Rolls-Royce lifted by successful first flight of new XWB engine
AERO engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce has received a boost after a successful first flight for its Trent XWB power plant.
The engine was used to part-power an Airbus A380 test aircraft and took to the skies over Toulouse in France. The aircraft flew with one of its four Trent 900 engines replaced by a Trent XWB.
The Trent XWB is the most efficient civil aircraft engine on sale in the world and will exclusively power the new Airbus A350 XWB.
The Trent XWB is the fastest-selling Trent engine ever, with more than 1,100 already sold. At the 2011 Paris Airshow Rolls-Royce also announced that it will be the exclusive engine supplier for the longer range A350-1000 aircraft.
Chris Young, Rolls-Royce, Trent XWB Programme Director, said: “It’s a great moment to see the Trent XWB take to the air for the first time. Today’s flight is the product of years of work and demonstrates the progress being made on our journey to deliver this world leading technology.”
The Trent XWB ran on a ground test bed for the first time in June 2010 and test results have shown it to be the most efficient large civil aerospace engine ever produced.
Data recorded during a series of test flights that will accumulate around 175 flight hours and which will run for a seven-month period, will validate results from ground testing and demonstrate the engine’s in-flight performance. The Trent XWB has already successfully completed more than 1,500 hours of testing, including endurance running, icing and simulated altitude.
