Rolls-Royce has announced it has launched F130 engine testing at the company’s outdoor test facility at the NASA Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, U.S.
Rolls-Royce F130 engines were selected by the United States Air Force to replace the existing powerplants in the B-52 fleet, with over 600 new engine deliveries expected.
This milestone test program is the first time F130 engines have been tested in the dual-pod engine configuration of the B-52 aircraft.
Each B-52 aircraft has eight engines in four pods.
Rolls-Royce said:
“The engine testing will focus on crosswind aerodynamic flow as well as confirming the successful operation of the engine’s digital controls system. Early results from the testing have been very positive with additional test data to be analyzed over the next several months.
Rolls-Royce is collaborating very closely with the Air Force and Boeing, which is managing the overall engine integration and B-52 aircraft modernization program. The new engines will extend the life of the B-52 aircraft for 30 years. F130 engines are so durable they are expected to remain on wing for the remainder of the aircraft life.”
In other news BBC have just said that Argentina have pulled out of a co-operation agreement signed in 2016 and called for talks on the Falklands sovereignty again.
The Argies are feeling a little bit braver after getting more support from China, rumors going around that China wants a naval base near the cape.
If that’s true I suspect it wouldn’t be long till we hear the sound of american jets taking off from Mount pleasant.
Why? It’s your mess, you clean it up.
Because the Americans wouldn’t accept having a Chinese navy base in what they consider there backgarden.
Foreign policy 🥴 the Americans are really good at that aren’t they 🤔
Anyway, back to those engines which look fabulous – looking forward to seeing them on that great aircraft
Ah yes because the UK having a good trade relationship with Argentina is going to stop China from trying to grow the influence in South America.
The point I was making isn’t that I believe Argentina would use China to try and take the Falklands and we would have to rely on the US. The point I was making that if China used its influence to open military bases in Argentina (which isn’t unprecedented as it is currently doing that Africa) the US military would get worried and want to show a sign of strength. This would involve moving military assets down south to bases close to Argentina, which would include the Falklands and Chile. Even if we didn’t own the Falklands and had no beef with Argentina, China would still be trying to strong arm its way into South America and the US would still move assets down south.
Indeed after all the US seems to take that very attitude when it comes to Diego Garcia an island that is not dissimilar in status to the Falklands, I very much doubt that they will surrender the lease on the base there in the present Strabo situation with China because of some supposed ‘historical mess up’. They say ignorance is bliss eh.
I seem to rember their was a canal somewhere they were un happy about us invading to try and over throw a military dictator then about 30 years later they invaded some canal to try and over throw a military dictator 😀
And your lot are all bright and shinny, we more that hold your hand around the world. Plonker
Yep don’t act like the world police and protection racket at the same time then get offended when people call you in to help.
You can’t even put a carrier to sea without a squadron of USMC fighters, the French are a bigger naval power.
Wrong , we have the largest navy in Europe 4th largest in the world in terms of tonnage , we have two brand new carriers who are still working up their squadrons so no surprise USMC gave the there services to help, if you your gonna troll at least know what hell you are talking about as you have no clue, its like replying to 15 yr old 😅
Trolls of course have no need or inclination to actually talk sense so an education is unlikely to be high on his priority list. If he is American at all I presume he is one of those with an inbred hatred of Britain based on an incestuous re writing of history where only Americans wear the white hats and the rest of us just savages who get in their way and never appreciate their sense of self righteousness. Thankfully there are more sane voices to counteract the mad ones.
I’m sure he’s the kind of “American” who works in the St Petersburg Troll farm and he is pissed off because they can only pay him in SPAM now.
Spot on Jim, John in Minsk has already had his Lada towed away and his monthly potato allocation cut in punishment.
I suspect he will be sent to join the Special operation turret flying club if he has another bad month…..
Ken ‘ski’ is attempting to win the March Vodka bonus by trying a different approach. There’s an NLAW with his name on it if he doesn’t succeed 😂😂
👏 well said.
Why play with the Troll mate? It’s clear from what he is saying, he has very little knowledge of history or the geopolitical picture.
The French must have stealth carriers with 5th gen fighters on them sailing around the globe.
Yes, they took all the money for ITAR and built a Time Machine to the future 😀
You are Donald Trump and I claim my £5.
Perhaps Trumpski?
Yeah well you until recently you could only fly obsolete fighters off your latest Super carrier, at least we could fly F35s off ours. Indeed had it not been for a disastrous management of US designed and led F-35 programme we might have had a few more aircraft to fly off of the, after all they won’t be building ones that are fully capable of doing what was promised till (hopefully) this Summer many years late and we can’t fly old fashioned vintage 4th Gen jets off of our carriers like you can.
You do know BAe and the UK are responsible for building over 30% of every single F35 don’t you ?
Funny thing is that the US build fleets of supercarriers, spending over $14bn on the latest…and still achieves zero results. Russia doesn’t care. China doesn’t care. North Korea laughs. Iran laughs. The US needs some viagra, its impotent. Just great at wasting money.
So your suggesting China controlling the cape is good thing for the US? Anything that can’t transit though the Panama Canal need to go around the cape, so that’s both Ford and Nimitz class Carriers. For the UK is more of a matter of principle to support an oversea territory. The US handing one of the world sea gates which it needs access to a potentially hostile power is a far bigger issue.
Exactly even if the Falklands weren’t a British territory the US would still want to move assets down there to Chile and Brazil. The Falklands just offer an closer solution with a very friendly and democratic nation.
Especially as it has far more adversaries in South America now than allies now even if some don’t publicise the fact as much as others. Geez even Mexico esp since Trump is becoming less and less supportive even if they feel too intimidated to speak out. Many, as the US declines in World influence will only become more hostile and I suspect some Americans like him will only get more angry about it. Hitting out at those who actually cover their back and alienating them sadly is only likely to expand through ignorance of the realities like, as stated US carriers having to pass Chinese bases with missiles that could take them out in a conflict. One might have hoped for a more rational insight into the dangers in that and beyond but I’m hardly shocked.
Mistakes? we won the Falklands war and Argentina is not top of the list for trading partners , I seem to remember we also won all our insurgency wars in the jungle , not like US in Vietnam hey.
“Our foreign policy mistakes!” ….that is quite possibly the funniest comment on this site …ever.
I’d say you were being ironic but we all know Yanks don’t understand irony …something to do with a lack of intelligence I believe.
Ken W wrote:
I was visiting AMF(L) when it was based at Heidelberg and a friend of mine hearing I was heading down south asked if I would pick up a pair of Ray Bans for him. (I always travelled with a NATO travel Order) and that was more than enough to gain enter into US PXs. So I popped into the small store inside the camp (Campbell Bks) and the lady behind the counter stated she wasn’t sure I could be served , I replied didn’t ask any questions when we backed you up in Kuwait, I got the glasses.
Anyway I digress, these past 67 years it has been the US which has messed up across the world, be it:
Vietnam
Laotian Civil War
Permesta Rebellion
Lebanon crisis
Bay of Pigs Invasion
Dominican Civil War
Cambodian Civil War
Multinational intervention in Lebanon
Invasion of Grenada
Bombing of Libya
Invasion of Panama
Intervention in Haiti
Kosovo War
War in Afghanistan
Intervention in Yemen
Iraq War
Intervention in the War in North-West Pakistan
Intervention in the Somali Civil War
Intervention in Syria
As we can see the US has upset the worlds applecart more times since 1956 (The Suez crisis) than most others why during the Cuban crisis, the world almost ended. Kosovo was seen as an excuse to divert attention away from that woman. Don’t get me wrong I like the US and see them as a so called friendly nation. But seeing as the last time the US had to sort out a British mess was in 1956 and all of the above listings are post 1956. if anything it has been the Uk standing behind the US in many of them , which has helped the US more.
I think Ken hit the ropes and went flat on his face in the ring after that one Farouk!
A verbal knock out blow if there ever was one mate😂😂
I do love a bit of the surreal, I guess an ignorance about Geography inevitably leads to ignorance about what you do in the Worlds geography.
Talking of foreign policy mistakes…your disaster of an exit from Afghanistan was ABSOLUTELY HIDEOUS. What a debacle, then you just blamed Trump. It was “Trump’s plan.” You people never take accountability for ANYTHING. Bunch of finger-pointer cry babies. Whenever there is a failure it has to be someone else’s fault.. Meanwhile the taliban got what…$80 billion of free and advanced American weapons? What a joke! Bunch of guys in flip flops now with dozens of M1 Abram Tanks now. Unbelievable.
“foreign policy mistakes”
Absolutely hilarious Ken ….
And they say Americans don’t have a sense of humour!
I suspect Ken is probably another Kremlin basement morse tapper mate, don’t bother reacting…..
America has never cleaned up anything. Its the single source of most problems in the world. Totally incompetent, and stabs its Allies in the back every chance it gets.
There is no problem with the Falklands. Argentina just like to make a noise every few years.
What recent mistakes? You talking about what exactly? Afghanistan? Get a passport and see the world!
Highly unlikely. The US couldn’t decide who to back at the start of the Falklands war and were effectively siding with Argentina in the UN, because they didnt want to destabilise their southern trade.
To counter China they will probably talk to one of the other local counties about having a US base in the area, to avoid annoying anyone over Falklands, since most of the southern American countries supporting Argentina over their rights.
They were supplying us with the latest Sidewinders and letting us use Wideawake airfield from the very beginning.
No they weren’t. The air field is British owned (it’s leased to the US but we maintain the right to use it), they let us use their fuel. The sidewinders arrived later, the ones that the task force set sail with were from the joint stock that was shared with the US but we had access, as we still do with many types of munitions. At the start as the vessels traveled there the US was in the UN asking for US peace keeper troops to be stationed on the island without asking Argentina forces to leave. It was only when it was clear that the UK wasnt going to back down did the US take sides.
Plus the fuel was done on the quiet, as it was not approved by the US government. It only came to light years later.
Its all to do with the upcoming elections , the ruling Frente de Todos party which came to power in 2019 on a 48% mandate in the final run off against 40% for the Republican Proposal party. Has by its own hand suffered a huge reversal in the polls which saw it in the 2021 mid term elections lose the upper house , (the first time in 40 years a ruling party has suffered such a loss,) a poll carried out last June saw 75% of the electorate dissatisfied with the ruling party:
Such as increasing taxes , resulting in a huge rise in Poverty (57%)
knocking out debatable laws in a mainly catholic country such as a 1% employment quota for trans and travesti people in the national public sector, then questions were raised when it transpired the President’s son is a drag queen .
Then COVID hit and Fernández (the President) whilst locking down the entire country had no problem openly travelling the country having his picture taken (without a mask) with groups of supporters and holding social parties with Union leaders. The Health minister was forced to resign after it was revealed he provided preferential treatment for the COVID-19 vaccine to his close friends. Things weren’t helped when the Government handed out a one off cash sum of 10,000 pesos (US$152) to those on a low income. Problem was, the banks had been closed down and it took the Government 15 days to open them as you can gather that didn’t go down well
Then there is the infighting , just last week 4 senators left the party in which to join a newly formed one. A meeting held by 38 senior party members to launch an electoral front for the upcoming elections and to show unity amid the turmoil on Wednesday decided not to invite the president. Then there is the issue of the vice president “Cristina Fernández de Kirchner” who was President from 2007 to 2015. Since 2015 she has been in the dock several times regards her time as president such as insider dealing, treason (overlooking how Iran blew up a Jewish community centre for cheap oil) Then last December she was sentenced to 6 years in Jail for and a lifetime ban from holding public office for corruption. However, as VP she has temporary immunity. All of the above has tainted her standing with the people and yet it is widely rumoured that actually she runs the country.
Since they came to power, relationships with the US, Brazil have become strained, I’ve noticed that some here have mentioned China, whilst it is true that Argentina appears to have gravitated towards the Chinese camp, Beijing has become very tied of the promises that Argentina makes regards opening up, such as :
Chaco-Corrientes bridge, the Vaca Muerta gas pipeline, the Manuel Belgrano II thermoelectric plant, AySA’s South Underground River, the logistics center in Tierra del Fuego, dredging projects, high-voltage electricity connections, and improvements to railway branches.
Which due to Argentine Politics never saw the light of day. Which kind of explains why since 2019 there have been no new major financing deals from Chinese banks in Argentina and why we saw the exit of Sinopec from Argentina in 2020, after suffering severe trade union conflicts in the province of Santa Cruz.
So like the Junta who ruled Argentina and decided to invade the Falkland in which to win the people over , I get the feeling this is more about a vote winner in which to try and recapture some lost love before Octobers elections
Since you are obviously well on top of the brief for South American politics, please can I put you forward for the job of Foreign Secretary?! As you say it all boils down to politics, and as has been said by you and numerous others here, there are elections coming and it’s likely that the current incumbents will lose.
I visited Buenos Aires a few years back, and while standing in the Plaza de Mayo got talking politics with our guide, charming girl, child of immigrant Italian parents. She naturally wanted to know why we had fought a war over something that was not ours. I pointed out that annexing anyone’s territory when the locals don’t want it is at some point very likely to lead to bloodshed, and if the Argentine government of the time had been even a bit more savvy we might well have been able to come to some amicable compromise without resorting to fisticuffs.
I also had to make two other points, firstly that we have only had one civil war since 1066, and the rest of the time we have gained quite a lot of experience fighting all sorts of people besides the French, so we are quite good at it. The second point was that we had a female prime minister, and Galtieri thought that Latin American machismo would quickly lead her to come over all faint and fold. How wrong he was.
Yes, but the ChiComs have managed to establish a satellite tracking facility in Argentina, undoubtedly for a ‘benign, peaceful purpose.’ 🤔😳🙄
What a funny coincidence… the Argentine economy is in crisis again and there’s a general election scheduled for this year…
Am I cynic to think the Argentine government is cynically trying to distract its citizens by whipping up patriotism over the Falkands?…
And yet they constantly still deplete there armed forces because they are scared of a potential coup.
I think it’s simpler than that, they don’t have the money… as witnessed by the chronic state of their navy
and the rest of their armed forces, next to no fast jets at all on the flight line………
Aye its a sad state if affairs, after independence the were on the rise to become one of the up and coming nations in the world. Then as the world has seen so many times before and still happening, a dictator or string of dictatorships get involved and siphon of the wealth of the country to there pockets.
Yup, though at least it’s managed to rid itself of its last dictator and become a democracy. Goodness knows when Russia will manage to do the same…
To take the Argentinians mind’s off the dire state of their economy.
Argentina is a former Spanish colony and most of its inhabitants are, in the language of the Left, ‘Occupiers’.
Good news for Rolls Royce and Blighty.
Indeed I have never understood why the physical occupiers avoid being called Imperialists … except politically motivated taunts to Americans anyway. Many Argentinians are Italian colonists too which complicates it all the more.
Quite, I read a while back that Argentina and China have made some sort of deal and I predict our relationship with Argentina will worsen over time. Another good reason the UK needs to put the money in to re-arm; not just to deter Argentinian military action but also to counter Chinese navy that will arrive in due course in the area.
Will those engines fly as shown, no rear cowlings? They look the part like that, imho.
They look like candle-bulbs with Edison screws to me 🤷🏻♂️
😂
They will have rear cowlings installed. The engines are basically the BR-710. Same used on gulf stream business jets.
This is a great programme for RR. The 725 (which also derives from this family is pretty much their latest development platform for their New Gen advanced core technology, so this programme will seriously help finance and support the developmental programme and no doubt itself feed off of it in the future thus introducing a thirty year support, relationship and customer for this evolving family. Better still beyond 725 the new Pearl engines feed off of the programme too to create a whole new generation of advanced engines that promise serious reliability (this family is already at the forefront), better fuel consumption, less toxic emissions and performance and design ready for new fuels. Eventually the whole technology package will feed into their big jet Trent size engines and of course the new military engines they are working on. This contract itself is great for RR but its ramifications go much wider.
👍
Thank you. 👍
Since my Falklands comment has kicked off which I didn’t mean it to. Would just like to say the engines look very sexy, love the B-52 engine layout. Don’t see many 8 engined planes.
U know what u were doing 😂😂😂😂😂😂
Honest to god, what is wrong with some of you ? BIG BOYS PANTS Time, neither the US or UK can honestly say they haven’t screwed up on occaission Big Style.
But we do have that in common so move on and focus onn important matters such as these Beautiful RR Engines hanging on one the Worlds Geatest Ever Aircraft. Its Big, its Bad, its getting greener, longer legged and can frighten peaceful thoughts into just about anyone.
UK / US cooperation is not a new thing by any means; just think North American A-36 Pursuit aircraft. It was a bit of a crock until a RR Test Pilot called Ronald Harker suggested sticking a RR Merlin into one.
Result was the P51 Mustang.
As for the comments re Argentina maybe RR could ask for a test flight of the reengined B52 somewhere along the coast of South America. We can send them some Loo Paper 1st.
Problem solved.
The Mustang isn’t the only example…
The American Sherman M4 was so-so until the Brits replaced the pop-gun on it with a 3-inch 17-pounder anti-tank gun to create the Firefly.
As I have said on here more than once (sorry) that gun was probably the best anti tank gun in the War. Despite only a few being available they decimated German tanks at the first battle of El Alamein. Despite efforts and failures, only after the war did they get it into a tank designed for it but by then developments were progressing rapidly so even more powerful guns found their way into Centurions et al though stayed in reserve certainly, or in foreign forces till the 60s.
You of course have heard the apocryphal story of the radio chatter between the BUFF and F-16:pilot. F-16 pilot boasted of the relative superior performance of F-16 and continued to taunt the B-52 crew. Finally, the response came from the BUFF to watch a maneuver F-16 could not duplicate. Minutes passed w/ no apparent change. Finally, F-16:pilot inquired when maneuver would be performed. Immediate answer back: maneuver already accomplished, one engine has been shut down. 😁
What I am really looking forward to is someone trying to sell a B52 as the worlds biggest Business Jet.
Seriously though it will just be lovely to actually see daylight after a BUFF flys over !
Guess they’ll lose their ‘Smokey Joe’ signature now…
It is a massive leap forwards. Quite simply the other upgrades combined with new systems will lift the B52 to a new level.
Quieter, cleaner and use far less fuel. But the real uplift will be as a force multiplier, the renewed B52 uses less fuel, so has greater range but more importantly needs fewer in flight refuelling so US needs fewer tankers which helps with the Budget.
Win Win etc etc
I am not prone to using profanities but WTF covers this one nicely.
When you consider the B52 as an Historic entity it just beggers belief how it has evolved over the decades.
Started off as a Strategic Nuclear Bomber with a one way mission, so a disposable item with the worst possible impact you can possibly have on the Worlds Eco Sytem.
Went onto flatten a good lot of SE Asia and pretty well stuff the local environment.
Now it is the single greatest deployable bringer of Peace and Harmony going. When 4 go for a nice Jolly around anywhere on Earth Peace breaks out.
To cap it all it has gone from being massive poluting, noisy, Gas Guzzling disposable bringer of Armagedon to something very modern and Eco Freindly.
Greenpeace should aplaud its Green credentials.
Recycled and Upcycled multiple times, and definatley exceeded its warranty period. Now equiped with some oif the Greenest, low emmision engines on earth, uses far less fuel and it can still do its original job.
From.
Smokey Joe
BUFF
Big Stick.
To “Big Green Flying Machine”
Lots of silly comments re Argentina and USA but this looks interesting:
http://highlandsystems.me/kronos-submarine/
One of these in a T26 and a couple on the carriers would go down nicely.
Looks like it looks cool but is it effective? The shape reminiscient of a ray would confuse any view from above when dived in shallow waters but its inevitable a sonobuoy would detect that. It doesn’t help either that it doesn’t look like it could carry much weaponry, maybe a light torpedo at bestbut again would be easily detected. Range? T26s are quiet but any enemy would still be atleast somewhat aware of the general area they might be in, a system such as this would be the best way for them to track to a somewhat accurate location. An UUV like the RN is developing and buying is more practical and cost effective.
That’s an early April fools joke with one of the props from Aquaman 2, they are trying to sell it to Middle East states. If they will buy a city in a line they will buy anything 😀