EICR Faults

[JohnW2]

I'd missed that. .... Possibly because it would be more accurate to say the RB211 was eventually named after the River Trent.

Yes, I think that's strictly true.

 

[morqthana]

I missed it because I don't follow the development history to that level of detail. We had several years of the engine being called the RB211, whereas the Spitfire and Lancaster engine was always a Merlin, the Comet (RR) engine was always an Avon, etc. Right from the start, before it even flew, Concorde was "powered by R-R Olympus engines".

I don't doubt that in the design phase a new engine is known internally only by some codename, but I'm not aware of any going into production and sale that didn't have an bird or geographic feature name. Oh - apart from the Continental series of light aircraft ones.

And I also don't doubt that someone who knows more than me of the history of RR aero engines (a low bar, TBH) is right now preparing a list of examples where there wasn't a "name". Such is life.

 

[JohnW2]

I missed it because I don't follow the development history to that level of detail. We had several years of the engine being called the RB211, whereas the Spitfire and Lancaster engine was always a Merlin, the Comet (RR) engine was always an Avon, etc. Right from the start, before it even flew, Concorde was "powered by R-R Olympus engines".

All true.

I don't doubt that in the design phase a new engine is known internally only by some codename, but I'm not aware of any going into production and sale that didn't have an bird or geographic feature name. Oh - apart from the Continental series of light aircraft ones.

Again true, but it wouldn't surprise me if, whilst it was generally known by its codename during development, the decision about the ultimate name was made fairly early, so that some within the company would be aware of it long before it became public knowledge. I'm scraping the barrel of 50+ years old memories but, as I said, although he'd been working on the 'RB211' for quite some time, he died a year or three before it went into production/service, but I do seem to vaguely recall that, even that early, he sometimes referred to it as "Trent" - but that could just be my ageing memory playing tricks!

 

[ebee]

The RB211 was called that for yonks during it`s years of production too I can vouch for that.
Now then what Bird or River was called a Merlin I wonder.
Any the old hands at Rolls Royce insisted that Rolls Royce won the war (Vera Lynn`s war not the first one - WW1) because the the Spitfire won it in the Battle of Britain and it had the RR Merlin engine to thank.
Well that`s what they used to reckon.
They did have some pride in RR though so they might have been a bit biased - Henry Royce would have been proud of them

 

[SimonH2]

Now then what Bird or River was called a Merlin I wonder.

Thanks to Wikipedia, it's a "small species of falcon from the Northern Hemisphere, with numerous subspecies throughout North America and Eurasia."

 

[ebee]

Thanks to Wikipedia, it's a "small species of falcon from the Northern Hemisphere, with numerous subspecies throughout North America and Eurasia."

There you go, once again I learn something, thanks Simon.

It just a occurred to me. RB211 - RB could be one way of expressing RoBIn , it could be a phonetic code type of thingy.
OK folks, you have won me round with the Rivers and Birds theme.
You have removed my blinkers.

 

[JohnW2]

It just a occurred to me. RB211 - RB could be one way of expressing RoBIn , it could be a phonetic code type of thingy. ... OK folks, you have won me round with the Rivers and Birds theme.

You might be interested in this article (click here) about the naming of Rolls Royce aero engines.

There is no doubt that the RB211 represented the start/forerunner of the very successful Trent series of engines but, itself, seems to be unique in having, at least initially, been known by something that was not really a 'name'.

Maybe, per what morqthana suggested, it was the internal 'codename' used during development and, for some (unique) reason they did not initially give it a 'proper name'? I still think I sometimes heard my father referring to it as Trent during development, but that might just be a problem of my memory!

Kind Regards, John

 

[ebee]

Yes it was flying as the RB211 in Tri Star as I remember, anyways it was a big powerful noisy thingy , it gave them yanks a run for their money, 2 of the three big boys in jet engines were USA and one was British, quite a thing.

In fact it was a surprise when Neil Armstrong was the first on the Moon when it could just as easy been Fred Bloggs, Jock McCuddy or Taffy Evans , us Brits are leaders too (or we were!)

 

[morqthana]

In fact it was a surprise when Neil Armstrong was the first on the Moon when it could just as easy been Fred Bloggs, Jock McCuddy or Taffy Evans ,

Or Fred Dibnah if we could have got enough ladders.

 

[SUNRAY]

Yes it was flying as the RB211 in Tri Star as I remember, anyways it was a big powerful noisy thingy , it gave them yanks a run for their money, 2 of the three big boys in jet engines were USA and one was British, quite a thing.

In fact it was a surprise when Neil Armstrong was the first on the Moon when it could just as easy been Fred Bloggs, Jock McCuddy or Taffy Evans , us Brits are leaders too (or we were!)

I thought one was German

 

[morqthana]

OK folks, you have won me round with the Rivers and Birds theme.

There have also been an Olympus, Pennine, Crecy, and Viper, so not just rivers and not just birds.

 

[ebee]

Thanks morqthana that educates me a little more.
Everyday is a learning day

 

[EFLImpudence]

There have also been an Olympus, Pennine, Crecy, and Viper, so not just rivers and not just birds.

So - - - - just names of other random things, then.

 

[ebee]

Penine is a good one but I am biased living very near that famous hill, it was even mentioned in an episode of Dr Who a while back