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Old 12th April 2006 | 21:00
  #17 (permalink)  
barit1
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Joined: Feb 2005
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From: flyover country USA
Since you asked --
Initial RR sales of the RB211 were the -22B rating. However, they could not produce engines that actually met that thrust rating, so they delivered a derated -22C model with attendant aircraft penalties (and financial penalties to RR & Lockheed, I'm sure).

But development refinement continued, until the machine met its original guarantees. Existing -22C's were upgraded at last to -22B, and finally the -22C was stricken from the type certificate. (Swept under the carpet, we might say)

But as late as 1986 I witnessed a dozen or more RR technicians at a medium-sized Middle East engine shop, scurrying to keep a fleet of RB's in dispatchable condition--average time on wing was a small fraction of the competitors. RR provided the labor force free of charge - which helped contain the airline's costs somewhat.
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