From ground test to flight test: Rolls-Royce’s Gregg Pyers on preparing the F130 for the B-52J | Rolls-Royce

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The F130 engine program is moving through a major year of testing as Rolls-Royce prepares for the next phase of the U.S. Air Force’s B-52 Commercial Engine Replacement Program (CERP).

Major design reviews are complete, altitude and operability testing has been successfully conducted, and the program is continuing through an extensive test campaign designed to validate the engine and propulsion system across the conditions it will face in service. At the same time, the first of 20 flight-test engines are being built in Indianapolis for delivery beginning in 2027.

In this conversation, Gregg Pyers, Senior Vice President of the B-52 CERP/F130 program at Rolls-Royce, shares where the program stands today, what engineers are testing now and how proven commercial engine technology is being adapted for one of the U.S. Air Force’s most enduring aircraft.

Where does the F130 development program stand today?

We’re making significant progress on F130 engine development and qualification testing, and the B-52 re-engining program continues to move forward on schedule, at the pace defined by the U.S. Air Force.

We’ve already completed several major milestones, including Critical Design Review, altitude performance and operability testing, Rapid Twin Pod testing and sea-level performance testing.

Now we’re moving through the next phase of the test campaign, while assembly of the flight test engines is underway here in Indianapolis

What are you testing now, and what does that testing tell you?

We have several activities underway or coming up that are designed to validate the engine and propulsion system across the range of conditions the B-52 will experience in operation.

Ground crosswind testing with the final inlet and nacelle geometry is underway at our facility at NASA Stennis, while sea-level operability testing is underway here in Indianapolis. We’re also preparing for water-ingestion testing in Montreal and endurance testing in Indianapolis this fall.

Each test answers a different question. Ground crosswind testing verifies that the engines can operate in crosswind conditions during ground operations such as taxi and takeoff. Sea-level operability testing verifies engine stall margin at sea-level conditions. Water-ingestion testing demonstrates that the engine can continue to operate in rain, while endurance testing will put the engines through approximately twice the expected flight-test usage to demonstrate reliable operation.

Together, those tests give us a much fuller picture of how the F130 and integrated propulsion system will perform across the B-52’s operating environment.

The F130 is based on commercial engine technology. What has to change to make it suitable for the B-52?

The commercial heritage of the F130 is a real advantage. We’re starting with proven BR-family technology that has accumulated more than 30 million flight hours, but we’re not simply taking a commercial engine and putting it on a B-52.

Boeing is the propulsion-system integrator for the program, and Rolls-Royce is working closely with Boeing and the Air Force on the engineering analysis, design changes and testing required to integrate the engine with the aircraft.

That work has included changes to the engine externals to accommodate Boeing hardware and ensure maintenance accessibility within the twin-pod nacelle, as well as modifications to the accessory gearbox and cooling system to meet the B-52’s electrical-power requirements. We’ve also done extensive work around the engine inlet and airflow requirements.

That combination is really the value proposition: we get the maturity and reliability of proven commercial technology while doing the engineering and qualification work necessary for the B-52’s unique installation and military mission.

How do Rolls-Royce and Boeing make sure the engine and aircraft work together as an integrated propulsion system?

Boeing is responsible for the inlet design and serves as propulsion-system integrator, while Rolls-Royce works closely with Boeing and the Air Force to make sure the engine and inlet perform together across the B-52’s operating envelope.

In simple terms, the inlet has to provide stable, consistent airflow to the engine across a wide range of flight conditions.

Our current crosswind testing uses the final inlet and nacelle geometry to continue validating the integrated system under representative operating conditions. That progressive testing is an important part of verifying the propulsion system before the program moves into flight test.

What is happening with the flight-test engines in Indianapolis?

Assembly of the 20 flight-test engines is already underway.

We receive the baseline BR725 engines from our Rolls-Royce colleagues in Germany and convert them to the F130 configuration here in Indianapolis. The engines then complete final acceptance testing here before delivery.

We expect to begin delivering the flight-test engines to the Air Force in April 2027 to support aircraft modification and the flight-test program.

What gives you confidence in the F130 as the program moves toward flight test?

There are really two pieces to that.

First, we’re starting with mature technology. The F130 leverages the BR family, which has accumulated more than 30 million commercial flight hours.

Second, we have an extensive development and qualification program specifically designed around the B-52 installation and mission. From altitude and operability testing to Twin Pod testing, sea-level testing and the work underway today, each phase gives us additional data and confidence as we progress toward flight tests.

The F130 is expected to remain on wing for the life of the aircraft, so the work we are doing now is about making sure we deliver the reliability and performance the Air Force will need for decades to come.

What does this work ultimately mean for the future of the B-52?

The B-52J is expected to remain a cornerstone of U.S. strategic deterrence into the middle of this century, and the F130 is an important part of ensuring the aircraft can continue performing that mission for decades.

For our team, that makes the work happening today very tangible.

The B-52J will fly into the middle of this century, and the engines that take it there are being assembled and tested here in Indianapolis.

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