French engine manufacturer Snecma is in "very positive" negotiations with Rolls- Royce on taking a stake in the UK company's proposed engine for the Airbus Industrie A340-600.
The move follows the failure of talks between Airbus and General Electric on a suitable engine for the stretched, ultra-long-range, 375-seat version of the A340. R-R is already talking to the European consortium on a powerplant (Flight International, 12-18 March, P6), based around a scaled version of the existing Trent 700 - thought to be known as the Trent 500.
According to Snecma, a tie-up with R-R would bring "several advantages" to the UK manufacturer's position. "As suppliers of the engine currently powering the A340 [with CFM International partner GE], we would bring a huge market base to R-R," it says.
Snecma makes it clear, however, that it could only co-operate with R-R "-on a basis different to that which exists with GE". The French manufacturer has a 50:50 partnership with GE on the CFM56 turbofan, the -5C version of which powers the A340-200/300. It is responsible for the cold section, leaving it with little option but to contribute to the hot section of the A340-600 engine, since its agreement with GE prohibits it from carrying out cold-section work on a competing engine. Airbus has already said that the A340-600 powerplant could also be retrofitted to higher-gross-weight or longer-range versions of its existing A340 models.
R-R says that the question of workshare is "-something that will be up for discussion", but adds that it does not yet have "any formal arrangement" with Snecma. The French company expects a share of around 25%.
The French Government has told Snecma that it is ready to provide refundable state aid for the engine, on what is described as a "revolving-fund" basis whereby the aid would be paid back as engines are sold.
In 1996, Snecma president Jean-Paul Bechat turned down an R-R offer to join in development of the Trent 900, saying that its "natural loyalties" were with GE.
Source: Flight International
