Initial results have been “very positive,” according to the engine maker, which is conducting the work at its test facility at NASA's Stennis Space Center.
Propulsive efficiency gains could diminish for bigger turbofans unless nacelle drag can be reduced. Flight tests show promise from a short inlet design.
Vertical Aerospace has completed initial tethered hover testing of a full-scale demonstrator for its VX4 electric vertical takeoff and landing air taxi.
The return of more long-haul flying will help boost Rolls-Royce average shop-visit volume in the low double digits for the next few years, the company projects.
Executives of aero-engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce say they are encouraged by increasing levels of flying activity, bolstered by domestic flights using wide-body aircraft.
Rolls-Royce's Power Generation System 1 (PGS1) demonstrator is designed to pave the way for future hybrid-electric regional propulsion system development.
Rolls-Royce says it will make its all of its civil aircraft engines compatible with sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) as part of its roadmap for decarbonizing aerospace.
The United deal, which also covers options for 35 additional aircraft, envisages introduction of the first civil supersonic services on trans-Atlantic and Pacific routes by 2029.