Rolls-Royce Retires Modified 747-200 Testbed

Rolls-Royce has retired its Boeing 747-200 flying testbed (registered N787RR), a uniquely modified aircraft instrumental in the OEM’s engine development and evaluation. However, with the so-called “Queen of the Skies” withdrawn from service, Rolls-Royce will continue its testing endeavors with a combination of flying assets, ground testing, and digital modelling.

For the last two decades, the “Flying Test Bed” has proved a key airborne asset with its ability to operate an additional fifth powerplant, installed on a bespoke wing-mounted pylon. Its achievements included the 2021 testing of a 100% SAF-powered Trent 1000 (preceding Virgin Atlantic’s 100% SAF-powered transatlantic flight) and the Pearl 10X, optimized for the upcoming Dassault Falcon 10X. 

Other programs included testing and validating the Advance and UltraFan technology. N787RR’s final mission, completed in July 2025, supported Rolls-Royce’s Advanced Low Emissions Combustion System (ALECSys). In total, the aircraft facilitated more than 2,000 hours of testing. Rolls-Royce director of test and experimental engineering John Knight described the flying testbed as a “workhorse” and one which helped “push the boundaries of engine development.”

However, amid rising costs of running a 45-year-old airframe, the former Cathay Pacific airliner has now reached the end of its testing tenure. Rolls-Royce has not publicly stated a successor, although previous plans to convert a younger 747-400 were shelved in 2022. It is likely the aircraft itself will be moved from its base at Arizona’s Tucson International Airport to the nearby Pinal County Airpark, a commercial aircraft storage facility.