Apologies for the lack of content here the past two weeks, I've been mostly 'heads down' working on features for our Paris air show issue.
The Package B engine includes a revised six-stage low pressure turbine (LPT) design, high-aspect-ratio blades, relocation of the intermediate-pressure (IP) compressor bleed offtake ports and a fan outlet guide vanes with improved aerodynamics.
ZA004 will return to flying Friday with the first Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 'Package B' engine hung under its right wing, marking the beginning of tests on the updated powerplant meant to deliver specific fuel consumption (SFC) rates within 1% of initial specification.
The fourth 787 test aircraft had been down for maintenance since April 27 installing the engine and its extensive instrumentation. The left-hand engine is expected to be installed on ZA004 later this month, say program sources.
Additionally, it is believed that the Package B engine also incorporates undisclosed hardware changes that were prompted following the August 2010 uncontained failure of a Package A model Trent 1000 at the Rolls-Royce test stand in Derby, UK.
UPDATE 7:44 PM ET: It appears the flight plan has been withdrawn from Flightaware.com, scrubbing Friday's Package B engine first flight.
UPDATE 12:45 PM ET: Program sources say ZA004 should likely fly on Saturday. A bit of archival digging began to answer a few on-going questions about the Package B engine. From a December 2009 report I authored just before 787 first flight (EIS planned for late 2010), I wrote:
ZA001 through ZA004 will conduct their respective first flights using the current Package A standard engine, while ZA004 will have its engines swapped out with the Package B engine during the middle of next year for ETOPS testing.Further, a Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 newsletter published on the company's website in March 2010 - three months later - calls the Package B engine the "EIS performance standard", suggesting that the Package A engines would never see commercial service.The Trent 1000 engines featured on the fifth and sixth 787s delivered to All Nippon Airways are expected to feature specific fuel consumption within 1% of targets set by Rolls-Royce.
UPDATE 8:39 PM ET: ZA004 has completed its first flight with the Package B engine, flying up and down the Pacific coast of Washington, Oregon and California. The aircraft was spotted on final approach to Boeing Field just moments before landing on its roughly four-plus hour flight.
Photo Credit Flightaware.com
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