LONDON - Rolls-Royce is making significant progress in enhancing the durability of its Trent XWB-97 engine, the exclusive powerplant for the Airbus A350-1000. The company aims to double the engine's time-on-wing in harsh, sandy regions like the Middle East, a move critical to securing orders from airlines such as Emirates. Current dust-ingestion testing of new hot-section components is yielding results that meet or exceed expectations, with one test engine already surpassing 1,000 cycles.

The enhancements are being introduced in three phases, with the first two already in operation. A third, more comprehensive set of upgrades is slated for service entry in 2028. This phase includes improved cooling for high-pressure turbine blades, the addition of heat-resistant ceramic-matrix composites, and combustor modifications to reduce hotspots. Before starting, Rolls-Royce refined its testing protocol, calibrating it against real-world data from engines used in the Gulf region to ensure accuracy. The enhanced engine will undergo flight and certification testing in 2027.

Source: Flightglobal
Associated URL: https://www.flightglobal.com/engines/rolls-royce-trusts-in-dust-as-trent-xwb-97-durability-upgrades-exceed-expectations-in-testing/165291.article
Author: Dominic Perry 

SAN DIEGO - Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. has announced the opening of a new Propulsion Manufacturing Facility in Auburn Hills, Michigan to fulfill upcoming demand for Kratos' Spartan engines, a family of high-quality, low-cost, military grade turbojet engines, a key enabler in the affordable mass problem set.

This state-of-the-art 22,500-square-foot facility with office, manufacturing, assembly and test areas allows for concurrent production of all four engines in the Spartan family and quantities of 50,000 plus per year. The Spartan line of engines consists of four propulsion systems ranging in thrust from 30 to over 200 lbf.

Kratos' investment in the new facility demonstrates our commitment to advancing affordable mass inventory levels, producing a large number of military-grade, affordable turbojet engines while expanding crucial infrastructure needed to accelerate propulsion system inventory levels as a part of the US defense industrial base.

To support concurrent production and test of the multiple engine types, Kratos has configured the new facility and optimized inventory systems, production flow, and manufacturing ramp plans to enable isolation of key elements such as inventory while enabling shared use for incoming and outgoing inspection, as well as the multi-station test cell.

With an investment in infrastructure, personnel, and equipment, Kratos' Auburn Hills facility is designed for rapid, affordable manufacturing of low-cost turbojet engines to significantly boost critical inventory levels.

Steve Fendley, President of Kratos Unmanned Systems Division, said, "Achieving affordable mass requires effective planning and management at all levels-from supply chain to military customer delivery aligned and optimized for cost, capacity, and resilience. Our production-first mindset has been key to our success in realizing high-reliability, military-grade engines with key operational features that can be produced affordably and delivered at high rates. This is a result of our focus on producibility and cost right from the start, rather than the traditional performance first, manufacturability and cost second approach."

Source: Kratos Defense
Associated URL: https://ir.kratosdefense.com/news-releases/news-release-details/kratos-moves-new-engine-manufacturing-facility-auburn-hills-mi

WASHINGTON - The eVTOL industry is entering a defining phase as years of design, testing, and certification work converge toward operational reality. Join us as we examine the current state of advanced air mobility (AAM) and explore what it will take to transition eVTOLs from prototypes to scalable, real-world operations.

This webinar will unpack the challenges that matter most right now -- aligning certification pathways across global regulators, integrating eVTOLs safely into complex airspace, building the infrastructure and vertiports to sustain operations, and earning the public trust essential for success. We’ll also explore how collaboration among OEMs, regulators, and infrastructure partners will shape the speed and scope of eVTOL commercialization worldwide.

Join us November 20, 2025: 12pm-12:30pm EST by registering at the link below

Source: Forecast International
Associated URL: https://events.forecastinternational.com/evtols-at-the-threshold/