Rolls-Royce has reached agreement with Boeing to advance the development and certification of its planned 445kN (100,000lb)-thrust Trent 8100 growth engine by nine months, allowing the powerplant to enter service on the proposed 777-200X and -300X derivatives by 2001.
The revised Trent 8100 schedule is contained in a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by R-R and Boeing, which replaces an earlier MoU. R-R confirms that the Trent 8100 programme "-has been advanced so it sits in with Boeing's requirements for the -200X and -300X".
Under the original accord, R-R was only willing to commit to supplying an engine for the new growth versions of the 777 by September 2001 at the earliest, partly because of plans to develop a smaller version of the Trent for Airbus' proposed A340-500/600 derivatives. Boeing, however, has been industrious in making proposals to prospective launch customers for initial deliveries of the first -200X in September 2000, and of the higher gross weight stretch -300X in January 2001.
General Electric, meanwhile, has already signed an MoU with Boeing to deliver its planned GE90-100B in September 2000. Pratt & Whitney is proposing its lower-thrust PW4098 engine for the 777-200X. It is in development and will enter service with Korean Air on its 777-300s in 1998.
With several operators of Trent 800-powered 777s, including Malaysia Airlines (MAS), Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways International and Emirates, expressing interest in launching the new versions, R-R has come under pressure to bring the Trent 8100 programme forward to match Boeing's schedule.
The US Federal Aviation Administration has issued an airworthiness directive (AD) calling for inspections of some in-service R-R Trent 800s, and preventing the start of extended-range twin-engine operations (ETOPS).
The FAA says that the action, "-does not mean we're pulling the engine's ETOPS certificate", and is related to problems for which R-R has been issuing service bulletins for since January.
The AD calls for inspections of the angled-drive upper shroud-tube, and the replacement of the shroud tube with a redesigned unit, by 30 September.
Source: Flight International
