Air Transport

Powerplant for 7E7 to be developed under $20 million deal using 747-200 airframe

The Integrated Systems subsidiary of L-3 Communications is to develop a Boeing 747 flying testbed for the 7E7's Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine, following a $20 million contract from the UK engine manufacturer.

The work will be performed at the company's Waco, Texas site, where L-3 has undertaken several other 747 modification programmes, including the ongoing Sofia (stratospheric observatory for infrared astronomy) airborne telescope, which is a radically re-engineered 747SP. L-3 says the new testbed will be based on a yet-to-be-selected 747-200 airframe.

The modifications will include the development of a pylon-strut adaptor on the left inboard engine position to interface with the Trent 1000, as well as the stripping out of the interior to provide space for engine test and monitoring instrumentation. L-3 will have overall responsibility for the aircraft modification, maintenance, logistics support and flightcrews for the duration of the engine test programme. The aircraft is expected to be selected within the next few weeks and will be ferried to Waco for modification before the end of March.

The final design of the fifth-generation Trent 1000, with a 10:1 bypass ratio and 50:1 total overall compression ratio, is due to be frozen by February, with the first engine test scheduled for mid- February 2006. The basic test, development and certification effort will involve seven sea level engines and the flight-test Trent 1000, which is expected to make its first flight in the April-May 2006 timeframe.

The Trent 1000 will be the second of the engine family to be flight tested on a 747, the first being the Trent 800 for the Boeing 777, which was first flown under the wing of Boeing's 747-100 testbed in February 1996. The Trent 500, 700 and 900 engines for the Airbus A340-500/600, A330 and A380 respectively, were flight tested on Airbus development aircraft.

Completion of the joint NASA/DLR Sofia 747SP airborne observatory is expected early in 2005 following the installation of the massive upper rigid door structure on the aft upper fuselage at Waco on 20 December. The aircraft, which will carry a 2.5m (8ft) reflecting telescope, is expected to begin initial scientific operations based out of NASA Ames, California, later in 2005.

Evergreen International Airlines will provide flightcrews, training and operational support, while Evergreen Air Center will provide maintenance and support. Evergreen assumed the roles in 2004 from United Airlines, which originally owned the 747SP.

GUY NORRIS / LOS ANGELES