Introduction of the blade is expected to help alleviate the number of Aircraft on Ground (AOG) events relating to Trent 1000-powered aircraft, while also relieving operator maintenance burden and flight operational restrictions.
As part of its range of activities to support customers experiencing disruption on Trent 1000 engines, Rolls-Royce developed a redesigned intermediate pressure compressor blade which addresses durability issues on Package C engines. Package C forms the largest part of the Trent 1000 fleet, powering a total of 170 aircraft.
The blade was certified by both the Federal Aviation Administration and the European Aviation Safety Agency and the relevant bulletins were provided to customers by both Rolls-Royce and Boeing in late December 2018.
The installation of the blade follows a fast-paced programme which began in June 2018, when the first revised compressor blades were installed on a test engine at a dedicated facility in Derby, UK, making use of the latest in computing capability and “fast make” competencies.