on is computer generated – likean actual size, incredibly detailed video game.You are in one of three pods designed to

simulate the aft deck of the latest generation of seismicsurvey vessels and allow the ships’ crews to train on the

equipment and control systems found on board.Every month, or so, groups of eight survey vessel crew

spend a week at the Rolls-Royce Training Centre based inÅlesund, Norway, learning the basics of deploying seismicsurvey equipment. They learn to operate and maintain thewinches and control systems they will use at sea in a safeenvironment and where any mistakes aren’t costly in termsof equipment or time.

And that’s important. The cost ofthe survey equipment isapproximately three times that of theship itself and can run to £2billionplus. With it also taking several daysof round the clock operation to set upthe equipment, multiple well-trainedteams are essential.

Seismic survey vessels are used byoil and gas companies to look for new deposits.

They work by towing an array of up to 18 streamers –cables containing a great number of underwaterhydrophones–behind them. These gather sound pulses,generated by an air gun array also towed behind the ship,which bounce off the sub-seabed strata. These are thenprocessed by powerful computers to give a 3D picture of thecomposition of the seabed below and allow any oil and gasreservoirs to be identified.

ControlEach streamer can be up to 12km long and is winched outindividually over the stern through a fairlead. A float isattached to the very end of the streamer, containing GPSsensors with a radar beacon. The streamer is kept at theright depth by monitoring and control devices known asbirds, which have to be attached at regular intervals. It isattached to the ship by a 1km long lead-in cable. A spur lineis connected between the deflector plates and the outerstreamer cables, this spreads the cable apart. In between

each streamer cable there is a spread rope ensuring that thestreamer cables are kept between 25 and 100m apart fromeach other.

The Rolls-Royce latest seismic survey vessel design, the110m long UT 833 WP, can deploy 18 streamers each 10kmlong plus the air gun array. The biggest vessels are designed

to deploy up to 24 streamers and a complete streamer rigcan survey an area greater than 12km², over eight timeslarger than London’s Hyde Park.

Deploying such a complex system needs more than oneperson. A typical aft deck crew will consist of four or fivepeople working with the Captain. Communication is key.

The simulator will allow whole teams to be trained towork together, learning by doing, without risk to themselves

or the equipment. They respond together to scenariosactually encountered during operations – for example thebreaking of a spread rope which would cause the cablesdeployed behind the vessel to move to the centre – loadedinto the computer. Weather conditions, sea states andcurrents can all be added to the simulation.

Trainees can step straight from the simulator into the realworld in just a few seconds. The workshop area of thetraining centre is a neighbouring room.This houses a fully functioning

streamer winch with its hydrauliccontrol system and remotes. Thisallows trainees to experience allfacets of its operations.

According toArnstein Erdal,TrainingManager atthe ÅlesundTraining Centre:

T

Everything you see on the simulator is builtby Rolls-Royce, we sell the winch equipment

and deck machinery as well as the ship design.Arnstein Erdal, Training Manager at the Ålesund Training Centre

The Fa Xian, a Seismicsurvey vessel at work.


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ISSUE 14

“Lots of people can do simulator training but the advantagehere is that we have the actual hardware as well. Everything you see on the simulator is built by Rolls-Royce, we sell thewinch equipment and deck machinery as well as the ship

design. Having both the simulator and the hardware givesadded value to the training.”

The simulator was developed in response to customerdemand. Customers new to the seismic survey marketwanted training in how to operate the systems prior toactually acquiring the ship itself. Building a simulator madethis possible.

Surprisingly, it doesn’t need massive computing powerrunning off an ordinary desktop computer, albeit with a verypowerful graphics card.

“We are constantly developing the simulator to provide

more functionality,” Erdal says. “The simulator adds valuethe training; the alternative would be to show a video or PowerPoint presentation on how to deploy the streamercables. With the simulator you get immediate feedback

when operating the remote control as you would do on avessel. Faults and difficult working scenarios are injectedconfidence increases, to ensure the crew can work as a teand cope with virtually any set of circumstances.”

With 88 seismic survey vessels currently operatingworldwide and more on order, demand for the seismicsimulator is booming.

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

One of the three simulators atthe Rolls-Royce training facilityat Ålesund in Norway.


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10 rolls-royce.com

Monitoring the Industrial Tren

GENERATION


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the magazine ENER


ineland Municipal Electric Utility (VMEU) has

always strived to be the master of its own

destiny. Owned by the citizens of Vineland and

regulated by the city council, VMEU is one of

nine municipal utilities in New Jersey, USA.

Its origins date back to 1899 when the city’s founding

fathers installed the first electric light bulbs on Main Street.

Having difficulty finding a utility to run a power line down

to the then rural south Jersey, VMEU decided to build its own

power plant. This proved to be the start of a ‘do-it-yourself’

attitude that still prevails today.

“That’s how the generation ethic got started in Vineland,”

says Joe Isabella, City Municipal Utilities Director. “And todaywe are still the only municipal utility in New Jersey that has

utility size generation. Our approach has been that we can

handle it and we really don’t need help.”

For many years, VMEU ran several small coal and oil fired

steam units. These, however, were becoming expensive to

run and since 2008 had come under increasing

environmental pressure.

“They required a lot of fixed operation and maintenance

expenses. Also, the environmental rules in New Jersey

became very strict – we have the second toughest

environmental limits in the US after California – and we

were having to make huge investments to keep them

running,” notes Isabella.

VMEU therefore decided to retire the units and install

a new simple cycle gas fired power plant based on a

Rolls-Royce Trent 60 gas turbine at its Howard M Down

Generating Station. The 60MW ‘Down Unit 11’, which beg

commercial operation in June 2012, was the first new po

station to be installed by the utility in more than 40 year

was also the first air permit for a generator under New

Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

InvestmentSignificantly, at a cost of US$60 million the installation

represented VMEU’s biggest investment in its long history

But it has been money well spent. The cost of producing

energy has been cut by around ten per cent – a potential

saving of U$$6-8 million a year. This has allowed VMEU to

reduce rates three times, meaning its 1,000kWh/month

customers now enjoy the lowest retail rates in New Jerse

Following some initial fine-tuning, target emission lev

in terms of NOx and CO are also being achieved.

Spurred by the positive experience and benefits of thi

V

Vineland Municipal Electric Utility is once again takingthe bull by the horns and is building its own generatingcapacity. In its latest endeavour, the company is puttingits trust in Rolls-Royce gas turbine technology.

VINELAND


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installation, VMEU has now embarked on installing a seco

unit that is scheduled to start operation in June 2015. Its

start-up will go a long way to satisfying VMEU’s capacity

requirements.

Isabella noted that retirement of the steam units left t

utility with only 26MW of capacity. “We are a 160MW util

When we retired the units we were 134 MW short. WithDown 11 we got 60MW back and in 2015 we will get anot

60MW. During that period, we have also added 16 MW of

solar production, so in June 2015 we will be capacity

self-sufficient.”

Meeting the power needs of its customers, however, w

not the sole reason for boosting capacity.

“The reason we embarked on this is not only the

generation ethic in Vineland,” says, Isabella. “The PJM pow

pool* has a capacity market that is extremely volatile. It b

capacity each year, three years in advance. Our access to v

reasonable financing and the fact that we don’t have to

provide a return to investors means we can deliver power

the pool at roughly half the market clearing price for capa

So economically it’s in our customers’ best interest that w

provide this capacity. The reduction in energy production

that we get is just a bonus.”

SupportA second unit will therefore bring even greater benefits fo

customers. The new turbine is to be installed at a greenfi

site about a 15-minute drive away from the Down 11 Uni

addition to providing more generating capacity, it will

provide voltage support in the immediate vicinity.

Like Down 11, the new unit will also use a Trent 60 WL

(Wet Low Emissions) turbine that will run on gas, with th

capability of running on oil if necessary. There were sever

reasons for opting for the same technology.

Isabella explains: “For Down 11, we asked the bidders t

provide an option for a second unit. As a fairly small utilit

we wanted to make both units the same. This means our

employees would not have to be trained to operate two

different types of equipment and it would also allow us to

maximise the utilisation of spare parts.”

VMEU evaluated turbines that could deliver efficient,

peaking operation. “PJM is the largest most liquid market

the world and we still buy 85 per cent of our power from

says Isabella. “The power that we buy is generally below t

cost at which we could produce ourselves, even with thes

efficient turbines. But these units can start in

approximately ten minutes to allow us to knock the top oour cost curve and really impact our ability to keep our

costs under control.”

12 rolls-royce.com

* PJM is the Pennsylvania New Jersey MarylandInterconnection LLC (Mid-Atlantic region power pool)


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Below The first of the twoIndustrial Trents inoperation at Vineland.

VMEU essentially marries its generation to its wholesale

power portfolio, effectively buying enough power to match

its average load, and uses the peaking units to take care of

peak loads and drive costs down.

The heat rate and power output of the Trent 60 WLE were

therefore key factors. The 60Hz version has a design gross

heat rate of 8,723kJ/kWh for a gross electrical output of62.9MW at ISO conditions – better performance figures than

its nearest competitor, according to VMEU.

“The Trent had a slightly better heat rate and offered more

power output for approximately the same price, so it was

really a no-brainer for us,” notes Isabella.

The second Trent project should be more straightforward

than the first. In addition to incorporating general lessons

from the first project, being on a greenfield site will make

life easier.

Pete Kudless, Project Manager, says:

“The site for the first unit had

equipment from old units that we had

to demolish. It’s right in the middle of

the city, adjacent to an underground

water reservoir. So we had to be a

little careful in how we

prepared the site.

It’s a very different situation at the new site. There are a fe

challenges on the permitting side but the site preparatio

will be much simpler.”

ResponsibilityTrue to its do-it-yourself ethic, VMEU has taken on

responsibility for building the project and thereby reducethe cost of the project.

Isabella explains: “Small utilities usually award a turn

contract to build a plant. The turnkey contractor will

normally add a risk premium for guarantees. We looked a

this and could see that Rolls-Royce had most of the

guarantees ie. heat rate, output and environmental

compliance. So we did not go for turnkey. We did our own

engineering and are acting as our own project managem

This will save us roughly 10-15 per cent on the risk premi

that a turnkey contractor would apply.”

So far, things are progressing smoothly. Site clearing

began in April; all major equipment for the second unit h

been ordered and is being manufactured.

Just like in 1899, VMEU’s experience of doing-

yourself is once again proving to be a positi

one and the company is confident that it

prepared itself for the future.

Isabella concludes: “Over the last si

years we will have completely

re-tooled the energy supply porti

of this utility to the extent that

will be in good shape for the n

30 years.”

Author: Junior Isles has bea journalist in the powerindustry for nearly 25 year

He now has his own compand is Editor-in Chief of ThEnergy Industry Times.


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14 rolls-royce.com

‘The Home of the Fighter Pilot’proclaims a large sign at the

main entrance to Nellis Air ForceBase – just north of the glitz ofLas Vegas, Nevada.

KEEP THE‘RED FLAG’ FLYING


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the magazine DEFEN

ISSUE 142

Eurofighter Typhoons liup at Nellis Air Force Ba

his base is renowned around the world and is all

about maintaining the exacting standards of the

US Air Force.

It is home to a test unit that helps develop

advanced capabilities for the world’s largest air arm, and hom

to the famed USAF Weapons School.

Nellis is also the spiritual home of exercise ‘Red Flag’, an airtraining exercise developed following the Vietnam War, when

US Air Force F-4 Phantom II crews struggled in combat against

nimble enemy MiGs. ‘Red Flag’ was designed to give these youn

pilots a taste of combat, so that when they went to war for rea

it wouldn’t be a baptism of fire.

As the exercise has progressed over time, it has also served

as a proving ground for new technology, and the ultimate

place for allies and partner nations to

train together — so that they too are

best prepared for whatever may come

over the horizon.

For the Royal Air Force, ‘Red Flag’ has

become a critically-important

part of both training and

T


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16 rolls-royce.com

of providing a true litmus test for its squadrons

and capabilities. The complexity of the range,

combined with the mock enemy (aggressors)

that ply their trade here, offer a fighter pilottraining experience like no other on the planet.

In February this year, the RAF made one of its

regular deployments to Nellis. ‘Red Flag’ is now

providing the ultimate test for the RAF’s

expanding Eurofighter Typhoon Force. For the

‘14-2’ edition of this exercise the RAF debuted

its latest standard of Eurofighter Typhoons.

Led by No 6 Squadron from RAF Leuchars,

Tranche 2 standard aircraft plus teams from

sister unit No 1(F) Squadron, played a major

role in the exercise that ran from 27 January to

14 February.

Building on the successful ‘Red Flag’

participation last year by No XI Squadron and itsTranche 1 jets, this year the Tranche 2 jets were

operating in the air-to-air role as part of their

proving ground and progress towards becoming

the RAF’s main ‘warfighting’ aircraft.

As the year progresses, the RAF Leuchars

Wing will relocate north to their new home at

RAF Lossiemouth. They will also add the Litening

III targeting pod and versatile Paveway IV

Precision-Guided Bomb to the capability of the

Tranche 2 jets later this year, with the aim of

returning to Nellis in early 2015 for a full

exercise to test all the multi-role elements

of the Typhoon arsenal.

Getting eight Eurofighters and all of theinfrastructure and personnel out to Nevada

from Scotland takes quite some planning.

Flt Lt Si Revell is the operations officer on

No 1(F) Squadron, and he was heavily involve

in both the build-up and the execution of th

year’s event.

“Coming here things are very different. Fo

start it is down to me to ensure that everyth

is in place, so the pilots don’t have to worry

about local procedures, etc, they just get on


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ISSUE 142

We have been able to explore

the full capabilities of the jet.

with planning their missions,” he says.

Flying two waves of six jets twice a day

usually takes its toll on fighter squadrons.

“We have done well with serviceability,”Revell comments. “As the exercise has gone

on, serviceability has actually got better. In

this, week three, of the exercise, we’ve not

dropped a single sortie.”

When asked about technicians being

deployed to support the Eurojet EJ200

engines, Revell says that these were not

deemed necessary; “the engines never break,”

he enthuses.

Wg Cdr Mike Baulkwill is Officer

Commanding No 6 Squadron, also known as

‘Flying Canopeners’ in deference to the unit’

tank-busting heroics in the North African

theatre in 1942.“It’s been great for us exercising the Tran

2 Typhoons for the first time on ‘Red Flag’. Th

jet has performed really well, as we’d expect

The engineers have seen that producing airc

at a high tempo has been hard work but very

rewarding, and the pilots from Flt Lt to Wg C

have all learned a lot.”

Wg Cdr Baulkwill continues: “All aspects o

the aircraft; from secure radios to our Link-1

have been great – and we have been able to


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18 rolls-royce.com

explore the full capabilities of the jet. Our HEA

(helmet mounted information and sighting

system) has made a massive difference! When

you lock a target with the radar and then need

to find it visually you just look out of the cockpit

and there it is – the HEA allows you to get your

eyes on it very quickly. So you’re seeing aircraft

at twice the range you would normally. This

really helps with the intercept, because you can

set yourself up, put yourself in a better position

to complete the intercept.”

ExperienceLooking ahead, Wg Cdr Baulkwill was clear of

the capabilities that are coming online,

especially with multi-role. “All of our work

here at ‘Red Flag’ will translate across to P1E

(multi-role).”

Most of the guys on the squadron are already

multi-role combat ready, they’ve flown the

Tranche 1 jets and we’ve all dropped bombs.

Paveway IV allows us to do so much more with

the weapon, and next year we will return here

as a multi-role Tranche 2 standard squadron, so

this exercise has served us well as an important

stepping stone towards that.”

No 6 Squadron’s XO (Exec) is Sqn Ldr Sam

Cowan. Cowan is an experienced fighter pilot,

having spent his early RAF years patrolling theUK’s northern approaches in the Tornado F3. For

him, the ‘Red Flag’ experience has etched some

valuable lessons.

“We are becoming more practiced at working

with fifth-generation platforms, ensuring we

are using these and our Typhoons to their

strengths (the lessons will prove invaluable to

the RAF as the future F-35B comes online later

this decade), he says. “The vast array of

information we get in the cockpit can take a

while to process. You’re being looked at by SAMs

(Surface to Air Missiles), as well as air-to-air

missiles, there’s jamming and you’re always

scanning the DASS (defensive aids sub-system).

I hadn’t used the HEA a whole lot before this

exercise and the benefit for SA (situational

awareness) is fantastic.

“The HEA also gives us other data such as our

missiles that are remaining.”

The operations at Nellis often involved the

Typhoons working up at high level and at high

speed and also in close in engagements, which

reportedly ‘stunned’ their adversaries by using

the HEA to cue some ‘eye watering’ ASRAAM

kills. The EJ200 engines mean that the

Eurofighter can routinely operate up in ‘Block 4’

– above 40,000ft. This coupled with its high

speed means that it can add maximum inertia

to its long-range missile – offering kills at very

long distances.

Working alongside the leading-edge

technologies fielded by the US Air Force and

the Royal Australian Air Force, and actively

developing tactics and doctrines is clearly of

huge benefit all round.

As new weapons and capabilities come

online, the Eurofighter’s impressive core

performance means that carriage of even th

largest stores such as the MBDA Storm Shad

CASOM (conventionally armed stand-off mis

is relatively straightforward. If the capability

plan remains on track during this decade, it

would mean that the Eurofighter Typhoon w

remain a strong proposition on the world

export market.

Author: Jamie Hunter is a professional aviationphotojournalist, with his company Aviacom Ltdhaving been providing media services for theaerospace industry since 1999.

The Typhoons were flyingtwo missions a day.

An RAF pilot prepares for another sortie.


21/35

the magazine GENE

ISSUE 142

onald Malcolm Campbell, born in

1921, was the son of Malcolm(later Sir Malcolm) Campbell,

internationally famed and

admired for his motor-racing successes and his

daring repeated world speed record efforts in

the 1920s and ‘30s in his high-performance

Bluebird cars and boats.

Young Donald showed intense interest in his

father’s exploits and during World War Two,

unable to serve in the armed forces because of

his childhood rheumatic fever, he trained as an

engineer to gain a fuller understanding of the

technical pressures exerted on vehicles andengines by high-speed operation. When Sir

Malcolm died in 1948, Campbell adopted his

father’s mission in life – to travel faster than

ever before.

On water, his first attempt in 1949 (in

Bluebird K4, the boat with which his father had

set the world speed record of 228.kph

[141.7mph] in August 1939) proved

unsuccessful. By 1950 American speed

specialist Stanley Sayers had raised the record

to 257kph (160mph) and soon again to 286k

(170mph). Campbell, desperate to recapturethe title, equalled that speed in 1951 only to

suffer a major structural failure that wrecke

K4, leaving Campbell unscathed but more

driven to succeed than ever before.

Exploiting his engineering skills, Campbe

began development of a highly advanced ne

steel-framed, aluminium-skinned boat in 19

– Bluebird K7, a three-point hydroplane

powered by a Metropolitan-Vickers Beryl

turbojet with a design speed of 400kph

Only one man ever claimedworld land and water speedcrowns in the same year – itwas 50 years ago in 1964.

D

BLUEBIRDdouble

Donald Campbell and teamprepare the Bluebird CN7 carfor an attempt to gain theland speed record.

The Bluebird K7 in action.


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23/35

could progress beyond low-speed trials on the

lake bed, the unbelievable happened. It began to

rain, hard and at length, causing total

abandonment of that 1963 attempt.

Undaunted, Campbell returned to Lake Eyre

in spring 1964 but so did the rains. After

protracted delays, initial runs over a shortened

and dampened course began to lift the team’s

spirits. Bluebird CN7 could finally get into herstride in spite of still difficult course conditions.

And then, in July 1964, Campbell finally gained

the accolade his father had earned so often –

becoming world number one, with his new land

speed record of 648.7kph (403.1mph).

Now Campbell could pursue the challenge of

clinching his biggest ambition of all – to

become the first to gain car and boat world

titles in one year. Again Australia provided the

venue, at Lake Dumbleyung, 300km south-east

of Perth. Technical hold-ups and persistently

strong easterly winds that created large waves

and fretful delays held his record-holding

Bluebird K7 in check until the very last day of

1964, when it notched the 444.7kph mark

(276.3mph) with just a few hours of daylight left

in the year. Donald Campbell, now the doubleworld king of speed, had at last achieved his

ultimate goal.

But Campbell, a complex yet life-loving

character, didn’t stop there. He gained

important support from Rolls-Royce, with a

more powerful engine (an Orpheus turbojet)

and skilled technicians to help him past the

300mph mark on water. But this attempt came

to grief on a UK lake in early 1967 when

(nearing the final stages of a two-way run that

would have surpassed that figure) Bluebird K7,

beyond the margins of stability and in the grasp

of unexplored ground-effect aerodynamics,

became airborne, crashed and sank. Britain had

lost a much-admired hero, a powerful patriot

and a superb driver and engineer.

Never content to rest on achievement,

Campbell’s most ambitious plan of all was to

build a supersonic car, flying of course the

Union Jack. He announced his plans in 1965

In reality it took another 32 years for the

Rolls-Royce powered Thrust SSC car, built and

run by today’s Bloodhound Project partnersh

of team leader Richard Noble and pilot AndyGreen, to hit that extraordinary target.

Today, again with Rolls-Royce power in th

shape of engineering expertise and a moder

high-power Eurojet EJ200 engine from a

Typhoon fighter, Noble and Green and their

Bloodhound Project are heading for the

uncharted 1,000mph-plus territory with

confidence, commitment and professionalis

reinforced by ultra-strenuous testing and

some of the most advanced engineering on

the planet.

Author: John Hutchinson is an independentwriter on a range of topics including technology.He has worked in various corporate and mediacommunication roles, never far from theleading-edge industry of aerospace.

ISSUE 142

Richard Noble, team leader ofthe Bloodhound project with amock-up of the car.


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22 rolls-royce.com

SEA

GreenUsing liquefied natural gas as a marine fuel is goodbusiness for the operator and good for the environment.


25/35

the magazine MAR

jord Line’s recently delivered cruise ferries M

Bergensfjord and MS Stavangerfjord are bot

fitted with Rolls-Royce gas-only Bergen-clas

engines. They are two of the most fuel-effic

and environmentally sustainable ferries in operation

anywhere in the world.

Norwegians hop on and off ferries rather like Londoneuse buses, or New Yorkers use the subway. In fact, Norway

complex network of coastal ferry routes in some ways

resembles a seaborne bus or rail network.

Norway is one of the world’s northern-most countries

its coastline, laid end-to-end, would stretch two-and-a-ha

times around the world. It runs from the Skagerrak inlet i

the south to the North Sea in the south west, the Norweg

Sea in the west and the Barents Sea in the north. Dotted

along its rugged coast are some 50,000 islands.

Away from the coast – where most of Norway’s five

million people live in what were once isolated communit

– the country is mountainous. Average elevation is 460

metres and nearly a third of land lies above the tree line.

Today, coastal communities are connected by sea, and

ferries for freight and passengers have been central to

Norwegian life for decades. Apart from the many jobs

available in marine-related industries such as offshore

energy, fishing and aquaculture, the sea is a key compone

of the country’s make-up.

Larger vessels – cruise ferries – also provide vital links

routes to the south. Such vessels run daily schedules and

longer voyages to cities in Denmark, Germany and Swede

But Norway’s ferry sector is undergoing a transformat

And, a relatively small and young ferry company is playin

pioneering role.

OptionsIngvald Fardal is Fjord Line’s President and Chief Executive

The company’s two new cruise ferries, MS Bergensfjord an

MS Stavangerfjord, are the world’s first such vessels to be

fuelled entirely by liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Mr Fardal explains why the ferry firm chose gas-power

vessels.

“We examined various options – in fact, the two ships

were originally designed with conventional engines capa

of undergoing conversion to LNG power at a later date,” h

explains. “But when we looked into it, we found that the

Rolls-Royce Bergen engines are more fuel-efficient, more

flexible, more responsive and simpler than equivalent

dual-fuel engines.“However, for us, there was one deciding factor,” Mr Fa

continues. “From next January, all ships operating within

boundaries of Europe’s Emission Control Area (ECA) will h

to burn fuel with a sulphur content of less than 0.1 per ce

Operators of conventional ferries will either have to bu

much more expensive distillate fuel or fit expensive

‘scrubbers’ in their ships’ funnels – if there is sufficient sp

– to clean exhaust gas before it is released into the

atmosphere. The traditional operating economics of

F



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27/35

conventional engines, this generally means either filling up

with marine diesel or heavy fuel oil from shore terminals or

bunker barges.

But liquid natural gas has to be stored and pumped into

special storage tanks on board the ships at minus 164°C and

this requires a complex technology all of its own. And

although Norway leads the way in LNG bunkering

infrastructure around its coast, there are still supply issues

to deal with.

For the moment, Mr Fardal explains that the two cruise

ferries take on LNG from fuel trucks in Denmark during callsin Hirsthals, and from trucks at the Risavika ferry terminal in

Stavanger. From September, however, he says that the

re-fuelling issue will become more straightforward. A

dedicated LNG pipeline in Risavika will mean that truck-to-

ship LNG transfers will no longer be required.

Author: Paul Bartlett has spent more than three decadesin international shipping. Today he runs his own shippingconsultancy specialising in ship finance and technologicalinnovation. He contributes regularly to a range ofinternational shipping publications.


Bergen enginesset new standardRolls-Royce has extensive experience in the design and

construction of gas-burning engines with more than

650 units sold and over 20 million operating hours

achieved. It is only recently, however, that they have

been adapted for use on ships.

Today, Rolls-Royce has gas engines installed on boa

22 ferries, mostly in Norway, as well as a range of othevessels including short-sea cargo ships, fishing boats

and offshore supply vessels.

On board Fjord Line’s MS Bergensfjord and MS

Stavangerfjord each has four Bergen BV12 gas engines

two 295 cubic metre LNG storage tanks and gas supply

system, two Promas controllable pitch propulsors, two

stabilisers and two tunnel thrusters. All aspects of the

fuel management system are constantly monitored in

comprehensive safety system.

Rolls-Royce has a wide range of conceptual designs

for vessels which could potentially operate on gas-only

Bergen engines. These include cruise ships, towboats,

ferries and small LNG carriers.


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26 rolls-royce.com

ProtectorDr Kang Lee is a pioneer in materials protection.Over the past two decades he has discovered anddeveloped a ‘game changing technology,’Environmental Barrier Coating (EBC).


29/35

the magazine PRO

EBCs play an essential role in protecting another technology

critical to the next generation of gas turbines, ceramic

matrix composites.

Such composites are a high temperature lightweight

material. They can operate at higher temperatures than Nickel based

superalloys and can replace parts used in the hotter sections of an

engine. This will make the engine lighter and able to run hotter reducingspecific fuel consumption and emissions.

“Composites cannot survive in the harsh environment of a gas turbine

without an EBC to protect them from environmental attack.”

That attack comes in the form of water vapour. Water is about ten per

cent of all gaseous products produced by burning jet fuel. At high

temperature a Silica scale (Silicon dioxide - SiO2) forms on the composite

and acts as a protective coat. But water vapour removes the scale, more

Silica is created and the cycle is repeated, eroding (volatising) the part.

As water vapour pressure

increases so does the rate of

this volatility. A gas turbine

engine can operate at a

pressure of approximately 60

atmospheres. In air the

pressure of the ten per cent

water vapour would be 0.1

atmospheres this rises to six atmospheres at the heart of an engine.

Dr Lee’s team are working with the University of Virginia

(a Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre) to develop a model for

the volatility of EBCs in water vapour. The model will help develop

new compounds by predicting the impact on EBCs of t ime,

temperature and engine condition.

Another attack comes from airborne sand or dust entering the

engine and coating turbine components.

Known as CMAS* the dust typically has a melting

point of about 12300 [degrees] centigrade below

the temperatures at which EBCs operate. As

CMAS melts it changes the chemistry of

the coating detrimentally. It also

blocks the pores in the EBC which

make it more compliant to

thermal cycling (the repeated

heating and cooling of the

engine environment) causing

the coating to crack.

According to Dr Lee,

CMAS resistance is the “next

big challenge, requiring

the development of a very

special chemistry.”A final task remains.

Getting the EBC to ‘stick and

stay’ on the component. In

order to “stick” a coating has

to have very similar thermal

expansion behaviour to the

ceramic composites it protects.

Different materials expand at

different rates. Without similar thermal expansion behaviour the

coated part will expand at a rate different from the coating again

causing cracking.

With all these issues another fundamental purpose of an EBC, to

provide thermal protection – lowering the component temperature –

should not be forgotten. So any EBC also needs low thermal conductiv

According to Dr Lee: “The most important requirement for any EBCto be stable in water vapour, then to provide thermal insulation and th

be durable, able to ‘stick and stay’ on the component over its lifespan.

Considering these three requirements it is perhaps unsurprising th

“amongst the pool of various oxide compounds available there are a v

small number of materials which satisfy all three.”

Current EBCs are based on oxides. Dr Lee and his team search

extensive materials databases to find oxides which are stable in water

vapour. They then run calculations to establish the volatility of the

compound looking for likely

candidates. The next step is t

run a test to actually measur

the volatility.

“There’s a lot of chemistry

involved, trading off different

properties to achieve the bes

balance of the three

requirements. No single material that we’ve looked at satisfies them a

The next task is making the coating: “There are as many challenge

manufacturing as in technology development.”

The answer is to place another coating, called a bond coat, over the

composite. This in turn is covered with the oxide coating which has to

bond with it but not react with it. Each layer has a different function. T

primary function of the bond coat is to stay on the component. It is no

directly exposed to water vapour so does not have to be stable in wate

vapour or have a low thermal conductivity. Good thermal expansion

ability is required.

Coating and validating an actual component, on an industrial

scale, is also challenging. Each coating requires a specific thickness,

microstructure and chemistry. Maintaining these and applying them

to a complex shape is extremely difficult.

Plasma spraying is typically used for turbine coatings. It is a line of

sight process spraying and coating where it points. Maintaining the

thickness of the coating is important and many components have

elements which are none line of sight or too narrow to be reached wit

spray. Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) is an alternative, but with this

composition of the coating can be different from the raw material.

A new process which gives the desired coating composition and ca

reach all the required points on the component is needed.

“Partnerships are key. Having developed a likely compound we use

specialist suppliers to make the compound and specialist coatingsuppliers to make and apply it.”

There are no commercial engines flying yet with ceramic composit

matrix parts, but the plan is to have engines containing such materia

flying in the near future. “When I see a plane with this technology tak

off,” says Dr Lee, “it will be an exciting day. I was there, two decades ag

when EBCs were born and to witness the technology taking off, literally

will be fantastic.”

Author: Simon Kirby consults and lectures in marketing communications withparticular interest in technology. He has worked in communications rolesextensively in both the public and private sector.


CMAS resistance is the next big

challenge, requiring the developmentof a very special chemistry.

* Calcium-Magnesium- Aluminosilicate


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28 rolls-royce.com

“I name this ship…”


31/35

the magazine MAR


MS Queen Elizabeth is the first of

two 65,000 tonne aircraft carriers

to be built at the Rosyth dockyard,

in Fife, Scotland, due to enter

service in 2017.

Rolls-Royce is providing close to £100 million

worth of power and propulsion equipment tothe ships, and as part of an industry alliance,

has delivered virtually all the kit for both ships.

Her Majesty the Queen, the ship’s sponsor,

accompanied by Prince Philip, the Lord High

Admiral, named ‘her’ ship in front of assembled

guests on Friday 4 July. The spectacular event

combined the usual pomp and ceremony of a

Royal occasion, with a demonstration of

capability, in the shape of a vessel that will

proudly represent British interests for at least

the next 50 years.

For the many thousands of men and women

involved in what is one of the UK’s biggest and

most complex engineering projects, the day

was all about celebration.

“A ship fit for a Queen,” was how First

Sea Lord, Sir George Zambellas described

the mighty vessel, as she sat proudly in

Number 1 dock.

PartnersThis mammoth project is being delivered

by The Aircraft Carrier Alliance (ACA), an

innovative alliance between industry and the

Ministry of Defence (MOD). The alliance was

formed to ensure that all partners take

collective responsibility and ownership of the

project, and deliver best value for money, and

indeed the best possible ships. Alongside the

MOD there are three industrial partners:

Babcock, BAE Systems and Thales UK.

Rolls-Royce is part of a ‘sub-alliance’, led by

Thales to deliver the power and propulsion

for both ships.

With the ship now afloat, the focus

shifts to commissioning the many complex

systems on board. For Rolls-Royce Project

Manager, Tony Williams, this is one of the

most exciting phases.

“We now connect our equipment to thenumerous, complex systems throughout the

ship. Everything was tested and certified before

leaving our factories, but in some cases it will

have been five years since that equipment was

last energised, such is the logical order of the

ship build.

“One of the most challenging tasks is the

installation of the massive Rolls-Royce

propellers, which each weigh 33 tonnes and

measure almost seven metres in diameter. For

HMS Queen Elizabeth, these will be installed

underwater by the shipyard,” as Tony explains.

“This isn’t a new procedure, as blades are

regularly changed when ships are in service,

but it’s quite unusual for a new build and for

something this big.

“For Ship 1, now she’s floating, outfittingwill continue ready for commissioning to start

next year. That means construction of Ship 2

can also begin.”

The Rolls-Royce scope of supply also includes

two MT30 gas turbines, each rated at 36MW.

These drive large alternators which provide the

electrical power for the ships. In total, the gas

turbines and four diesel generators provide

around 110MW of installed power – enough to

power a town the size of Swindon.

For a new build Royal Navy ship, it is usual to

appoint a senior naval officer to take charge

long before the ship enters active service. For

HMS Queen Elizabeth, this role is the

responsibility of Capt Simon Pettit. He says:

“Having now spent 18 months watching the

future flagship of the Royal Navy come

together, I can report that HMS Queen Elizab

is something very different; a step-change in

the capability she can provide both to the Ro

Navy and the United Kingdom as a whole.”

Author: Craig Taylor is Head of Communications– Marine for Rolls-Royce. He has previously workcommunications roles in the nuclear power andpublic transport industries.

H

An MT30 gas turbine andother Rolls-Royce marineequipment were ondisplay during the event.

The HMS Queen Elizabeth hasbeen floated out of the dry dockto begin the outfitting process.


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y April 1945 the end

was nearly nigh for

World War Two, the

prime driving force

behind the successful development

by Rolls-Royce of jet engines that

revolutionised the performance of

allied warplanes. Now came the

time for Rolls-Royce to focus on

ways to bring the benefits of the

jet engine to the future of

commercial aviation.

So on 25 April that year, in a

utilitarian bare-brick-walled off

in Derby, UK, designers began t

define the basic shape of the RB

a turboprop destined initially fo

new Royal Air Force trainer but

with clear potential for new

commercial aircraft. But soon th

B

30 rolls-royce.com

An early Dart enginebeing prepared for test.

TURBOPROP TO TURBOFAN

Two of the most significantengines in Rolls-Royce history, theDart and RB211, began life over-burdened with problems – butboth soon proved their merits inthe marketplace worldwide.


33/35

only reward for their efforts was a

daunting series of setbacks.

The new engine, named the

Dart, showed worrying signs of

gross overweight at birth – a

problem seriously compounded

during initial test-bed runs whenmaximum power reached just 600

shaft horsepower (shp), woefully

short of its target 1,000shp. And

then the RAF decided to revert to

piston power for its proposed new

trainer aircraft, leaving the

struggling Dart with no

immediate market and Rolls-Royce

with a crisis on its hands.

But rather than abandon the

project the company pressed

ahead with a major redesign

programme, overseen by an

up-and-coming senior engineer,

David Huddie. Powerful support

for the Dart also came from Sir

George Edwards of Vickers-

Armstrong, an ambitious UK

aircraft company that wanted the

Dart for its promising new

Viscount airliner project.

Huddie’s emergency action-

plan brought impressive technical

results, culminating in an official

type test at 1,400shp early in 1951.

By now the increasingly lean and

fuel-efficient Dart had also gained

extensive flight development

experience in a series of aircraft

including, in 1948, the first flight

of the Viscount.

ProductionThe setbacks of the early Dart days

seemed insignificant when, in

April 1953, the Viscount 700

production version, powered by

four Dart Mk 505s, took off from

London bound for Cyprus,

becoming the world’s first gasturbine-powered aircraft to

operate a fully scheduled

passenger service.

This flight marked the start of

the jet revolution for commercial

air travel. Passengers loved the

smooth, quiet and comfortably

pressurised Viscount with its

panoramic windows. Airlines

clamoured for places on the

Vickers production lines. With its

fuel-efficient Dart the Viscount

proved one of the most successful

and profitable of all early post-war

transport aircraft, eventually

logging 445 sales to a broad range

of global customers including,

innovatively, key operators in

North America and China.Dart’s reputation with the

Viscount also inspired success in a

series of new aircraft applications,

while the engine’s inbuilt

suitability for ongoing

development – thanks to the

foresight of its 1940s design team

and Huddie’s recovery programme

– ensured it took on board an

enduring programme of

technological enhancements right

up to the mid-1980s. Eventually

over 6,000 Darts were built for

commercial and military operators

worldwide – and many remain in

service today.

Aerospace, however, never

stands still and the global success

of the Viscount in the 1950squickly served to spur intense

competition, particularly from US

commercial airframe and engine

manufacturers with their

burgeoning domestic market. By

the late 1950s, the UK’s post-war

lead in commercial aviation had

given way to new US generations

of larger, faster turbojet-powered

airliners. By the mid-1960s

proposals began to emerge for

even larger aircraft, initially to

meet requirements from Amer

Airlines and Eastern Airlines fo

novel designs that would focus

low-cost-per-seat operations –

first wide-bodied airliners.With its Dart a world leader

the medium turboprop market

Rolls-Royce had not been stand

still. Sir David Huddie, the man

behind the Dart’s remarkable

recovery and now managing

director of the company’s aero

division, and senior engineer

Geoffrey Wilde both strongly

supported development of new

three-shaft engine designs,

realising the potential to create

engines shorter and lighter tha

equivalent two-shaft rivals – an

provide better performance

retention in airline service.

OrdersRolls-Royce was also convinced

the three-shaft design would

prove the simplest, lowest-cost

solution to the problem of

gaining significantly lower

fuel consumption and lower

noise output than two-shaft

competitors.

With US airframers Lockhee

and Douglas offering new

three-engined wide-bodies, the

L-1011 TriStar and DC-10

respectively, Rolls-Royce offered

new RB211 design to both. In 1

Lockheed, announcing orders f

94 TriStars, placed an order for

sets of RB211-22 engines. Such

massive order was lauded as an

unprecedented breakthrough f

UK company into the big-leagu

US commercial aviation busine

But now Rolls-Royce faced adaunting technical and

commercial challenge: to devel

a large, complex and radically

advanced big-fan engine withi

severely tight timeframe. Early

engines mirrored the setbacks

the early Dart days – insufficie

thrust, too much weight and

overly high fuel consumption.

And then, to deepen these

the magazine HISTORI



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32 rolls-royce.com

woes, came failure of the RB211’s

promising new lightweight

carbon-fibre fan blades in crucial

bird-ingestion tests. Costs of

righting these wrongs rapidly

spiralled upwards and by late 1970

the project had entered deep crisis.

Rolls-Royce’s insolvency followed in

January 1971, with the company

nationalised the following month.

From such adversity sprang

opportunity for a 63-year-old

mathematician who had retired

from Rolls-Royce three years earlier.

Dr Stanley Hooker, a key figure in

developing the supercharger that

boosted the Merlin piston engine

to wartime dominance in the sky

and in turning the jet engine from

crude prototype into the power of

the future, came out of retirement

and, working with senior engineers

and fellow retirees, rapidly

assessed and addressed the

RB211’s problems.

Progress came quickly. On 21

April 1972, England’s patron saint’s

day, pride rode high as the

RB211-22 formally entered airline

service with Eastern Airlines. But

Hooker, now restored to his

pre-retirement role of Technical

Director, and senior colleagues

clearly saw the looming reality: to

become a true winner, the RB211

needed a bigger market than the

L-1011 TriStar alone could provide.

So Hooker and his colleagues

quickly defined a second-

generation RB211 with higher

thrust and better efficiency. Enterthe RB211-524, the engine that

pulled Rolls-Royce from the brink of

extinction and began a new era of

technical and commercial success.

The 50,000lb thrust -524 offered

major performance and efficiency

gains over the Pratt & Whitney

JT9D in the Boeing 747 and in 1973

Boeing agreed to offer the UK

engine on the 747-200. British

Airways led the order-book and

other top-division operators soon

followed suit, Qantas, Cathay

Pacific and South African Airways

among them. Successive -524

enhancements, up to 60,600lb

thrust, continue today to deliver

profit-driving benefits for airlines

worldwide and the engine also

gained ground on Boeing 767s.

Successful land- and sea-based

derivatives were developed for

power generation and for the oil

and gas industry.

Boeing underscored the RB211’

ability when it selected the new

535 version to launch its new 7

Soon the 535 cemented its lead

position on the 757 with a new

wide-chord fan version, the 535

With world-leading performanretention, reliability and

availability, the 535-E4 became

template for the next generatio

Rolls-Royce three-shaft turbofan

the Trent family.

Today, with Trents clearly the

engines of choice of airlines for

current wide-body aircraft,

Rolls-Royce leads as world num

one in this ultra-competitive

marketplace. The role of the RB

in this transformation, and of t

people who strove so hard and

effectively to turn around its

fortunes and deliver its enormo

potential, is pivotal. As in the D

before it, unstinting attention t

engineering excellence ensured

long-term success.

Author: John Hutchinson is anindependent writer on a rangeof topics including technology.He has worked in various corporateand media communication roles,never far from the leading-edgeindustry of aerospace.

A RB211- powered Tristar.

RB211- 524G engines powering a Boeing 747-400


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Published quarterlyMaterial contained in this magazine may be reprinted butpermission must be obtained in advance from the Editor.

Picture creditsAll photographs Rolls-Royce plc except:cover, p14-18, Jamie Hunter, Aviacom LtdP2-6, P26-27, Peter Holman Motordrive PhotographicP7, P9, Andrew Siddons, Peak Photographic LtdP10-13, Mark Portland PhotographyP21, Bloodhound SSCP22-23, Espen GeesP24 centre, Fotografen ASP25, Fjord linesCopyright owned by photographer/organisation.

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the magazine - issue 142 (september 2014)

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