Rolls-Royce readies engines for Boeing 787-9

Rolls-Royce has completed the first engine run of the Trent 1000 engines that will power the Boeing Co.'s 787-9.

Rolls began running the Package C variant of the Trent 1000 engine on a test bed in April, kicking off eight weeks of testing.

Two Trent 1000 Package C engines are being built for initial flight testing on the Rolls-Royce 747-200 flying test bed, with a three-month program scheduled to begin in the summer, the engine-maker said in a statement Tuesday.

Rolls will deliver engines for Boeing to use for 787-9 flight testing and for the 787-9 that will enter service with Air New Zealand in 2014.

Trent 1000 Package C engines will also begin powering 787-8 aircraft that enter service later in 2014, the company said.

“This is another important chapter in the evolution of the Trent 1000 as we prepare for the launch of the next member of the 787 Dreamliner family,” said Simon Carlisle, Rolls-Royce, program director for the Trent 1000. “Our in-service experience on the Boeing Dreamliner and our rigorous improvement programs give us the platform to deliver the best engine for the 787-9.”