One of the stars of the flying display at Le Bourget is sure to be the Airbus A340-600, powered by the latest version of Rolls-Royce¹s Trent engine family, the -500. Ever since it first flew at Toulouse on 23 April this year, the A340-600 has been undergoing an intensive test programme, with almost daily flights. Certification of the engine occurred two weeks ahead of schedule and the aircraft is due to enter service next year with Virgin Atlantic. The same engine will also power the ultra-long range -500 for which the Trent 500 is also the sole power plant.
When it enters service next year, the A340-600 will have a capacity for up to 380 passengers and a range of 7,500nm (13,900km). Its sister aircraft - the -500 - will carry 313 passengers up to 8,500nm and the launch customer for this variant is Air Canada.
A total of 12 Trent 500 customers have placed firm and option orders for 127 A340-500 and -600 aircraft, taking advance engine sales to around $6-billion.The early certification of the Trent 500 received a boost from Le Bourget exhibitors Hamilton Sundstrand who successfully completed qualification testing of two vital subsystems that the company is supplying for the engine.
Hamilton Sundstrand provides the starter and start valve subsystem and the turbine case cooling valve subsystem.
The A340-500 will offer non-stop range between North America and the Pacific Rim. The A340-600 is designed to replace the first-generation of 400-seat aircraft, offering lower operating costs. The two aircraft programmes offer a combined potential of 3,400 engines for Rolls-Royce, the sole engine supplier.
Tests successfully evaluated various factors including endurance, the impact of vibration, operation at high and low temperature, resistance to damage from exposure to fuel and lubricating fluids, and fire resistance.
Source: Flight Daily News
