Rolls-Royce opens new Advanced Aerospace Repair Facility near Indianapolis, US

Rolls-Royce has opened its new advanced LiftWorks repair facility for fighter jet propulsion components in Plainfield, IN, near the company’s facilities in Indianapolis, US. Rolls-Royce will repair and overhaul components for the Roll-Royce LiftSystem for F-35 Lightning II aircraft. The LiftSystem provides the vertical-lift capability for the F-35B, which is flown by US Marine Corps and UK pilots. The new LiftWorks facility represents a total investment of more than US$10m from Rolls-Royce and the Marine Corps, and will employ approximately 40 people as workload increases. LiftWorks is adjacent to the Rolls-Royce LiftSystem Factory in Plainfield, where new components are assembled for F-35 aircraft. Rolls-Royce also tests LiftFans, the primary component of the LiftSystem, at its Indianapolis facility. Rolls-Royce is the only company that produces vertical lift technology for fighter aircraft. The Rolls-Royce LiftSystem is comprised of a LiftFan, 3-Bearing Swivel Module, a roll post under each wing, and a shaft connected to the aircraft’s Pratt & Whitney F135 engine. F-35 pilots say the LiftSystem has proven to be extremely stable and dependable in flight, with superior aircraft software controls making it easy to operate.