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Charlotte Bailey

Rolls-Royce is the world’s leading engine supplier in business aviation, powering some of the largest, fastest, and longest-range business jets available. Rolls-Royce powers aircraft built by Bombardier, Cessna, Embraer and Gulfstream. Our products and services include the Pearl, BR725, BR710, AE3007, Tay, Spey, MR&O, and CorporateCare® Enhanced, the leading solution for engine care. This maintenance program offers increased asset liquidity, nacelle coverage and complete engine management, from line maintenance to shop visits. CorporateCare Enhanced, the comprehensive, fixed-cost engine maintenance management plan, provides customers with a global support infrastructure which includes: Engine Health Monitoring, a worldwide network of Authorised Service Centres and globally distributed spare parts and engines, all managed by our dedicated 24/7 Business Aircraft Availability Centre.

Rolls-Royce has retired its Boeing 747-200 flying testbed (registered N787RR), a uniquely modified aircraft instrumental in the OEM’s engine development and evaluation. However, with the so-called “Queen of the Skies” withdrawn from service, Rolls-Royce will continue its testing endeavors with a combination of flying assets, ground testing, and digital modelling. 
For the last two decades, the “Flying Test Bed” has proved a key airborne asset with its ability to operate an additional fifth powerplant,&nbsp;installed on a bespoke wing-mounted pylon.&nbsp;Its achievements included the 2021 testing of a 100% SAF-powered Trent 1000 (preceding Virgin Atlantic’s 100% SAF-powered transatlantic flight) and the Pearl 10X, optimized for the upcoming Dassault Falcon 10X.&nbsp; 
Other programs included testing and validating the Advance and UltraFan technology. N787RR’s final mission, completed in July 2025, supported Rolls-Royce’s Advanced Low Emissions Combustion System (ALECSys). In total, the aircraft facilitated more than 2,000 hours of testing. Rolls-Royce director of test and experimental engineering John Knight described the flying testbed as a “workhorse” and one which helped “push the boundaries of engine development.”
However, amid rising costs of running a 45-year-old airframe, the former Cathay Pacific airliner has now reached the end of its testing tenure. Rolls-Royce has not publicly stated a successor, although previous plans to convert a younger 747-400 were shelved in 2022. It is likely the aircraft itself will be moved from its base at Arizona’s Tucson International Airport to the nearby Pinal County Airpark, a commercial aircraft storage facility.

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Rolls-Royce Retired Modified 747-200 Testbed after 20 Years in Service

Unique aerial asset served for two decades 

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Rolls-Royce Retires Modified 747-200 Testbed

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