[fla_tiger]

Rolls Royce Testing Facility

Major Project To Help Return Jobs To Gulf Coast

Gulf Coast officials today are celebrating a new economic development project. Construction began Thursday on a new $42 million testing facility, which will be used to test engines for the world's largest airliner starting late next year.

It is being built between New Orleans and Gulfport at the NASA Stennis Space Center straddling the Louisiana/Mississippi line. Officials say this is the first Rolls-Royce test facility of its kind outside the UK.Rolls-Royce is relocating its testing facility from the United Kingdom to Stennis to test high-thrust jet engines developed for the Airbus A380, a massive seven-story airliner designed to seat 555 passengers, and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, due out in 2008.

Once complete, it will be used to test developmental and prototype airplane engines for performance, noise, and other factors. Initially, it will test engines being developed for the Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The decision to build the facility was made before Katrina. It will be the first major economic development project since the hurricane.