The journey of our Trent 7000 Chief Engineer

March 20. Since the Trent 700 entered into service in 1995 on the Airbus A330, it has achieved 76 million flying hours, powering more than 9 million flights for over 100 operators as the most reliable widebody engine in the world. Today, it is the best engine for the Airbus A330ceo, powering both airlines and cargo operators.

It has paved the way for a family of engines that have transported a total of 3.5 billion people. Today, our seventh generation Trent engine – the Trent 7000 – has benefited from three decades of continuous improvement to radically enhance fuel efficiency and noise, saving airline customers billions.

But to understand the evolution of this iconic and enduring technology, we have to look at the world-class engineers who built it.

The best job in the world

Paul Sixsmith is Chief Engineer on the Trent 700, Trent 500, Trent 900 and Trent 7000 programmes. Today, he works out of the Rolls-Royce Lombard building in Derby, a place he has called home for most of his career – a career nearly as old as the Trent family itself.

With nearly three decades of accomplishments under his belt, Paul reflects on starting out as a young aerospace engineering graduate, assisting the certification of the Trent 500 engine: “I look back now and can’t believe my luck,” he says. “Being in my early twenties and being paid to test jet engines for a living – I would still describe it as the best job in the world.”

His early career in new product development for Civil Aerospace gave him the opportunity to explore the core functions of gas turbines from materials to performance and systems integration. By the early 2000s he was travelling the world, working to test and optimise engines like the Trent 700.

Evolution means stepping out of your comfort zone

After a few years, it was time for a change. “I often like to say to my teams now that if you’re going to move roles, you should change just as much as you need to move you just outside of your comfort zone,” Paul explains. And that’s what he did, moving from product development to support the flying fleet and working directly with the A330 airframer, Airbus. “I was starting from scratch again with little knowledge of this area of the business, but I had a great team around me. Together we managed to solve a number of engineering challenges.”

It was in this position that Paul worked under former Chief Engineer, Mark Wainwright, who would become a mentor and key influence in his development. “He was one of those people who guided me and set the tone for the engineer I would become today,” Paul explains. “He instilled in me a commitment to putting safety at the forefront of everything I do, but also that it was alright to have some fun at work, something I carry with me as a leader today.”

A career taking flight

Paul credits these kinds of experiences for the part he and his teams have played in the Trent family’s key milestones, developing, and introducing new technologies like advanced compressor aerodynamics and focussing on finer engineering details like durability improvement packages to deliver improved time on wing.

In 2014, Rolls-Royce and Airbus unveiled the A330neo at the Farnborough Airshow and Paul became Chief Project Engineer on the Trent 7000 programme – bringing together nearly 20 years of personal experience with the Trent family’s entire fleet of data and technology.

“The day of the A330neo’s first flight in 2017 was incredible,” recalls Paul. “We had beautiful clear blue skies and here I was 20 years after joining Rolls-Royce, leading a phenomenal team and steering the programme. After all the effort and energy my team had dedicated to the programme, I cried tears of joy seeing it take off for the first time.”

What does success look like for a Chief Engineer?

Paul became Chief Engineer of the Trent 7000 programme in 2018 and since then has overseen aircraft certification, entry into service and a series of product development packages, as well as working closely with Airbus to onboard new airline customers across the globe.

To date, the Trent 7000 has achieved more than 3 million engine flying hours across more than 200,000 flights. It is 11% more fuel efficient than the Trent 700, saving airlines around $3.5 million per aircraft, per year.

“I’d have to say I’m humbled, honoured and proud to have had such an impact on the engine that powers the A330neo,” he comments. “A big part of that is how well we work with the airframer. We’ve spent years solving problems, travelling and visiting airline customers together and we’re an excellent team. I think relationships like that are key to the success of a Chief Engineer.”