A little more than 2% of all Boeing 767s built have been built with Rolls-Royce RB211 engines. Most of those were ordered by British Airways, and none appear to be operational today. The tale of the RB211 is a curious one, as the engine proved very unpopular when it was adapted for the Boeing 767. Since then, Rolls-Royce has managed to develop it into one of the world’s most successful widebody engines.
One issue that the early RB211 faced was that the GE CF6, the most popular engine for the 767, is such a good and reliable engine. A rival engine needed to be exceptional for its time to effectively compete with it. Here is what to know about the rare Rolls-Royce RB211-powered Boeing 767-300ER that British Airways ordered and why it was unpopular.
The Boeing 767 Came With Multiple Engine Options
Today, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is the only commercial widebody airliner in production with two engine options (the Trent 1000 and GEnx), while the Airbus A320neo is the only narrowbody aircraft produced with two engine options (the CFM International LEAP-1A and the Pratt & Whitney GTF). But it wasn’t long ago that it was the norm for aircraft to have two or even three engine options. The Boeing 767 is an example of an aircraft that came with three engine options.
The first-generation 767-200 was optionally powered by the Pratt & Whitney JT9D, the Pratt & Whitney PW4000, and the General Electric CF6. The 767-200ER and 767-300 were optionally powered by four engines (the previous engines plus the Rolls-Royce RB211). The Boeing 737-300ER and freighter also had these options, minus the JT9D. The final 767-400ER was optionally powered by the CF6 or the PW4000. Just because a variant had an option doesn’t mean airlines actually ordered it. For example, the -400ER was only ordered with the CF6.
Of these engines, the General Electric CF6 was by far the most popular. In fact, the CF6 is regarded as the most successful widebody engine in history and is still produced to meet remaining orders for Boeing 767-300F freighters that Boeing is set to deliver by the end of 2026. The Boeing 767-2C subvariant (the KC-46A Pegasus) is the US Air Force tanker variant and is produced with the PW4000. These are the only new-build widebody aircraft today with Pratt & Whitney engines.
The Rolls-Royce RB211 Was Unpopular
As of the time of writing, Boeing lists that it has delivered 1,349 Boeing 767s of all variants, with the CF6 being by far the most popular. Pratt & Whitney engines were the second most popular option for the mid-sized widebody. Of these, Boeing lists only 31 examples as being delivered with Rolls-Royce RB211 engines, or around 2.3% of the total.
All of these aircraft were Boeing 767-300ERs, ordered by British Airways and China Eastern Yunnan Airlines (a subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines). British Airways received 28 examples, while China Eastern received the other three. Almost half (14) of these aircraft were delivered in 1990 and 1991 to British Airways, with the remaining deliveries continuing until 1998.
|
Boeing 767-300ER RB211s (per Boeing) |
|
|---|---|
|
Number built |
583 |
|
Number with RB211 engines |
31 |
|
First customer |
British Airways with 28 |
|
Second customer |
China Eastern with 3 |
Rolls-Royce describes the RB211 as the “foundation for the Trent family.” Besides a few 767s, it also powered some Boeing 747s. Rolls-Royce says, “The RB211-524G/H&-T engine powers over 75 aircraft in service today and is the first engine ever to achieve more than 27,500 hours on-wing.” It is unclear when the website was last updated and how many of these aircraft are still operational.
Comparing The 2 Boeing 787 Dreamliner Engines
The Boeing 787 comes with both GE and Rolls-Royce engine options, although GE’s engines have become more popular in recent times.
British Airways’ Former Fleet Of RR-Powered 767s
According to Planespotters.net, British Airways received a total of 31 Boeing 767s, made up of three 767-200s and 28 767-300ERs. The three 767-200s were leased from USAir and were powered by the CF6 turbofans. British Airways started divesting its 767-300ER fleet almost as soon as it had taken delivery of it. It received the final example in 1998, and in 1999, the first one (G-BNWG) was withdrawn from use before being transferred to Qantas in 2000. The aircraft was stored at Kansas City International Airport in April 2024.
A total of seven 767-300ERs were transferred to Qantas in 2000. Of the remaining, Planespotters.net lists 17 as scrapped, three as partially scrapped, one as partially preserved, and the final one as stored. For its part, Qantas operated 38 Boeing 767s, all of which have now been withdrawn from service. Overall, British Airways was mostly satisfied with its RB211-powered 767s despite the initial programs. The engine allowed BA to maintain commonality with its RB211-powered 747-200s, 747-400s, and 757s.
The engine was also quieter than some of its contemporaries, which was a big factor in meeting noise regulations at Heathrow. The engine proved reliable, durable, quiet, and easier for BA to maintain thanks to established logistics. The aircraft operated for around 30 years, which is a respectable amount of time for a commercial airliner, suggesting there were no major issues that forced an early retirement.
The RB211 Was Overweight
The RB211 came with some drawbacks. One is that it had a higher weight, which caused structural and pylon issues with early RB211-powered 767s. The engine was about 2,200 lbs, or a ton, heavier than the other engine options. When BA introduced the aircraft, its heavier weight contributed to pylon cracking. This caused Boeing and its operators to seek interim fixes and design parts to fix the problem.
Seeing the issues, other airlines were discouraged from purchasing the RB211 and elected to purchase GE or PW options instead. This is somewhat similar to what happened to the RB211’s Trent 1000 and to the Boeing 767’s replacement, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Initially, the Trent 1000 attracted around a third of the orders, with the other two-thirds going to the GEnx. After cracking issues, new orders for the Trent 1000 have all but dried up.
While Rolls-Royce is working to fix the Trent 1000 issues, some industry experts think it is too late to regain lost market share. The engine may go out of production around 2030. There is a sort of ‘herd mentality’ among airlines where there is safety in numbers. Purchasing a popular engine reduces risk, is easier to justify, and is more likely to remain in production with continued service and a supply of new parts.
Rolls-Royce Trent XWB Vs. General Electric GE9X? Which Engine Is More Powerful?
The GE9X is more powerful than the Trent XWB, although there is more than thrust that makes a good engine.
Other Issues Contributing To RB211’s 767 Failure
There are other reasons why the RB211 failed to gain traction. One is that the RB211 came late to the party, in a market where GE’s CF6 and PW engines were already well established in the US. These engines were also offered on early 767s. One of the key things airlines look for is commonality, so those already with GF6 or PW engines were disincentivized from switching to Rolls-Royce.
One of the design characteristics of the RB211 is that it is a triple-spool engine, as opposed to GE’s twin-spool design. This has different maintenance characteristics. Airlines had to weigh the benefits of any fuel savings against the costs of personnel training and MRO (maintenance, repair, overhaul).
In the end, British Airways and China Eastern did purchase it. It was still an engine that had some competitive value, and Qantas would go on to operate second-hand examples from BA, but it was a minority choice. Success begets success. The more orders a product receives, the more investment there is in perfecting and updating it. The reverse is also true, where unpopularity breeds unpopularity, causing nervousness and discouraging expensive upgrades.
The RB211 Successful Legacy
Still, to call the Rolls-Royce RB211 a failure would be wrong. The RB211 may have flopped on the 767, but Rolls-Royce went on to develop it into the Trent 700, Trent XWB, Trent 1000, Trent 7000, and others. This family of engines now has almost half of the widebody engine market, being the only family of engines powering Airbus’ modern widebody aircraft (the A350 and A330neo).
Meanwhile, having lost bids or not really seriously bid on the A350, A330neo, Boeing 787, and Boeing 777X in the first place, Pratt & Whitney has found itself pushed out of the widebody engine market. At the same time, GE Aerospace is the de facto widebody engine supplier for Boeing, apart from remaining orders for Trent 1000-powered 787s and military Pratt & Whitney-powered 767s. For its part, British Airways ordered Boeing 787 Dreamliners powered by the Trent 1000, although the examples it is ordering now are GEnx-powered.
Another descendant of the RB211 (specifically from the Trent 800) is the Rolls-Royce MT30 Martine Turbine. This is one of two Western marine gas turbine engines that power Western and Western-friendly navy warships, including the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers. Rolls-Royce and British Airways may have been disappointed in the early 1990s by cracking issues and low sales, but the family of engines ultimately helped push Pratt & Whitney’s PW4000 out of the market.
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