Rolls-Royce Rewards World-Class Engineering Achievement

    LONDON, April 27 Two young Rolls-Royce engineers have
earned prestigious travel scholarships as part of the company's annual awards
ceremony recognising world class engineering talent.
    Rachel Busfield and Simon Lukaszewski, both based in Derby, will spend up
to 12 months broadening their knowledge and experience visiting and working in
acknowledged aerospace and manufacturing centres of excellence.  Rachel will
spend time based at the NASA Glenn Research Centre in Cleveland, Ohio,
studying thin film sensors, while Simon plans to review investment casting
techniques at industry leaders in a variety of locations, including the US.
    Rolls-Royce has also honoured senior engineers who have built world-class
reputations in their own fields of expertise.  This year's new Rolls-Royce
Engineering Fellows are Colin Adderley (Thermofluid systems), Nick Cumpsty
(Technology), Chris Freeman (Aerothermal Systems) and Peter Hill
(Manufacturing technology).
    The Technical Innovation Awards, presented in Derby, were given for
specific pioneering engineering achievements.  Individual winner was Dimitrie
Negulescu, of Rolls-Royce Deutschland based in Dahlewitz, near Berlin, whose
micro-turbine cooling concept has tripled the life of BR715 high-pressure
turbine blades, bringing savings in engine cost, maintenance and fuel
consumption.
    Team winners were the developers of the QUICK multi-sensor data
acquisition system that enables real-time diagnostics of engines' operation.
This team comprised four Rolls-Royce engineers Paul Anuzis, Ken Astley, Dennis
King and Steve King, working with neural network authority Professor Lionel
Tarassenko from Oxford University, with which Rolls-Royce has close
engineering academic links.
    A team from the company's Indianapolis factory was honoured for its part
in the external Robert J Collier Award, won by the Global Hawk unmanned aerial
vehicle, which is powered by the Rolls-Royce AE3007 turbofan engine.  This UAV
has established records for ultra high-altitude endurance performance, and
earlier this week completed the first non-stop flight across the Pacific by an
unmanned aircraft, taking 22 hours to travel from the US to Australia.
    Sir Ralph Robins said:  "The success of our business is built upon the
ability of our employees to find innovative solutions to technical challenges.
I believe it is important that this life-blood is given real recognition in
the shape of these annual awards.  We reward patents and other specific
technology innovations, and I'm particularly pleased to continue the more
recent travel scholarships and Rolls-Royce Engineering Fellowships, which
really represent a lifetime of technical excellence."

    Notes To Editors:  A full list of the award winners is attached.  Pictures
of some of the winners are available on the Rolls-Royce website
(http://www.rolls-royce.com/latestn/images/thumbnails13.htm ).


          Rolls-Royce Chairman's Technical Innovation Award Winners

    The full list of winners receiving prizes from Rolls-Royce Chairman Sir
Ralph Robins at the company's annual awards for technical innovation were as
follows:

    Individual Award for Technical Innovation
    * Winner:  Dimitrie Negulescu, Propulsion System Specialist, Rolls-Royce
       Deutschland (Micro-turbine cooling concept)
    * Runner-up:  Jeff Willis, Principal Measurement Engineer, Bristol
       (X-ray multimedia)

    Team Award for Technical Innovation
    * Winners:  Paul Anuzis, Ken Astley, Dennis King, Steve King - Derby /
       Prof Lionel Tarassenko, Oxford University (QUICK multi-sensor data
       acquisition system)
    * Runners-up:  Sunil Charadva, Mike Lawson, Siva Sathianathan - Derby
       (Ribbed armco fan containment system)

    Rolls-Royce Engineering Fellowships
    * Colin Adderley, Chief of Thermofluid Systems - Naval Marine, Derby
       (Thermofluid systems)
    * Nick Cumpsty, Chief Technologist, Derby (Technology)
    * Chris Freeman, Chief Propulsion Systems Specialist, Derby (Aerothermal
       systems)
    * Peter Hill, Business Development Manager - Manufacturing Technology,
       Bristol (Manufacturing technology)

    Engineering Travel Scholarships
    * Rachel Busfield, Instrumentation Engineering, Derby
    * Simon Lukaszewski, Precision Casting Facility, Derby

    Third Stage (High Value) Patent Awards
    * Geoff Lack, Chief Development Engineer, Bedford (Toothed gear system)
    * Mehar Chand Meelu, Principal Engineer - Materials Technology, Ansty
       (Multiplex aluminide-silicide coating)
    * David Rickerby, Head of Coatings - Turbine Systems, Derby (Pt plating
       and heat-treated substrate)
    * Peter Hill and Jim Watkins, Manufacturing Technology, Bristol (VIPER
       high-speed grinding)