Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 powers A330neo first test flight
The Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 has successfully powered the new Airbus A330neo into the skies for its first test flight today.
The aircraft took off from the Airbus facility in Toulouse, France, this morning, marking the beginning of a flight test programme. The A330neo’s certification development programme itself will last around 1,400 flight-test hours. This will comprise 1,100 flight hours for the A330-900 campaign – to achieve its respective EASA and FAA Type Certification around the middle of 2018; plus 300 flight hours for A330-800 version – which will be certified in 2019. Overall, the full A330neo Family flight-test campaign will be performed by three certification flight-test aircraft, plus the first production aircraft (the latter to validate the Airspace cabin prior to EIS).
The Trent 7000 is the exclusive engine for the A330neo and the seventh in the Trent series. Rolls-Royce also provides the most popular engine choice for the original A330, the Trent 700. The 68-72,000lb thrust Trent 7000 delivers a step change in performance and economics compared to that engine. It improves specific fuel consumption by ten per cent and has twice the bypass ratio.
The flight also marks an important milestone for Rolls-Royce as it celebrates its third ‘first flight’ in less than 12 months, the others being the Trent XWB-97 and Trent 1000 TEN, an unprecedented achievement in the aerospace industry. Each programme has brought together more than 20,000 parts to create an engine that then undergoes rigorous testing at a number of test beds and facilities around the world.
Before today’s first flight, the Trent 7000 has undergone a series of ground tests that has included: altitude, icing, cross-wind, noise and cyclic testing in USA, and endurance, operability and functional performance testing in UK.
Eric Schulz, Rolls-Royce, President – Civil Aerospace, who was at the Airbus facility in Toulouse to witness today’s flight, said: “This is a great moment for Airbus and Rolls-Royce and I am proud to see the latest member of the Trent family power this outstanding aircraft for the first time today. We have helped Airbus create a new product that offers customers a transformation in performance and economics. We are now focused on supporting the flight test programme and ensuring our customers have a smooth entry into service.”
The Trent 7000 will power the entry into service of the A330neo next year with Portuguese operator TAP.