The Rolls-Royce UltraFan engine takes its first test

UltraFan is not a new ready-made jet engine, but a so-called ‘technology demonstrator’ that includes many new technologies. Together, these should make the engine 25 percent more economical.

Special features include an 18-blade fan made of composites and titanium. A gearbox like the Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan allows the fan to run slower and more efficiently than the turbines behind the engine.

The UltraFan also has a new type of combustion chamber that produces 40 percent more nitrogen oxide than the current generation. The core of the engine is very well preserved. This allows 70 times more air through the engine than through it, which also improves efficiency. The UltraFan is designed for various force ratings between 25,000 and 100,000 pounds of thrust.

The engine will be tested extensively in the coming years. Rolls-Royce does not yet have an UltraFan user and does not expect to have one for the next ten years, but that is up to Airbus and Boeing. For a while, Boeing’s new mid-sized plane seemed like a logical candidate, but in early 2019 Rolls-Royce pulled out because it didn’t think the UltraFan would be ready in time. A year later, Boeing discontinued the aircraft.