Aviation Engines, Propulsion & Auxiliary Power Units

LONDON - Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 engines powered the first flight of the Gulfstream G800 using 100% sustainable aviation fuel. The flight was part of Gulfstream Aerospace’s high-altitude flight test campaign, demonstrating the potential for 100% neat SAF to reduce contrail-forming particle emissions at altitudes up to 50,000 feet.

The aircraft flew while trailed by a Gulfstream G700 modified to track emissions. Operating in close formation, the tests captured precise, real-world measurements of particulate matter and contrail-forming atmospheric characteristics at higher altitudes than those flown by most commercial airliners, yet typical for business aviation.

Led by Gulfstream Aerospace and conducted in close collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration, NASA, the German Aerospace Center, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolls-Royce, Aerodyne Research, Montana Renewables and World Fuel Services, the campaign was designed to isolate how different fuel compositions influence non-CO2 emissions.

To accomplish this, the team compared conventional Jet-A aviation fuel, low-sulfur Jet-A and neat HEFA (hydro-processed esters and fatty acids) SAF, which contains no sulfur or aromatics. Preliminary results suggest that engines operating on neat SAF significantly reduce the particulate emissions that contribute to contrail formation.

Source: Rolls-Royce
Associated URL: https://www.rolls-royce.com/media/press-releases/2026/08-07-2026-gulfstream-and-rolls-royce-take-sustainable-aviation-to-new-heights.aspx

FORT WORTH - After $120.0 million in investment and sustained work on the material facilities, on July 8th German propulsion manufacturer MTU Aero Engines announced the activation of its modernized Forth Worth, Texas MRO operations center. The revitalized and expanded site was inaugurated with work on a CFM International Leap 1B engine belonging to Brazil's GOL Linhas Aéreas (GOL). The Fort Worth facility is intended to serve as central hub for MTU across the North American region and beyond, with work on the site having been initiated in 2023. Across the aviation propulsion segment, MRO requirements for the vast and still growing inventory of LEAP engines on flagship platforms such as the A320 and 737 is generating a broad expansion of facilities across the globe, with Safran having opened new facilities for LEAP maintenance in Mexico only a week prior.

Source: MTU Aero Engines
Associated URL: https://www.mtu.de/newsroom/press/latest-press-releases/press-release-detail/mtu-maintenance-fort-worth-celebrates-grand-opening-and-inducts-first-leap-1b-engine/

MOSCOW - Russian aircraft maker UZGA has begun endurance testing of its VK-800 turboprop engine, with the powerplant set to run for 150 hours on a ground rig under what the company describes as "maximum operating conditions" to assess stability and reliability.

UZGA plans for the VK-800 to power at least three aircraft: the LMS-901 Baikal utility aircraft, the twin-engined LMS-192 Osvey regional transport, and the UTS-800 light trainer. UZGA says flight tests of the UTS-800, which features a composite structure, glass cockpit and lightweight ejection seats, will begin soon.

The Baikal is expected to gain Russian certification next year, with the Osvey following at the end of 2029. The manufacturer reports that domestic operators have expressed interest in acquiring up to 127 such aircraft by 2035. The Baikal is meant to replace the Soviet-era Antonov An-2, though large numbers of An-2s will continue to operate in Russia even after the Baikal enters service. These aircraft are now set to be supported by the Siberian aviation research institute, SibNIA.

Source: Flightglobal
Associated URL: https://www.flightglobal.com/archive/2026/07/endurance-testing-starts-for-vk-800-intended-to-power-new-russian-utility-aircraft/