CORRECTED-Rolls-Royce sees sales growth

(Corrects year-earlier operating profit in paragraph 4 to 880 million pounds, not 872 million)

By Rhys Jones

LONDON (Reuters) - Engine-maker Rolls-Royce Group (RR.L) said there were no signs of a sustained recovery in its aviation and defence markets and profit is likely to be flat this year, despite an expected rise in sales.

"Global economic activity remains depressed. Whilst some emerging economies have shown signs of recovery, there is no evidence yet of a sustained and general return to growth across the group's markets," Chief Executive John Rose said in a third-quarter trading update on Tuesday.

Rolls-Royce, which makes engines and turbines for passenger planes, fighter jets, ships and power stations, said its expects underlying sales to grow in 2009, with profit remaining broadly similar to 2008 levels, after a solid third-quarter.

Rolls reported a pretax profit of 880 million pounds in 2008, on sales of 8.7 billion.

The company is expected to report an average pretax profit of 851.7 million pounds for 2009, according to a poll of 18 analysts by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Some analysts say Rolls' civil aerospace business has yet to be fully hit by the economic downturn.

"The lag between the downward trend in airline traffic and the decline in deliveries is about two to three years so the civil engine downturn will probably come in the second half of 2010 or possible 2011," said Evolution analyst Nick Cunningham.