Rolls-Royce has announced that it has finished prototyping the UltraFan® technology and has begun testing it. An important milestone in this project was reached when the demo machine was moved from the build shop to the Derby test rig in England, where it was assembled for testing.

The first test of the prototype is expected to take place early next year and will run on 100% sustainable aviation fuel.

Chris Cholerton, President of Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace, said:

It’s a great way to end the year to see the UltraFan prototypes get ready to be tested on Testbed 80. We’ve all been waiting for this moment, which is an important milestone for the project and the team that has been working on it. The next stage is to see UltraFan run for the first time on 100% sustainable aviation fuel in 2023, demonstrating that the technology is poised to support more sustainable flights going forward.

The UltraFan, the world’s largest prototype aero machine, features several innovative innovations improve fuel efficiency, which reduces emissions and increases sustainability. This technology can also be used to improve the efficiency and sustainability of our current machines operating in the near future.

It will be ready to run on 100% sustainable aviation fuel from day one of service, and they are continuously working to find potential options for hybrid, electric and hydrogen power solutions. A few months ago we have seen how they prepare it:

The fans alone are 12 feet in diameter and use 25% less fuel than first-generation Trent engines, so they’ll make for a much greener ride for decades.