Rolls Royce Dart

Fields Airmotive is an experienced maintenance, repair and overhaul centre for all models of Rolls Royce Dart turboprop engine. In July 1978 Field Aviation entered into a technical assistance agreement with Rolls Royce for the RR Dart engine, thus starting a long and fruitful relationship on this engine type. Fields Airmotive is now one of the top RR Dart facilities worldwide with customers in Canada and throughout Africa. Listening to customers and focus on customer service are our hallmarks. We are experienced at tailoring shop visit outcomes to meet our Rolls Royce Dart customer requirements
By delivering value-for-money, high quality services, Fields Airmotive has earned an unrivaled reputation for leadership, excellence and as always been repair rather than replacement of expensive components. Fields Airmotive cost effective repair and overhaul processes, together with  life assessment and preventative maintenance which will optimise your individual shop visit costs and  improve the reliability of your engines, decreasing long-term cost of ownership

In addition to repair and overhaul, Fields Airmotive specialises in Time Between Overhaul extensions with the embodiment of RR SB Da70-15 Appendix 1 and 2, with the possibility of 5 yenormal 15 year TBO,  depending on your engine's current status

​Fields Airmotive's on site Schenck D3300-1e Dynamometer engine test facility takes all marks of Rolls Royce Dart engines, with full reporting and analysis capability
​All work is performed in accordance with Rolls-Royce standard practices and in accordance with approved revised OEM technical documentation. Fields Airmotive capability includes:
 Non-Destructive Testing
    Liquid penetrant, Magnetic particle, Eddycurrent and Conductivity inspection, Ultrasonic & Radiographic inspection,
    Borescope
 Blasting Machines

    Plastic Media, Dry Aluminium Oxide, Vapour Blast, Glass Bead, Shot Peen
 Electroplating
    Cadmium Plate, Nickel Plate, Copper Plate, Chrome Plate
    Chromic Acid Anodising, Silver Plate, Nickel Cadmium Plating
 Welding
    TIG Welding Machines, Oxy-Acytelene Welding

 Shipping of RR Dart Engine to Fields

​The majority of RR Dart engines serviced are air freighted from locations around the world to OR Tambo  International Airport (Johannesburg). On arrival in OR Tambo the engine is then transported by air ride suspension truck for 30 minutes, via highway,  to the Fields Airmotive facility.

These engine and transport stand shipment details are approx:
Gross weight:                811 kg
Shipping dimension:  233 X 113 X 125 cm
Vol. Weight:                  549 Kg
Cubic Meters:                3.291
​Transport stands are available for loan, if required.
Customers may also fly their aircraft to the Fields Airmotive hangar facility, where the engine will be removed by our staff. The aircraft will remain enclosed in a hangar at all times, while the engine is undergoing maintenance in the adjacent workshop.

The RR Dart Engine

Fields first signed a technical assistance agreement in 1978 with Rolls Royce but South Africa's association with the RR Dart goes back further in time, to the early development days of this iconic engine. The original RR Dart design team of 1946 was lead by the South African University of Cape Town graduate Lionel Haworth, who was also responsible of RR early jets such as the WR1 and RCA3. With over 7,100 Dart Engines having being produced,  Fields Airmotive is proud to continue this RR Dart South African tradition, as one of the last few remaining RR Dart overhaul shops in the world.
Click buttons below for RR Dart engine information and the RR Dart models/marks for the most common aircraft it is fitted to currently

Two stage centrifugal compressors, three stage turbine
Utilises water methanol injection to increase the shaft horsepower
Maximum Diameter:  0.96 Meters                            Length: 2.49 meters                     Weight:  629 Kg
  The Rolls Royce  RB.53 "Dart" is one of the most successful early turboprop engines and was built by Rolls-Royce in the UK. In 1943 Rolls-Royce experimented with a turbine engine driving a propeller. This led to test flights of a RB53 (later named Dart) in a Lancaster bomber in 1947. To reduce weight the reduction gearbox was redesigned and the oil tank was made integral with the air intake housing.  The engine was chosen to power the Vickers Viscount airliner. The Viscount’s first flight in 1948 was followed by it being the first turbine-powered airliner in the world when it entered service in 1950.The initial Dart engine in 1946 produced 990 hp. Final versions of the Dart produced over 3,400 horsepower (2535 kW). Approximately 7100 engines produced with the main engines marks being the  RDa7 & RDa10. 

In addition to the RB.53 designation, each mark of Dart was allocated a UK Ministry of Supply "RDa.n" number as well as Mk Numbers.
   RDa.1 Initial prototype engines – 1,250 shp plus 300lb residual thrust[5]
   RDa.2 Initial production engines
   RDa.3 1,480 hp (1,103.64 kW) estimated power 
   RDa.6 1,670 hp (1,245.32 kW) estimated power 
   RDa.7 1,815 hp (1,353.45 kW) estimated power 
   RDa.7/1 1,910 hp (1,424.29 kW) estimated power –
   RDa.7/2 2,020 hp (1,506.31 kW) estimated power –
   RDa.7/2 Mk.529 2,100 hp (1,565.97 kW) estimated power 
   RDa.10 2,555 hp (1,905.26 kW) estimated power
   RDa.10/1 3,030 hp (2,259.47 kW) estimated power 
   RDa.10/1 3,245 hp (2,419.80 kW) estimated power at 15,000 rpm,
   Mk.506 (RDa.3)
   Mk.510 (RDa.6)
   Mk.511 (RDa.6)
   Mk.514 (RDa.6)
   Mk.520 (RDa.7)
   Mk.525 (RDa.7/1)
   Mk.526 (RDa.7/2)
   Mk.527 (RDa.7/2)
   Mk.528 (RDa.7/2)
   Mk.529 (RDa.7/2)
   Mk.530 (RDa.7/2)
   Mk.531 (RDa.7/2)
   Mk.551 (RDa.7)
   Mk.552 (RDa-7)
   Mk.540 (RDa.10)
   Mk.542 (RDa.10/1)

The Dart was used on the Vickers Viscount, Armstrong-Whitworth Argosy, Avro 748, Fokker F-27, Handley-Page Dart Herald, Grumman Gulfstream 1 and the NAMC YS-11. It was also used to convert Convair 440s to turboprop power, being known as the Convair 640.

Milestones
1945: Dart Design work started                       1960: HS748 first flight
1946: Dart first test bed run                             1962: YS-11 first flight
1947: Dart first flight, on a Lancaster            1983: RR Dart 100 million engine hours in service
1955: Fokker F27 first flight                             1986: Last new production Dart engine built 
1956: RDa6 in service                                         1991: RR Dart 120 million engine hours in service
1958: RDa7 & Fokker F27 in service               1992: British Airways ceases Dart operations after 41 years continuous operation
1959: Gulfstream 1 in service                          2018: RR Dart still flying strong with operators in Canada, Kenya, Uganda, India

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For additional history and historic photographs, click here

Aviation Approvals

Aviation approvals held by Fields Airmotive's Rand Airport facility for engines are