Yes I agree. The "shaft" driving the fan, not being in any way part of the core, is not a "spool" in the classical definition. But the average observer won't spot the subtle difference here.
Manufacturers often use different terminology to highlight their own products. I guess in the case of RR we could say it's just marketing bluff to call their GTF "three shaft", due to the similarly of the expression with "three spool", for which RR decades of experience is renowned.
Maybe it's a bit misleading but as per my previous, the comparison does still have some basic technical merit, so IMO it's "honestly misleading", if such is possible! Unfortunately for RR most people are somewhat cynical about manufacturer claims these days, hence this thread.
Perhaps more amusing, is that RR persist with the expression "intermediate pressure spool" when there is seemingly no longer any low pressure section. No doubt will become something for the old hands to explain to the young uns' why this anomaly exists!
Last edited by Sonikt; 24th Apr 2021 at 00:40.