Boeing 757

[rog747]

I think the E4 lump was quite abit heavier (4360 kgs) than the C engines (3750 kgs) - hence the pylon difference.

The E4 engine had the distinctive exhaust ducting (copied on the -524G & H applications for the RR 767-300 and RR 747-400)
RR using the more advanced -524 core as a basis, the company produced the 40,100lb - 43,500lb thrust RB211-535E4 which entered service in October 1984. While still not quite as efficient as the PW2037 it was more reliable and quieter.
In May 1988 when American Airlines ordered 50 757s powered by the -535E4 citing the engine's low noise as an important factor: this was the second time since the TriStar that Rolls-Royce had received a significant order from a US airline, and it led to the -535E4's subsequent market domination on the 757.

The -535E4 achieved 180-minute ETOPS approval on the 757 in 1990, and has since proved to be one of the world's most reliable large turbofan engines.
Rolls-Royce achieved its ambition of developing an engine with long on-wing life and low maintenance costs. Monarch Airlines had a 29,000 hour engine but the record is over 40,000 hours on wing.
Further upgrading of the -535E4 took place in the late 1990s to improve the engine's emissions performance, borrowing technology developed for the Trent 700.

In 2005 there was still scope to improve the -535E4 even further and there was some discussion to upgrade it with the Trent 500 core, which could give an 8% decrease in SFC. The economic life-cycle of the 757 fleet could be extended another 10 years if the SFC upgrade had gone ahead.
However approaching 2020 -
We still see many 757's remain in leading airline markets, and have somewhat seen a renaissance/reprieve from full retirements due to the 737 MAX grounding.

[tdracer]

In May 1988 when American Airlines ordered 50 757s powered by the -535E4 citing the engine's low noise as an important factor: this was the second time since the TriStar that Rolls-Royce had received a significant order from a US airline, and it led to the -535E4's subsequent market domination on the 757.

That's not quite true - the final order book for the 757 was split pretty much 50/50 between the PW2000 and the RB211-535. What was different was the spread - Pratt had a small number of customers who had a large number of 757s (United, Delta, and Northwest had well over half the 757/PW2000 fleet), while Rolls had a large number of customers, most of which had a small number of 757s. It took a long time, but Pratt finally got a handle on the PW2000 reliability issues (interestingly one problem was derated climbs - the engine was just fine at max climb, but derated climbs could set up a resonance in the compressor blades that could break a blade). In the late 1990s, United went over a million hours without a PW2000 shutdown - and when they eventually did have a shutdown, it turned out to be duff flight deck indication - the engine was fine.
Much of the noise problem with the PW2000 was during approach throttle movements, it tended to open the HP surge bleeds and they made a lot of noise (you could readily hear the sound of the bleeds opening if a 757 flew overhead a few thousand feet up).

[Airbubba]

Here's a nice series of 1983 articles on the birth of the 757 from the archives of the Seattle Times:

The Seattle Times: Making It Fly

[rog747]

Tdracer - many thanks for the PW engine history - In Europe most airlines, as you say, took RR but Condor took the PW engines on their -230's, and RR on their -330's

When I was at Monarch we had 3 757 with C engines then the 4th arrived fitted with E4's and the others were re-engined by summer 1985
We had huge problems that summer with AOG's due to many failures IIRC of the CSD or IDG , it was part of the starter motor/gearbox, anyway it was something like that!
- sorry memory fails here.
I think Sunstrand made the part and we occasionally had 3 or 4 757's AOG that summer...Sunstrand could not keep up with the demand for spares.

Re the AA order I think their ops into Orange Co. was pivotal in the 757 order?

Best R.