Derby-based engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce (www.rolls-royce.com) has announced that it will operate a jet engine test-bed at Alliance Airport in Fort Worth, Texas.

The company has signed a lease to take over the 440,000ft² former Texas Aero Engine Services facility, of which the test-bed is a part.

Rolls-Royce also recently announced the development of a new test-bed facility at its Derby headquarters, as part of an on-going commitment to supporting the growth in delivery of engines expected over the coming years.

With several new models of its Trent engine either having recently entered airline service or about to do so this year, the test-bed in the USA will be used to carry out endurance tests.

The company’s Trent 1000 TEN entered service in November 2017, powering the Boeing 787, while the Trent XWB-97 and Trent 7000 will enter service this year on the Airbus A350-1000 and Airbus A330neo respectively.

By the early 2020s, Rolls-Royce expects 50% of modern twin-aisle airliners to be powered by Trent variants.

Testing team leader Gareth Hedicker said: “This additional test-bed will help us to improve the capability and flexibility of our global test network, giving us additional capability to run endurance analysis and accrue valuable data on our latest engine programmes.”

Until its closure in early 2016, the TAES site was a maintenance, repair and overhaul facility run as a 50-50 joint venture between American Airlines and Rolls-Royce.

Having signed a lease with the City of Fort Worth, Rolls-Royce expects its test-bed to be operational in a few months, with about a dozen employees. It is reviewing a number of options for the remaining space at the facility.