More Than 1000 Trent XWB Engines Ordered Before First Run

Rolls-Royce fired up the Trent XWB for the first time on a testbed in Derby, UK, on June 17. The engine is the latest member of the Trent family.

It is also the fastest-selling Trent engine program ever, with more than 1,000 ordered before its first run. The test meets program commitments put in place in 2006.

The engine, which will power the Airbus A350 XWB family of aircraft, is the sixth Trent family member. The first Trent aero engine, the Trent 700, began service in 1995 and the engine family has now accumulated more than 40 million hours in service. Specifically designed for the Airbus A350 XWB family, the Trent XWB is the most fuel efficient and environmentally sensitive large engine design available today, with 28 per cent better fuel efficiency than pre-Trent generation engines.

"This is another significant milestone and once again demonstrates Rolls-Royce's track record of consistently delivering on major leading-edge technology programs," said Mark King, Rolls-Royce President - Civil Aerospace. "The Trent XWB will lead the aerospace industry in terms of quality, efficiency and environmental performance."

"This is a great day for the A350 XWB program, for Rolls-Royce and Airbus," said Didier Evrard, Head of the A350 XWB Program, Airbus. "The first engine run of the Trent XWB has been achieved fully on time with our schedule and is a major milestone that marks the coming to life of the new aircraft."

The first run starts the most extensive pre-flight program in Trent history, before the start of flight tests on an Airbus A380 testbed next year and A350 XWB flight tests in 2012. Seven development engines will be running by early 2011.

FMI: www.rolls-royce.com, www.airbus.com