0:00:07 > 0:00:11It's a massive machine, but a real piece of precision engineering too.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18From the moment we launch the kit to make the first internal module
0:00:18 > 0:00:22right through to the engine being despatched, it's 20 days.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32The fan blade delivers 75% of the engine's thrust.
0:00:32 > 0:00:37It shifts about 1.2 tonnes of air per second when it's at full throttle.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39After about 30 seconds you have to come away.
0:00:39 > 0:00:44You can't stand there too long. If you do, you just start burning.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51Every bit of this is put together by hand.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56If we was to fit a bolt that was wrong,
0:00:56 > 0:00:58and the aircraft was to come down...
0:00:58 > 0:01:01We run thousands of hours of testing.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04An explosive detonation releases the blade from the disc
0:01:04 > 0:01:08at max takeoff speed, and fires it into the fan case.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13The engine is destroyed.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19Derby is Rolls-Royce. You mention Derby, everybody says, "Rolls-Royce."
0:01:21 > 0:01:24Lee's a better welder than I am. A better craftsman.
0:01:24 > 0:01:25He don't need my advice.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Morning.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31That's the inspection department, very friendly people they are.
0:01:31 > 0:01:38It's a very tough competition with one of the most powerful
0:01:38 > 0:01:40and competitive companies in the world in General Electric.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47It's not until you see Trent Fleet fly over, "Ah, I've made my little bit of that."
0:01:51 > 0:01:55Today we're the lead, we're the most efficient engine flying in the world.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12This is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
0:02:15 > 0:02:22Designed to be the most fuel-efficient jumbo jet ever, it's touted as the future of air travel.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26Even on a grey Seattle day, that paint job is beautiful.
0:02:26 > 0:02:32After years in development, the plane is finally ready for its very first flight.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34The weather's atrocious,
0:02:34 > 0:02:39but it's a make or break moment for Boeing's first new airliner in ten years.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47And no-one's more gripped than these engineers,
0:02:47 > 0:02:51watching live over the web in Derby.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55Because they have designed and built the plane's ground-breaking
0:02:55 > 0:03:00jet engines, using technology that'll save each plane £3 million a year in fuel.
0:03:03 > 0:03:08If the flight goes according to plan, Rolls-Royce could find themselves building
0:03:08 > 0:03:12the greenest, cleanest engine for many of the world's airlines
0:03:12 > 0:03:16and securing orders in a highly competitive industry.
0:03:16 > 0:03:22The engine includes some of the most advanced aviation technology the world has ever seen.
0:03:24 > 0:03:29This is the story of how a British company leads the world in building
0:03:29 > 0:03:35the most advanced jumbo jet engines, and of the people who build them.
0:03:41 > 0:03:48Rolls-Royce jet engines are built at state of the art factories all over the UK.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52It's a huge operation, with orders worth over £40 billion in
0:03:52 > 0:03:57civil aviation alone, and employing around 11,000 people building them.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01A new engine must roll off the production line every 36 hours.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04- Morning, Kev.- Morning. You all right?- All right, mate.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09This week it's my turn, I tend to be more times in a suit than not.
0:04:09 > 0:04:14I could be building one of these in a few months, or designing one.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16Maybe one day.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18There you go, that's it.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Look at that beauty. It's a work of art.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28Rolls-Royce's main assembly plant is a vast 300 acre
0:04:28 > 0:04:32complex of factory buildings in the south-west corner of Derby.
0:04:32 > 0:04:38The city has been home to Rolls-Royce for 100 years.
0:04:38 > 0:04:45And for many of the 250,000 people who live here, the company is a way of life, in work and play.
0:04:49 > 0:04:5312 years ago, I joined the Rolls-Royce ladies choir.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56# Start spreading the news... #
0:04:56 > 0:05:00We rehearse every Monday at the Rolls-Royce Leisure Association.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04Its' a really enjoyable evening after a day at work.
0:05:16 > 0:05:22For many of those who work at the company, Rolls-Royce and Derby go back a very long way.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28Born and bred in Derby, so I've been in Derby 53 years.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30I've been at Royce's 36 years.
0:05:30 > 0:05:35It's like a family business as well, because my wife works at Rolls-Royce.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43Without Rolls-Royce, I'd be unemployed, you know, so it means a lot to us,
0:05:43 > 0:05:46I think it means a lot to Derby full stop really.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49You look up to Rolls-Royce, I bet there's not anybody really,
0:05:49 > 0:05:52that doesn't know somebody that works at Rolls-Royce.
0:05:52 > 0:05:5740 years, since I was 18 I joined Royce's.
0:05:57 > 0:06:02I actually worked on the Spitfire, the Merlin engine.
0:06:02 > 0:06:08The choir's been in existence for 50 years, we celebrated the 50 years last year,
0:06:08 > 0:06:10with a big concert to celebrate that.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12# ..the heart of it
0:06:12 > 0:06:17# New York, New York... #
0:06:17 > 0:06:2150 years and nearly six months.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24They sang at my wedding, which was very nice.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27And I came back with my daughter when she was 11 days old
0:06:27 > 0:06:32and she rocked back and forth in her pram while we were singing for months and months.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Derby is Rolls-Royce. We've got lots of other engineering companies,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49but you mention Derby and everybody says, "Rolls-Royce".
0:06:51 > 0:06:55The company used to be most famous for its luxury cars,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58but that all ended in the early '70s.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02Today Rolls-Royce cars are actually made by BMW.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10The company's real heritage is aircraft engines.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16In fact, they've powered some of the world's most iconic aircrafts,
0:07:16 > 0:07:21from Second World War fighter planes and the Harrier jump jet,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24to the much loved Concorde.
0:07:24 > 0:07:31And that heritage continues today, powering helicopters, business and military jets,
0:07:31 > 0:07:34and even ships.
0:07:36 > 0:07:41But the star product is the pioneering family of Trent jet engines,
0:07:41 > 0:07:45including the newest, Trent 1000, for the Boeing Dreamliner.
0:07:47 > 0:07:52All the Trent engines are designed for jumbo-style, wide-bodied airliners,
0:07:52 > 0:07:58like Boeing's 777 and the famous Airbus Superjumbo.
0:07:58 > 0:08:04But this engine, for the Airbus 330, is the biggest seller of all.
0:08:04 > 0:08:10In 15 years, the Trent 700 has clocked up 13 million flying hours.
0:08:10 > 0:08:15It's a massive machine, but a real piece of precision engineering too.
0:08:22 > 0:08:27Weighing at least five tonnes, each Trent engine is worth several times its weight in silver.
0:08:34 > 0:08:40Only two companies in the world are capable of building engines this good.
0:08:40 > 0:08:45Its a very tough competition between one of the most powerful
0:08:45 > 0:08:48and competitive companies in the world in General Electric.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52If you look at all the latest new technology aircraft,
0:08:52 > 0:08:56all have selected Rolls-Royce engines to power the first flight.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01It carries a payload of 242 tonnes,
0:09:01 > 0:09:0537,000 feet for 9,500 miles,
0:09:05 > 0:09:09which, as you can imagine, is a serious challenge
0:09:09 > 0:09:15for any technology to deliver, so it really is at the high end of manufacturing and assembly.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22I often describe what we do as producing things of beauty.
0:09:27 > 0:09:32But the popularity of the Trent 700 is also the factory's biggest challenge.
0:09:32 > 0:09:38With orders placed to build 400 new engines, the company has to produce at least four a week.
0:09:38 > 0:09:44For their production line, one of the most complex in the world, time is big money.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Each Trent engine is built from modules,
0:09:50 > 0:09:55eight separate sections which are put together on the assembly line.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58But each module is made from thousands and thousands of
0:09:58 > 0:10:03components, and the monumental task of gathering them, starts here,
0:10:03 > 0:10:07at their massive parts warehouse.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15On average, with my pedometer, I average about eight miles a day,
0:10:15 > 0:10:17on an average day.
0:10:17 > 0:10:22But if we have lots of issues my best is just under 16 miles in a day.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24Lots and lots of shoe leather used.
0:10:24 > 0:10:29Kevin Carr's job is to make sure every engine part is delivered to the assembly line on time.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31I do know...
0:10:31 > 0:10:35The guys round here say just give me a part number, show me a box
0:10:35 > 0:10:37and I'll tell you what it is and where it goes.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47Everything is footprinted ready for the guys,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50a sweet shop. They can pick and choose what they want.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55We suppply the very first nut and bolt they fit, right to the last
0:10:55 > 0:11:00bit of plastic put on the engine before it goes to the customer.
0:11:00 > 0:11:06So that could be anything up to 30,000, 40,000 parts, depending which engine it is.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10It's Kev who kicks off every new engine build.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14Two days before the assembly begins, he triggers the despatch
0:11:14 > 0:11:17of tens of thousands of parts from the warehouse.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20- Tonight it's an 8.00 launch.- Have we got all the bits there for it?
0:11:20 > 0:11:23Got all the paperwork? So we're all ready to go, then?
0:11:23 > 0:11:25OK, thanks, Noel.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30Looking at the boxes you wouldn't know, but looking at the odds
0:11:30 > 0:11:33and sods that are lying on the floor, there's nothing under £1,000.
0:11:33 > 0:11:38You've got the engine control management unit, roughly £750,000
0:11:38 > 0:11:40just sitting there on the pallet.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45Anything up to £200 million worth of stock on the shelves,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48we carry roughly five engines' worth of stock of anything.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56Some of the components that make this engine what it is
0:11:56 > 0:12:01were designed and built by some of Britain's most skilled and innovative engineers at Rolls-Royce.
0:12:06 > 0:12:12Nestling in the Lancashire hills, 100 miles north of Derby, Barnoldswick is where the first ever
0:12:12 > 0:12:16jet engines were developed by Sir Frank Whittle.
0:12:18 > 0:12:25And today this small community still plays a very special part in the building of every Trent engine.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32Raw materials arrive at the factory every day,
0:12:32 > 0:12:37solid sheets of high-grade titanium.
0:12:37 > 0:12:43They're destined to become one of the components that make Rolls-Royce Trent engines truly unique.
0:12:43 > 0:12:49When you walk onto a plane and look into engine, that's the fan blade, and that's what we make here.
0:12:51 > 0:12:58Mike Wallis's job is to transform the raw metal into high performance fan blades.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04The fan blade delivers 75% of the engine's thrust.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07It shifts about 1.2 tonnes of air per second.
0:13:07 > 0:13:08The loading on the blade
0:13:08 > 0:13:13is something like 90 tonnes centrifugal load when it's at full throttle.
0:13:13 > 0:13:19That's like hanging 13 double-decker buses off each of the 20 blades.
0:13:22 > 0:13:28The enormous fan is what distinguishes a modern jumbo engine from older turbo-jets.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32They didn't have a fan at the front, and relied entirely on
0:13:32 > 0:13:35the jet exhaust to thrust the plane forwards.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39Faster than a propeller, but inefficient and very noisy.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43But in a turbo-fan, like a Trent engine, the energy
0:13:43 > 0:13:49of the exhaust is harvested to turn the massive fan blades at the front, which in turn push huge amounts
0:13:49 > 0:13:52of cold air quietly round the sides of the engine.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55And that's what thrusts the plane forwards.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00The Trent fan blades are unique.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02So which section is this?
0:14:02 > 0:14:05And it's all down to their design.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11The original blades used to be solid, but to get better performance,
0:14:11 > 0:14:16take weight out of the engine, it was designed to be hollow, and our manufacturing process,
0:14:16 > 0:14:21which is unique, has actually enabled us to make that, and advance the technology within Rolls-Royce.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28Every single fan blade is worth as much an average family car.
0:14:36 > 0:14:42For each blade, three sheets of metal are bonded together to make a solid titanium sandwich.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46It's a process so secret it can't be shown on television.
0:14:50 > 0:14:56The unique process begins when the titanium layers are bonded together in a secret pattern.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00Then the whole blade is inflated like a balloon, pulling and stretching
0:15:00 > 0:15:04the inner layer across the cavity like cheese between slices of pizza,
0:15:04 > 0:15:08leaving a super-light, super-strong internal structure.
0:15:12 > 0:15:18But before it can be inflated, the flat titanium sandwich has to be heated and twisted into shape.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22Then it's ready for the most critical stage of the process, inflation.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28We've used an inert gas,
0:15:28 > 0:15:31we can't have it reacting with the titanium at temperature.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35It's a high pressure to inflate to level of accuracy we need.
0:15:35 > 0:15:41A heat resistant tube connects the blade to a high pressure gas supply.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44But the gas alone won't be enough to inflate the blade.
0:15:48 > 0:15:55The whole assembly also has to be loaded into a furnace, at a secret, critical temperature.
0:15:56 > 0:16:01A single speck of dust could cause a lot of damage,
0:16:01 > 0:16:03and John doesn't get much time to prepare.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12It gets very hot. After about 30 seconds you've got to come away.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15You can't stand there too long at all.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18If you do you start burning, your gloves, fingers, everything.
0:16:19 > 0:16:26It takes 4.5 hours for the gas to slowly inflate the blade to its precise aerofoil shape.
0:16:40 > 0:16:45Despite the precision of the engineering, no two finished blades are exactly alike.
0:16:52 > 0:16:58And with 20 in each fan, it will only spin smoothly if the blades are perfectly balanced.
0:16:58 > 0:17:04So every one is precisely measured and weighed, then rung like a bell.
0:17:04 > 0:17:11Each blade has a different mass and frequency, and we use that data to select where they
0:17:11 > 0:17:18will be positioned in the disk, so when it goes to engine build they go in those exact locations.
0:17:22 > 0:17:28This is the attention to detail that ensures every Trent engine is as safe and efficient as it can be.
0:17:28 > 0:17:37And with up to 150 blades leaving the factory every week, it's also the challenge that keeps Mike going.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40For me, it's exciting. After 27 years working
0:17:40 > 0:17:43on fan blades, it's still exciting, and there's still a lot more to do.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Rolls-Royce is a global company.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50Some parts of the engine are made and assembled at factories abroad.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54Getting them to the UK is Cath Taylor's job.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58This is the turbines purchasing department,
0:17:58 > 0:18:01where we source parts from all over the world,
0:18:01 > 0:18:08and my role in particular is to source the modules from mainland Europe.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14We're talking about ten modules a week.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17Very occasionally we're affected
0:18:17 > 0:18:22by the weather, or the ferries, but the bulk of the modules do arrive on time.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29It may be a global company, but the biggest single module
0:18:29 > 0:18:36is manufactured at another of Rolls Royce's specialist factories, just 50 miles down the M1.
0:18:36 > 0:18:44Mark Reid is in charge of building the massive, protective case that shields every engine's fan blades.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58A fan case's primary function is to guide air through to the main core
0:18:58 > 0:19:01of the engine, and provide a containment system
0:19:01 > 0:19:02in the event of a "blade-off".
0:19:06 > 0:19:10When the forging's originally constructed,
0:19:10 > 0:19:12it weighs five metric tonnes.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15When finished, it weighs roughly 500kg.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19So we have to take a large amount of material off.
0:19:19 > 0:19:26And we have to machine to very fine tolerances. Typical wall thicknesses can be around 2.5mm.
0:19:32 > 0:19:37There are a number of different processes that take place, typically around 40.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40A component can spend up to 90 hours in the machine
0:19:40 > 0:19:43so we put them on at the start of the week and we take them off at the end.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45And nothing goes to waste.
0:19:45 > 0:19:51Every sliver of precious material is collected, and recycled to make more components.
0:19:59 > 0:20:04Mark runs a team of 140 top engineers, including experts
0:20:04 > 0:20:08in the most essential skills, turning and welding metal.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12One of the most experienced is welder Bob Blackwill.
0:20:12 > 0:20:19His job is to fix in place a ring of titanium blades that'll channel air smoothly into the engine.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22It's a highly specialised form of welding.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33I'm a TIG welder, cum sheet metal worker.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36I've been doing this job for 22 years now.
0:20:37 > 0:20:42All these vanes are different, with different cambers to achieve the best airflow.
0:20:47 > 0:20:54Every weld on this job will be x-rayed, and any defects will be taken out and repaired and put right.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00When this weld is finished,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03this vane should leave a tolerance of 5mm radially,
0:21:03 > 0:21:071mm forward and rearward on the blade. It's not machined, it's hand skill.
0:21:07 > 0:21:12We think that's a fine tolerance to achieve on a hand weld.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16Bob works at the factory alongside his son, Lee.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19Lee's a sheet metal worker like me,
0:21:19 > 0:21:23so when Rolls were recruiting I just asked him if he fancied joining the company.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25I see my dad made a good living out of it,
0:21:25 > 0:21:30so I decided to get a trade, and just picked the same trade really.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32Lee's the better welder than I am,
0:21:32 > 0:21:36better craftsman. He don't need my advice, he's quite capable on his own, really.
0:21:36 > 0:21:41For this family partnership, the factory life certainly seems to promise a good future.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48Yeah, I hope so, I wouldn't like it to come to an end too soon.
0:21:49 > 0:21:55At the heart of every engine is a ring of 96 turbine blades
0:21:55 > 0:21:58that are the most amazing components in the whole engine.
0:22:06 > 0:22:11Jet engines work by sucking air into the core, and through multiple compressors.
0:22:12 > 0:22:17Squashed to a 50th of its volume, this air is forced into a combustion
0:22:17 > 0:22:23chamber where it explodes with fuel to create a ferocious gas jet.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26This jet is met head on by the turbine blades,
0:22:26 > 0:22:32spinning them so fast that each blade delivers the same horsepower as a Formula One engine.
0:22:37 > 0:22:43The job these tiny blades have to do is unbelievably demanding.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49The blade exists in a harsh environment,
0:22:49 > 0:22:52it has to rotate at about 10,000 revolutions per minute,
0:22:52 > 0:22:55operates at a blade speed of about 800 miles per hour.
0:22:55 > 0:23:02The component itself operates at something like 300 degrees above the melting point of the alloy.
0:23:03 > 0:23:09To operate at around 1,700 degrees, they're designed not to melt.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15Here you see the gas streams moving around the aerofoil.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17At the bottom of the blade is the fir tree area
0:23:17 > 0:23:21which is used to hold the blade into the disc.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25Above it you see the aerofoils with the peppering of cooling holes.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28To stop the blade melting, Rolls-Royce designers used
0:23:28 > 0:23:33computer modelling to design a blade that has a precise pattern
0:23:33 > 0:23:35of tiny air passages throughout.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41Here we see what the blade would look like if we didn't have it cooled.
0:23:41 > 0:23:46And you can see that there are some areas of red which means that the component is too hot.
0:23:46 > 0:23:52We put a cooling system inside of the blade which cools it down to safe levels.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56That cooling system takes away the same amount of energy that would boil a kettle in a 20th of a second.
0:23:56 > 0:24:01But even with the cooling holes, no ordinary metal would be good enough.
0:24:04 > 0:24:09That's where the company's materials research laboratory comes in,
0:24:09 > 0:24:16creating new metals with exactly the physical and chemical qualities demanded by the designers.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19To try and achieve the properties the designers want,
0:24:19 > 0:24:22we will design some trial compositions of alloys,
0:24:22 > 0:24:25different recipes, different blends of the alloy constituents.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29Then we'll test those samples in different mechanical and environmental tests.
0:24:29 > 0:24:35From that, we'll choose the best possible blends that deliver the balance of properties they require.
0:24:36 > 0:24:43Using electron microscopes, the materials scientists can precisely analyse the microstructure
0:24:43 > 0:24:49of the alloy, checking that the crystal structure and mixture of metals is exactly as intended.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53We have a team of research specialists, about 25 in the team
0:24:53 > 0:24:56here in the UK, and there are teams in Germany and the States as well.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59We're trying to draw on all the expertise that exists in
0:24:59 > 0:25:04the academic network around the world, to bring the best expertise we can into Rolls-Royce.
0:25:04 > 0:25:11Even the finely balanced alloy recipe isn't the most advanced technology in the turbine blade.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16To cast the metal into its complex shape, a unique process is used,
0:25:16 > 0:25:19and it's another very closely guarded secret.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25It's done at a purpose-built foundry in Derby, where one of
0:25:25 > 0:25:30the few people who knows the secret is casting engineer Owen Draper.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33If you take a normal piece of metal and solidify it from being molten,
0:25:33 > 0:25:36you'd end up with something like a granite worktop,
0:25:36 > 0:25:40lots of different crystals all in different directions.
0:25:40 > 0:25:47That's not very strong, because the joins and the boundaries between the crystals cause weakness.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49So what we aim to do is create a single crystal.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53Single crystal, no crystal boundaries, therefore it's an awful lot stronger.
0:25:56 > 0:26:02The blade is made by growing a single crystal of metal into the correct shape.
0:26:02 > 0:26:07It's incredibly complex, and demands a huge team of people working round the clock.
0:26:07 > 0:26:15But it starts with an intricate, hand-built model of the blade, in skilled hands like Maureen Hankey's.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19I've been doing it on and off since '73.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24The skill is you've got to be very dextrous,
0:26:24 > 0:26:29everything's got to be perfect, everything's got to be smooth.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34The secret part is the way the molten metal is cooled,
0:26:34 > 0:26:37through a spiral tube at the bass of the mould.
0:26:37 > 0:26:42The tube prevents all but one crystal of solid metal from passing through,
0:26:42 > 0:26:46allowing that single crystal to grow throughout the mould.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57Imperfections could ruin the casting at any stage.
0:26:57 > 0:27:02Even the wax models are X-rayed by keen-eyed inspectors like Jackie Brown.
0:27:02 > 0:27:08We're looking for defects in the core, ie cracks, voids, chips.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12When it's sentenced to scrap it's broken in half and put into the bin.
0:27:30 > 0:27:36Once cast, every single blade is thoroughly checked, and checked again,
0:27:36 > 0:27:38by eye...
0:27:39 > 0:27:41..by computer,
0:27:43 > 0:27:45..and by X-ray.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48Even then, they're far from ready.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52Each blade goes through another four days of precision finishing,
0:27:52 > 0:27:57in the hands of machinists like Steve Ball.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00We're all very good at what we make, we don't sometimes share it.
0:28:00 > 0:28:05It's not until you see them fly over, "Ah, I made a bit of that!"
0:28:05 > 0:28:10And because of the extraordinary demands on the blade, its dimensions
0:28:10 > 0:28:13must be accurate to within a tenth of a hair's width.
0:28:13 > 0:28:19We grind the fir tree to within seven microns, which is a hell of a tight limit.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22Goes under a load of 18 tonnes, that does.
0:28:24 > 0:28:29If we stretched it with 18 tonnes, regauged it,
0:28:29 > 0:28:32there'd be nothing, everything would be to the micron the same.
0:28:32 > 0:28:38There's alterations in the structure, no cracking, no stretching of anything on there.
0:28:38 > 0:28:42And bearing in mind there are 96 of those in an engine set.
0:28:46 > 0:28:52Every one is like the first one, it's perfect, like a brand-new baby.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56You treat it like that. That's why everybody's focus is the same,
0:28:56 > 0:29:01whether it's six in the morning, six at night or midnight, everybody is the same.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06The next one is always the most important, because all the rest are good.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09Because we've never had one come back.
0:29:09 > 0:29:11You can't argue with that!
0:29:11 > 0:29:15It's the skills of people like Steve and the cutting-edge technology
0:29:15 > 0:29:18that keeps Trent engines ahead of the game.
0:29:18 > 0:29:24But innovation is a risky business. Designing the Trent engine almost brought Rolls-Royce to its knees.
0:29:24 > 0:29:29In the early '70s, the company risked
0:29:29 > 0:29:37everything on a revolutionary new engine for one of the world's first jumbo jets, the Lockheed Tristar.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40The production programmes at Derby by modern day standards
0:29:40 > 0:29:45were very low in volume, and Derby was a relatively
0:29:45 > 0:29:52small player in the aero engine market and the only player outside of the US in the commercial market.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55So getting the Tristar programme was absolutely vital.
0:29:55 > 0:30:00As a small player, Rolls-Royce had big ambitions.
0:30:00 > 0:30:06Well, the 211 was... quite an advanced engine concept even by the standards of the day.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09It was the first three-shaft engine, whereas the competitors
0:30:09 > 0:30:12were offering two shaft engines so,
0:30:12 > 0:30:14as well as the technological advances,
0:30:14 > 0:30:16it was a completely new architecture.
0:30:16 > 0:30:20The design made the engine lighter and more efficient.
0:30:20 > 0:30:25It promised a crucial reduction in running costs and cheaper air fares.
0:30:25 > 0:30:30But actually building the engine proved harder than anyone expected,
0:30:30 > 0:30:34and the costs spiralled with every advance they made.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38All of these were put together in an engine, number 10,011,
0:30:38 > 0:30:43which ran on February 3rd 1971 late in the afternoon.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46And the results were quite exceptional
0:30:46 > 0:30:50in that they were very much better than anything that had run before.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54So, understandably, we were quite elated.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56It seemed the company was about to achieve its goal
0:30:56 > 0:31:00with their new engine, but the elation was short-lived.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04Until the next day when, in the middle of the morning, we were
0:31:04 > 0:31:09all invited to go into the office and the announcement was made that the company had gone into receivership.
0:31:11 > 0:31:18It was too late. The project had bankrupted the company, and Derby was in crisis.
0:31:18 > 0:31:22There's hardly a family in the town that hasn't got someone working at Rolls.
0:31:22 > 0:31:27Not just as manual workers and skills craftsmen, but as research workers and designers.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30When the men came out at lunchtime, they were obviously shaken.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33Shocked, just shocked.
0:31:33 > 0:31:35Looks very bleak, that's all I can say.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40Did you ever believe this could happen here?
0:31:40 > 0:31:45Never. I've been here 27 years and I've never thought anything like this could happen.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48I think the Government ought to back us up a little bit,
0:31:48 > 0:31:52quite a lot, really. I mean, it's a household name, isn't it, Royce's?
0:31:52 > 0:31:56The Government came to the rescue, saving thousands of jobs and giving
0:31:56 > 0:31:59Rolls-Royce and the people of Derby one last chance.
0:31:59 > 0:32:04The progress that was made during the following 12 months, 14 months,
0:32:04 > 0:32:08post the bankruptcy was quite remarkable.
0:32:08 > 0:32:13And we actually managed to get the engine into service at the end of April 1972.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29When the Tristar finally flew,
0:32:29 > 0:32:32the hard work and revolutionary technology paid off.
0:32:36 > 0:32:41The engine became the jewel in Rolls-Royce's crown,
0:32:41 > 0:32:47and it still is today, as the basic design of the entire family of Trent jumbo jet engines.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00Launching Rolls-Royce onto the international stage,
0:33:00 > 0:33:05the engine helped them grow from a small player to a global competitor.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12Today, Trent engines are fitted to half the world's
0:33:12 > 0:33:16big passenger jets, with new orders worth over £40 billion.
0:33:22 > 0:33:28At the heart of the Derby factory is the main assembly line for all Trent engines.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41The line has to run like clockwork, to take every build from first
0:33:41 > 0:33:47components to completed engine, bang on schedule.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51From the moment we launch the kit to make the first internal module
0:33:51 > 0:33:55right through to the engine being despatched, it's 20 days.
0:33:57 > 0:34:02The countdown starts with assembly of the biggest and most complex modules.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09Hundreds of precision-tooled blades, hand-fitted and finished to perfection.
0:34:12 > 0:34:17Four days in, and work begins on the engine's Kevlar wrapped aluminium fan case.
0:34:17 > 0:34:27Over 4,000 engine control and transmission parts fitted and wired, every one by hand.
0:34:30 > 0:34:34At the same time, an army of expert fitters begin the nine-day task
0:34:34 > 0:34:38of fitting together the engine's eight separate modules.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54The first five sections are stacked one on top of the other.
0:34:54 > 0:35:00With gravity helping the process, it's a lot easier to achieve a perfect fit.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17Every bolt is adjusted to a precise torque,
0:35:17 > 0:35:21and there are moments that require absolute concentration.
0:35:24 > 0:35:25Going down.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37We're having to pass through the whole of the 04 module
0:35:37 > 0:35:40before we arrive at the coupling with the 03 module.
0:35:40 > 0:35:42We take care not to touch the sides.
0:35:42 > 0:35:47If it takes the paint off the shaft, we have to recoat the paint for protection.
0:35:48 > 0:35:53It's the trickier of them all to fit, mainly because of the coupling that you can't see
0:35:53 > 0:35:55and the adjustment that's needed.
0:35:57 > 0:35:58Going down.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24There's the two shear keys that will ride up and locate in the slot.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28You should hear as it clicks.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30They've clicked in there.
0:36:30 > 0:36:34One week into the build, the fan is assembled from its kit of blades.
0:36:34 > 0:36:41And with each one worth as much as a family car, it takes an expert touch.
0:36:41 > 0:36:46We prefer to wear gloves to keep finger prints off the blades, and also it does improve grip.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49It does stop them slipping out of your fingers.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52- You don't want to drop it, do you? - Certainly not!
0:37:21 > 0:37:25Before the fan can be fitted, the towering engine stack is craned onto its side.
0:37:29 > 0:37:34Two tonnes of precious metal swinging just feet from the ground.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38Finally, in the position it'll spend the rest of its life,
0:37:38 > 0:37:43the engine's ready for the last two, and biggest modules.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11The fan is a perfect fit.
0:38:11 > 0:38:15Its tips clear the lining of the case by a fraction of a millimetre,
0:38:15 > 0:38:21yet in flight will spin faster than the speed of sound.
0:38:21 > 0:38:27After two weeks of assembly, every completed engine is fitted with vast aerodynamic ducts,
0:38:27 > 0:38:33and inched across to the factory's purpose-built flight test centre.
0:38:33 > 0:38:40Here it'll be fired up and put through its paces in a simulation of the harshest flight conditions...
0:38:46 > 0:38:50..while engineers monitor vibration, rotation speeds and temperatures
0:38:50 > 0:38:54to ensure everything performs perfectly.
0:38:54 > 0:38:58Vibration's looking good. Max conditions now.
0:39:12 > 0:39:17Signing off newly-built engines isn't all they do at the test centre.
0:39:17 > 0:39:23Dave Benbow is in charge of testing prototypes for new engine designs, before they ever take to the sky.
0:39:23 > 0:39:27And that means carrying out tests that are much more challenging.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29We run thousands of hours of testing.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32Our primary requirement is to show the engine is safe to fly,
0:39:32 > 0:39:33that it's airworthy.
0:39:33 > 0:39:36We conduct a number of tests to do that,
0:39:36 > 0:39:40but really we're trying to meet the regulations of the safety agencies.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43This engine is a flight test engine, and in that extent it
0:39:43 > 0:39:47has a lot of instrumentation that production engines wouldn't have.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50You can see here is led off the engine and into the pylon
0:39:50 > 0:39:53so that we can record the data in the test bed when it's installed.
0:39:53 > 0:39:59Testing is so exhaustive, it can take two years for each new design.
0:39:59 > 0:40:03The cold start test is a very important test. We need to be able to start the engine
0:40:03 > 0:40:06in very cold conditions, cold as -40 degrees.
0:40:06 > 0:40:12Removed from its giant freezer, everything must still work perfectly when the engine is started.
0:40:12 > 0:40:16We make sure that the gearbox turns when we start the engine.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21Other tests, water ingestion.
0:40:21 > 0:40:28Water is poured in at 30,000 gallons an hour, but there must be no loss of thrust.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31We have to demonstrate it can cope with rain and hail
0:40:31 > 0:40:35and that the compressors can cope with the amount of water going through the engine
0:40:35 > 0:40:41it might get in flight, and that the compressors continue to run and the combustion system remains stable.
0:40:41 > 0:40:46One of the key safety requirements we have to meet is in the unlikely event
0:40:46 > 0:40:49of the release of a fan blade, that it's contained by the fan case.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54Well, it's an absolutely key test in that we need to make sure that
0:40:54 > 0:40:58there's no chance of the blade escaping.
0:40:58 > 0:41:03On the test, there's an explosive detonation which releases the blade
0:41:03 > 0:41:07from the disc at max take-off speed, and fires into the fan case.
0:41:09 > 0:41:13When this event happens, the energy released into the fan case is about
0:41:13 > 0:41:18the equivalent of a one tonne car being dropped off a 200-foot cliff.
0:41:19 > 0:41:26And the casing has to retain that and ensure nothing is released outside of the fan case structure.
0:41:26 > 0:41:30It's a hugely expensive test, but our commitment to safety
0:41:30 > 0:41:35requires us to take that asset and to complete that test, irrespective of what we're left with at the end.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40The engine is destroyed.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43Although it's contained the blade and run down safely,
0:41:43 > 0:41:46the components in that engine will not be used again.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51Effectively, that engine is written off.
0:41:56 > 0:42:02Only by sacrificing an entire engine like this, can they be sure the fan case really does its job.
0:42:02 > 0:42:06It's six in the morning, and the start of another shift
0:42:06 > 0:42:10on the assembly line for fitter, Andy Taylor.
0:42:10 > 0:42:15I just work round the corner where they build the stacks.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17Work's three shifts.
0:42:17 > 0:42:22Mornings, afternoons and nights. I'm on mornings this week.
0:42:23 > 0:42:24Morning.
0:42:24 > 0:42:28That's the inspection department, very friendly people they are.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33This is my engine for the day.
0:42:35 > 0:42:40Andy's task today is to fit the first of a network of sensors to the engine.
0:42:40 > 0:42:45These are connected to the thermocouples.
0:42:45 > 0:42:51These tell the brain of the engine that if there's an overheat problem, it'll tell it to alter
0:42:51 > 0:42:57something inside the engine to cool it down, or vice versa if it's running too cold.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00When it's running, these sensors will measure temperatures,
0:43:00 > 0:43:04pressures, speeds and vibration at critical points in the engine.
0:43:04 > 0:43:08The sensors constantly feed that information to the engine's own
0:43:08 > 0:43:14electronic management system, its "brain", that ensures performance is optimised at all times.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21But it doesn't stop there.
0:43:21 > 0:43:24Data collected from every Trent engine in the air
0:43:24 > 0:43:28can even be transmitted, via satellite, back to Derby.
0:43:28 > 0:43:33It's received here at the factory's 24-hour monitoring station,
0:43:33 > 0:43:39manned by senior engineers to keep an eye on Rolls-Royce engines all over the world.
0:43:39 > 0:43:42Alan, we've got an issue on engine 41992.
0:43:42 > 0:43:47You can just see that the exhaust temperature's just going up on that engine.
0:43:47 > 0:43:52This is 21st century jet-engine production, part of a high-tech
0:43:52 > 0:43:57support package that gives them a commercial edge over competitors.
0:43:57 > 0:44:01Increasingly now as the airline buys a Rolls-Royce engine
0:44:01 > 0:44:05we secure a service package with them for anything up to 20 years,
0:44:05 > 0:44:07where we will provide all the maintenance,
0:44:07 > 0:44:11all the spare parts for an engine, we will make sure they have engines
0:44:11 > 0:44:16whenever they need them to support their aircraft, and they simply pay for the number of hours they fly.
0:44:17 > 0:44:23At peak times, the team may be monitoring engines carrying 400,000 passengers.
0:44:25 > 0:44:29We're watching in the region of 8,000-10,000 engines, 24/7,
0:44:29 > 0:44:31365 days a year.
0:44:31 > 0:44:35That's the question - is this pretty normal, or is it not?
0:44:35 > 0:44:38We're looking at speeds, pressures, temperatures,
0:44:38 > 0:44:41nipping problems in the bud before they happen,
0:44:41 > 0:44:43so people aren't waiting around in airports
0:44:43 > 0:44:46because a flight's been cancelled or delayed.
0:44:46 > 0:44:47That's what we try to do.
0:44:49 > 0:44:52The centre receives 1.5 million measurements every day,
0:44:52 > 0:44:56from anything up to 1,200 Trent engines at a time.
0:44:56 > 0:45:01Typically a minute after the aircraft sent that information, I can see it in graph form.
0:45:01 > 0:45:06The data's analysed by computer, and if any unusual readings
0:45:06 > 0:45:10are detected, the engineers are automatically alerted.
0:45:10 > 0:45:15Probably 95% of them, we can very quickly work out that there's nothing to worry about.
0:45:15 > 0:45:21All the help desk engineers are experienced enough to solve any problem that might crop up.
0:45:21 > 0:45:24I worked with Rolls-Royce engines, hands on,
0:45:24 > 0:45:28mainly in the Royal Navy, for 13 years.
0:45:28 > 0:45:33And they're just a phone call away from maintenance crews at key airports around the globe.
0:45:33 > 0:45:40I've just had an e-mail, asking for data going back to January 2009.
0:45:40 > 0:45:42Do you think you can answer that?
0:45:48 > 0:45:55Back on the assembly line, this Trent engine has hit a problem just one week away from its completion.
0:45:55 > 0:45:59The final module needed for the vertical stack has been held up on its way from Europe.
0:45:59 > 0:46:03Without it, the stack can't move along the line.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06It's the turbine which actually drives
0:46:06 > 0:46:09the big fan at the front of the engine,
0:46:09 > 0:46:11mounted inside the fan case.
0:46:11 > 0:46:14The engine is stuck in the assembly tower.
0:46:14 > 0:46:16But the fitters can't afford to lose any time.
0:46:16 > 0:46:21Instead, they've identified parts that can be fitted ahead of schedule.
0:46:21 > 0:46:26It could arrive any time, in the next hour, or in the next day, we don't really know.
0:46:26 > 0:46:28So we've jumped ahead
0:46:28 > 0:46:33and carried on building, to try and get things done.
0:46:33 > 0:46:37As it is we can't move it, we can't pick it up without that final module.
0:46:37 > 0:46:45Any hold-up in production process could cost money, so tracking down a replacement module is critical,
0:46:45 > 0:46:48and Cath Taylor is straight on the phone.
0:46:48 > 0:46:54Can you guarantee that it will reach us before 6am in the morning?
0:46:55 > 0:46:57Yes? Yes.
0:46:59 > 0:47:06At long last, it does arrive, and even though it's the middle of the night, the build will carry on.
0:47:06 > 0:47:10Working through the night is part of life for everyone on the production line.
0:47:13 > 0:47:16In Warwickshire, father and son, Bob and Lee Blackwill,
0:47:16 > 0:47:20are starting another night shift at the fan case factory.
0:47:20 > 0:47:23It takes a bit of getting used to, your body clock.
0:47:23 > 0:47:29It's quite hard. By Thursday you're sort of ready for the weekend to catch up on your sleep.
0:47:29 > 0:47:31We tend to work the same shifts.
0:47:31 > 0:47:34On nights, we tend to get on each other's nerves.
0:47:34 > 0:47:38It's a testing shift, you know what I mean, when you're tired.
0:47:43 > 0:47:48Tonight, they're working on a new fan case, bigger than any other,
0:47:48 > 0:47:53to be fitted to a new Airbus that is currently being built.
0:47:56 > 0:47:59This is the biggest component we've manufactured to date.
0:47:59 > 0:48:01118" diameter. So it's a challenge.
0:48:03 > 0:48:08This is something we're really proud of as an organisation.
0:48:08 > 0:48:11It's a first in everything that we're doing at the moment.
0:48:16 > 0:48:22It won't be long before these parts are put together to make the first complete new fan case.
0:48:22 > 0:48:27When finished, it'll be the biggest Trent engine of all, with the lowest carbon emissions
0:48:27 > 0:48:32and could become the third Trent engine in a row to launch a new jumbo jet.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36It has actually been the fastest selling Trent engine in history,
0:48:36 > 0:48:39we already have orders for 1,000 Trent engines.
0:48:39 > 0:48:43We will build that early next year, we will start testing it
0:48:43 > 0:48:46and we would hope to see it in the skies in about two years from now.
0:48:48 > 0:48:52But investment in new technology is worthless
0:48:52 > 0:48:57without investment in new people to keep manufacturing skills alive.
0:49:02 > 0:49:05I'm currently an apprentice at Derby at Rolls-Royce,
0:49:05 > 0:49:09as a manufacturing engineer in engineering maintenance.
0:49:10 > 0:49:14Apprentice schemes like this are vital to British industry.
0:49:17 > 0:49:21This is Rotatives, this is my business that I'm working in.
0:49:21 > 0:49:25They mainly deal with discs, drums and shafts.
0:49:28 > 0:49:31In here, we've got mainline shafts,
0:49:31 > 0:49:35so this is where they build the largest shafts.
0:49:35 > 0:49:41These are the coverings that go around them to make sure the various parts don't get damaged.
0:49:41 > 0:49:44You've got the various drilling machines down here.
0:49:44 > 0:49:50And as you walk through here this is where I work, this is the shafts support office.
0:50:04 > 0:50:08From a young age, I was always into building things.
0:50:08 > 0:50:12The opportunity came round for a young apprenticeship.
0:50:12 > 0:50:16My dad's an engineer, my granddad, my uncle, so I get a bit of influence from them.
0:50:18 > 0:50:23But, generally, I just like engineering, designing and building.
0:50:23 > 0:50:28I identified at an early age that he liked engineering.
0:50:28 > 0:50:33I think when he was about eight I bought him a K'nex
0:50:33 > 0:50:41and in the space of a couple of days he'd thrown away the manual and started making models of his own.
0:50:43 > 0:50:48Like every apprentice, Neeraj can expect to spend three years or more
0:50:48 > 0:50:53learning the basic skills of his trade, so having a passion for it is really important.
0:50:53 > 0:50:59Today I'm trying to make one of these control rods, which is here.
0:50:59 > 0:51:03It allows the pilot to control the amount of air flow going through
0:51:03 > 0:51:06the engine and change various settings in the engine and the flaps.
0:51:10 > 0:51:16You tell someone you're 16 and you work at Rolls-Royce, they see you in a different light.
0:51:16 > 0:51:20That you're something special and something a bit different.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23It's quite prestigious to work in such a big company like this,
0:51:23 > 0:51:25certainly at the age that I am.
0:51:25 > 0:51:29So, first one blued out from one end to the other.
0:51:29 > 0:51:32Second, 90 degrees to it.
0:51:32 > 0:51:35Check that with an engineer's square.
0:51:35 > 0:51:38Now I'm thinking, wow, what a change a couple of years can make to a life.
0:51:38 > 0:51:44Going from schoolboy to engineer is quite a radical change, and I'm quite pleased with that change.
0:51:50 > 0:51:52Once every engine is built and tested,
0:51:52 > 0:51:56its last stop is the Customer Delivery Centre,
0:51:56 > 0:51:59where it has to pass scrutiny by engine inspector Mike Riley.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03It's a huge responsibility.
0:52:03 > 0:52:06His will be the last eyes to see inside the engine
0:52:06 > 0:52:08before it takes to the sky.
0:52:08 > 0:52:11I've been at Rolls-Royce for five years now, in fact this month.
0:52:11 > 0:52:14Before that I was in the military as a helicopter technician,
0:52:14 > 0:52:16on first-line maintenance.
0:52:17 > 0:52:21I wanted to work for Rolls-Royce for some time before I came to work here,
0:52:21 > 0:52:23and it took me two years of applying before I could get in.
0:52:24 > 0:52:27So it's not the easiest place to get into.
0:52:31 > 0:52:34Mike's is one of the most specialised jobs
0:52:34 > 0:52:36on the assembly line.
0:52:37 > 0:52:40Like a doctor doing keyhole surgery,
0:52:40 > 0:52:44he uses a borescope to inspect the INSIDE of the engine.
0:52:48 > 0:52:53Basically every single rotating stage within the engine we'll look at,
0:52:53 > 0:52:55plus the combustion chamber.
0:52:57 > 0:53:01Literally the whole of the inside of the engine is borescoped.
0:53:03 > 0:53:06This is the first-stage HP compressor.
0:53:06 > 0:53:08At the moment I'm turning it rearwards -
0:53:08 > 0:53:10usually the blades'll come towards you.
0:53:10 > 0:53:13I'm just looking for any damage on the actual blade surface,
0:53:13 > 0:53:15leading or trailing edges.
0:53:20 > 0:53:22Occasionally you can get a little bit confused
0:53:22 > 0:53:24cos there are so many blades!
0:53:25 > 0:53:28This is the first nozzle assembly that we're looking at,
0:53:28 > 0:53:31with all the hundreds of cooling holes on it.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35It's possibly the hottest part of the engine here.
0:53:36 > 0:53:40You know... Practically a surgeon(!)
0:53:46 > 0:53:49After Mike's final inspection,
0:53:49 > 0:53:53another Trent 700 engine is bagged up and ready to leave the factory.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56In a few days, it'll be in France,
0:53:56 > 0:53:59and fitted to another Airbus 330 plane -
0:53:59 > 0:54:02just one of 300 engines built this year.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06These engines are Rolls-Royce's key to success.
0:54:06 > 0:54:08But it's keeping ahead of the competition
0:54:08 > 0:54:12that will secure the future for everyone in Derby.
0:54:12 > 0:54:15But right now, there's a big day ahead...
0:54:28 > 0:54:32Today, all eyes are on the performance of the Boeing Dreamliner -
0:54:32 > 0:54:36and of course, the Rolls-Royce engines that power it.
0:54:41 > 0:54:45It's a big day for the aeroplane out in Seattle,
0:54:45 > 0:54:49and an even bigger day for the team of engineers back in Derby,
0:54:49 > 0:54:53watching the preparations for the flight live online.
0:54:53 > 0:54:58As the aircraft prepares to take off and the engines fire up to full power,
0:54:58 > 0:55:02there's nothing anyone can do but wait, watch
0:55:02 > 0:55:04and see what happens next.
0:55:04 > 0:55:07'And here she comes - the 787 Dreamliner.'
0:55:07 > 0:55:09CHEERING AND WHISTLING
0:55:09 > 0:55:10Way to go, Rolls-Royce!
0:55:10 > 0:55:12LAUGHTER
0:55:13 > 0:55:18It's a massive coup to provide the engines for a new airliner's first flight...
0:55:20 > 0:55:22..and it's something to be very proud of
0:55:22 > 0:55:24for the people who build them.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33MARK KING: Quite an emotional moment for everybody involved.
0:55:33 > 0:55:35Particularly for all the guys here who have built the engines -
0:55:35 > 0:55:39all the engineers who have designed it over the last four, five, six years.
0:55:39 > 0:55:44Some of these people have devoted their entire lifetime at work to this.
0:55:46 > 0:55:49Ecstatic really. Really delighted to see
0:55:49 > 0:55:52the aircraft take off what's been a pretty long
0:55:52 > 0:55:55and tiring journey to get this far, really.
0:56:06 > 0:56:10But the success of the flight can only really be gauged
0:56:10 > 0:56:13when orders for the new engine start coming in.
0:56:13 > 0:56:17Great news. Another order for five Trent 1000-powered
0:56:17 > 0:56:19Boeing 787 aircraft were placed this morning.
0:56:19 > 0:56:23Particularly good because it's quite a tough market at the moment, and so it does
0:56:23 > 0:56:27show testament to the technology in this engine that people are still placing orders.
0:56:29 > 0:56:31It's a great day to be in the job,
0:56:31 > 0:56:34it's a great day to be in Rolls-Royce and a great day for Derby.
0:56:40 > 0:56:42For the 11,000 employees in Derby
0:56:42 > 0:56:47it's another ordinary day, with more Trent engines to build.
0:56:48 > 0:56:50Morning!
0:56:51 > 0:56:57And in Warwickshire, it's the end of another shift for Bob and Lee Blackwill.
0:56:57 > 0:57:02But it's also the start of a new chapter in the story of the Trent engine.
0:57:02 > 0:57:06Because the first fan case for the next engine in the Trent family
0:57:06 > 0:57:09is finally ready - and about to be revealed.
0:57:09 > 0:57:14We've organised the corporate comms team to come down to take a team photo.
0:57:14 > 0:57:17So we're going to get everyone in the project together.
0:57:17 > 0:57:19There you go, look at that beauty.
0:57:21 > 0:57:23There you go. That's it...
0:57:26 > 0:57:29Work of art. It's a work of art!
0:57:32 > 0:57:37It's something for Mark and his team to be really proud of.
0:57:37 > 0:57:40And a senior project manager from Derby
0:57:40 > 0:57:43is on his way to see the unveiling.
0:57:43 > 0:57:45Now, that looks really good.
0:57:45 > 0:57:46Looks really good.
0:57:48 > 0:57:50Pull it this way a little bit further.
0:57:50 > 0:57:52And then have those two sitting behind it.
0:57:52 > 0:57:56If we can all gather round the front, guys! Everyone come in round the front.
0:57:57 > 0:58:00Gather round... I've got to get some photogenic people(!)
0:58:00 > 0:58:02LAUGHTER
0:58:08 > 0:58:10This is a major thank you to all of you,
0:58:10 > 0:58:13and thank you very much for the fantastic effort you've put in.
0:58:13 > 0:58:15This is so many firsts for us as a project.
0:58:15 > 0:58:18It's our first module, and it's our biggest module.
0:58:18 > 0:58:22And a major milestone for our first engine. So thank you very much.
0:58:22 > 0:58:24That was great.
0:58:24 > 0:58:26Well done...
0:58:32 > 0:58:35In the next programme, we meet some of Britain's secret engineers,
0:58:35 > 0:58:37who work on the most cutting-edge
0:58:37 > 0:58:40military and civilian engineering projects.
0:59:05 > 0:59:07Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:59:07 > 0:59:09E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk