Okuthandwa kakhulu Qantas izindiza zabagibeli zithathe umhlalaphansi kwezentengiso kule mpelasonto ukuze ziqale impilo njenge Rolls-Royce indiza yokuhlola endizayo. Indiza izosetshenziselwa ukuhlola ubuchwepheshe bamanje bejet engine obuzoguqula indiza, banciphise ukukhishwa bese busetha izilinganiso ezintsha zokusebenza kahle.
The Boeing 747-400 - ngokubhaliswa kwe-VH-OJU - ubesebenze neQantas iminyaka engama-20 njengelungu elithandwa kakhulu emikhunjini yezithuthi yase-Australia. Esikhathini sonke sempilo yayo, i-OJU ihambe ngaphezu kwamakhilomitha ayizigidi ezingama-70, okulingana cishe nezikhathi eziyikhulu zokubuyela enyangeni. Isebenze emazweni amaningi futhi yathatha abagibeli abayizigidi ezingama-100, ohambweni ngalunye luqhutshwa yizinjini ezine zeRoll-Royce RB2.5.
Njengendawo yokuhlola endizayo, izofakwa amakhono okuhlola akamuva futhi okokuqala ngqa, izovivinya izinjini ezinika amandla zombili izindiza zebhizinisi nezamabhizinisi. Izinhlelo ezintsha zizothola idatha engcono ngokushesha kunanini ngaphambili, futhi ubuchwepheshe buzohlolwa ezindaweni eziphakeme kakhulu nangejubane elisheshayo. Ama-testbeds ezindiza asetshenziselwa ukwenza ukuhlolwa kokuphakama nokuqapha ubuchwepheshe ezimeni zezindiza.
Abasebenzi bakwaRoll-Royce bazokhetha igama lendiza, ebelisebenza impilo yayo neQantas ebizwa ngeLord Howe Island. Izogcwala iqembu labashayeli bezindiza abangochwepheshe, abahlanganisa ubuchwepheshe bezobunjiniyela kanye nesipiliyoni samashumi eminyaka ezindiza ezindizeni zezohwebo, ezempi nezokuhlola.
Le ndiza entsha izokweseka umbono weRolls-Royce IntelligentEngine, lapho izinjini zixhunywe khona, zazi ngokomongo futhi zize ziqonde, ukuqala ngesikhathi sabo ku-testbed.
Lezi zingu-747 ziphothule uhambo lwazo lokugcina lokuya eQantas ngomhlaka 13 Okthoba 2019 zisuka eSydney ziye eLos Angeles. Ngemuva kwalokho yandizela esikhungweni sokuhlola izindiza i-AeroTEC eMoses Lake, eWashington State, e-US, lapho izoguquka khona iminyaka emibili. Onjiniyela nochwepheshe be-AeroTEC bazoguqula iBoeing 747-400 isuke endizeni yezentengiselwano enezitulo zabagibeli ezingama-364 ziye esikhungweni sokuhlola ezindizayo sesimanje esinezinsimbi eziningi nezinhlelo zokuthatha izilinganiso eziyinkimbinkimbi zokusebenza kwenjini ekundizeni.
Lapho sekuqediwe, indiza izosebenza kanye nebhedi yokuhlola ezindizayo kaRolls-Royce, iBoeing 747-200, eseqede izindiza zokuhlola ezingama-285 kuze kube manje.
UGareth Hedicker, uRolls-Royce, onguMqondisi Wezentuthuko Nobunjiniyela Bokuhlola, uthe: “INdlovukazi yamazulu izoba yigugu ekhanda ezinhlelweni zethu zokuhlolwa komhlaba wonke. Lokhu kungukutshalwa kwezimali okuphawulekayo okuzokwandisa amakhono ethu okuhola ahamba phambili emhlabeni futhi kuzosivumela ukuthi sithole imininingwane eminingi yokuhlolwa kwezindiza kunanini ngaphambili. Ngemuva kokuhambisa izigidi zabagibeli kule ndiza ethandekayo iminyaka engu-20, sijabule ukuyinika amandla esikhathini esizayo. ”
UChris Snook, oyi-Executive Manager ye-Engineering yeQantas, uthe: “IBoeing 747 ibilokhu iyilungu eliqavile nelithandwa kakhulu emikhunjini yaseQantas iminyaka eminingi. Sisebenze cishe konke okwahlukile kanti kuyadabukisa ukubabona behamba, ama-747 enza indlela yeBoeing 787 Dreamliners. U-OJU uzigqokise ngokuziqhenya nge-kangaroo endizayo iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-20 futhi siyajabula ukuthi unempilo ende ngaphambi kwakhe ukusiza ukuhlola nokweseka ukuthuthukiswa kwesizukulwane esilandelayo sezinjini zezindiza. ”
U-Lee Human, umongameli nomsunguli we-AeroTEC, uthe: “Ithimba le-AeroTEC liyaziqhenya ngokubambisana neRoll-Royce ukuguqula, ukwakha nokuthumela le ndawo entsha yokuhlola izindiza. Le laboratri yomoya izokwenza ukuthi kuthuthukiswe futhi kunikezwe isitifiketi ubuchwepheshe obusha, obuthuthukiswe kakhulu bezinjini obenzelwe ukukhulisa ukusebenza kahle kanye nokunciphisa imithelela kwezemvelo. Ithimba lethu lobunjiniyela, ukuguqulwa, kanye nezivivinyo eSeattle naseMoses Lake sezivele zisebenza kanzima zilungiselela ukugcwalisa umbono kaRoll-Royce. ”
IRolloll-Royce itshale imali engama- $ 70m (£ 56m) ekutholakaleni nasekuvuseleleni izindiza zeQantas. Lokhu kungaphezu kokutshalwa kwezimali okungama- £ 90m ku-Testbed 80, i-testbed enkulu kunazo zonke futhi ehlakaniphe kakhulu emhlabeni, njengamanje eyakhiwa eDerby, e-UK, futhi isethwe ukuthi ifakwe ku-2020.
