Julian Moxon/PARIS
AIRBUS INDUSTRIE HAS launched the shortened, longer-range, version of its twin-engined A330 widebody and confirmed its development of the ultra-long range A340-8000.
The A330-200 is scheduled to be flown for the first time in the middle of 1997, and to be ready for service entry in the second quarter of 1988. There are still no orders for the type, but Airbus says that a similar situation existed in the run-up to the launch of the A319, which entered the market with orders for just six aircraft (from International Lease Finance), and which has now clocked up 81 sales. The consortium says that there is a market for "up to 3,000" aircraft in the 250- to 300-seat category over the next 20 years. The A340-200 is competing with aircraft such as the 767-300 ER.
The A330-200 will undergo a 300h flight-test programme involving engine offerings from General Electric, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce. Development cost is put at around $450 million. Airbus declines to say whether the programme will be funded internally, or if it will require at least some Government financing. The A319, which cost $275 million to develop, was the first Airbus to be completely internally funded.
The main change in the A330-200 is a reduction in fuselage length of ten frames, or 5.33m, reducing capacity to 256 passengers (in three classes) against 335 for the standard aircraft. Range is increased to 11,800km (6,400nm), against 8,300km for the A330-300, take-off weight being increased by 13t, to 230t.
The A340-8000 is an even longer-range version of the increased-range A340-200, with strengthened wings to enable the carriage of up to three extra fuel tanks in the forward part of the rear cargo hold. This confers a range of 15,000km, against 13,700km for the A340-200, with 230 seats in a three-class configuration.
Airbus launched the programme in September, but did not formally announce the move until the A330 variant was unveiled.
Source: Flight International
