Aircraft engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce is retiring a Boeing 747-200 test aircraft after 20 years in service.
The company said the aircraft, known as the “Flying Test Bed” (FTB) and registered as N787RR, flew its last assignment in July. It had been in service since 2005 and played a role in the development of engines like the Trent 1000 and Pearl 10X.
“With more than 2,000 hours of testing under its belt, the Flying Test Bed has been a workhorse for us over the last 20 years, helping us push the boundaries on engine development,” said John Knight, director of testing and experimental engineering at Rolls-Royce. “Whilst we say a fond farewell to our ‘Queen of the Skies,’ we continue to innovate in testing with a combination of flying test beds, ground testing, and advanced digital modeling.”
The FTB was modified for testing and could operate with five engines instead of the 747’s standard four. It sometimes flew missions with different engine types attached to its wings.
This method was used in the testing of the Pearl 10X, which was developed for the business jet market and is expected to power the Dassault Falcon 10X.
In 2021, the FTB flew with a Trent 1000 using sustainable aviation fuel while its other three RB211 engines used standard jet fuel, confirming the powerplant could operate with the more environmentally friendly alternative.
Rolls-Royce officials said that flight was a key moment in the company’s push to reach 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) compatibility across its engine types.
Two years later, Virgin Atlantic became the first passenger airline to fly an aircraft with Trent 1000 engines burning 100 percent SAF across the Atlantic.
The Flying Test Bed’s last flight supported the company’s Advanced Low Emissions Combustion System (ALECSys) engine demonstrator, which Rolls-Royce said will help the development of more sustainable engine technology.
