Completion of the Airbus A340-600 prototype is progressing at Toulouse, with the aircraft recently being rolled out for ground tests with its four Rolls-Royce Trent 556 engines installed. The 380-seat aircraft is due to make its first flight in May. With an overall length of 75.3m (246.4ft), it will take over from the Boeing 777-300 as the world's longest airliner. Virgin Atlantic is putting its first -600 into service in mid-2002.
Source: Flight International
Russia’s United Engine is to show off a prototype 500kW hybrid powertrain at an industrial exhibition, as it looks to use the architecture to progress to 1.5MW.
Aeroflot Group carrier Rossiya is set to test a new aftersales service system developed to handle the Aviadvigatel PD-14 engine for the Yakovlev MC-21 twinjet.
Turkish Airlines has struck a compensation agreement covering engine availability issues impacting the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G geared turbofans powering its Airbus A320neo-family aircraft.
