British Airways has become the first airline to select the Rolls-Royce RB.211-524HT "hybrid" engine, having signed a letter of intent (LoI) with the UK manufacturer specifying the powerplant for 14 Boeing 747-400s, ordered in September 1996.
The engine deal will be worth more than $500 million to R-R, based on list prices, and deliveries of the 270kN (60,600lb)-thrust -524HT-powered 747s to BA are due to begin in December 1998. The powerplant was chosen over rival offerings from General Electric, with its CF6-80C2, and Pratt & Whitney, pushing the PW4000. BA and R-R decline to comment on the LoI.
The UK flag carrier's decision will come as a relief to R-R, which had to fight hard to win the deal after BA experienced significant performance and reliability shortfalls in its existing RB.211-524Hs (Flight International, 29 January-4 February, P5). The -524HT is designed to eliminate these problems, and provide a further 2.5% reduction in fuel consumption, by integrating the core, or 04 module, of the Trent 700, with an otherwise standard -524H.
BA is, however, delaying a decision on whether to carry out an expensive retrofit of its engines with the Trent 700 core, until the actual performance of the -524HT is demonstrated during flight testing, which R-R hopes to begin in September using a 747-400 (Flight International, 16-22 April).
Selection of the -524HT by BA is likely to be the precursor to orders for R-R from other carriers. Cathay Pacific, South African Airways and Air New Zealand are all close to ordering the engine.
R-R's Trent 892 turbofan has been awarded 180min extended-range twin-engine operations approval by the USFederal Aviation Administration, three weeks earlier than scheduled. Emirates took delivery of the FIrst Trent 892-powered Boeing 777-200IGW earlier this month.
Source: Flight International
