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Aviation History
2004
2004-09 - 2224.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT ENGINES GUY NORRIS / LOS ANGELES Rolls-Royce gets ready for Trent 900 endurance trials A380 powerplant set for parallel test programmes after earning EASA certification Rolls-Royce is gearing up to begin parallel engine and propulsion sys tem cycle-endurance tests on the Trent 900 for the Airbus A380, hav ing achieved European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification at the end of last month. The two test programmes, start ing later this month with the engine cycle-endurance effort, will see each engine notch up around 3,000 cycles. The propulsion cycle tests will include operations of the nacelle and thrust reverser and "will be particularly important for Hurel- Hispano", says Trent 900 marketing manager Martin Holmes. R-R has shipped five engines to the A380 final assembly line at Toulouse, and the first two have been mounted on the first aircraft. Two of the other three have "been podded up" by Hurel-Hispano in preparation for installation, adds Holmes. Overall, R-R plans to de liver a further 13 engines to support flight tests with the first four A380s. The fifth A380 is set to be powered by the General Electric/Pratt & Whitney Engine Alliance GP7200. The Trent 900 has been certifi cated at 80,0001b thrust (356kN), although it will initially enter ser vice derated to 70,0001b. The engine, which first ran in March 2003, reached a maximum thrust of 93,0001b during tests. Certification was achieved after the standard tests for water, hail and ice ingestion, but also after success fully completing the 2.5kg (5.51b) "flocking" bird ingestion test. "That was a new, high-energy impact test, and it was the first time anyone has done an engine test on that size of flocking bird," says says R-R airlines marketing vice-president Robert Nuttall, adding the positive outcome of the May test was a "significant result." The June blade-off test was also the first time R-R had performed this crucial test on a production engine fitted with highly swept wide-chord fan blade, all previous similar tests having been performed on developmental engines. The 150h "red line" endurance test was also completed in May, while tests of the Trent 900 on the A340-300 flying testbed finished in August. Airbus will formally roll out the first A380 test aircraft at a "reveal ceremony" in Toulouse on 18 January. The aircraft is expected to fly around mid-February 2005, with delivery to launch customer Singapore Airlines due to follow around 12-13 months later. Trent 900s are being installed on the first A380, which will fly early in 2005 EXPANSION Flybe plans to ramp up Q400 fleet UK low-cost regional airline Flybe is poised to ramp up its Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 fleet with an announcement on its 20 options by early in the new year. It also plans to take on up to 12 150-seat aircraft over the next five years as it expands its Continental Europe presence with new medium-haul routes from the UK and bases in France or Spain, writes Murdo Morrison. The Exeter-based carrier, which has turned around heavy losses in the past two years thanks to a low-cost, largely domestic network business model, has taken delivery of 16 of 21 Q400s on firm order. Managing director Jim French says he will be "disappointed if we do not make an announce ment on our 20 options by the end of our winter season". Flybe is leasing its first 150- seaters - two Boeing 737-300s - for its summer 2005 season ser vices from Birmingham to Spain. It could add another three 150- seat aircraft in the short term. However, French says the larger aircraft will not oust its 18 BAe 146s. "In the next three years, we are looking to have 30-35 Q400s, 10-12 146s and four or five 150- seaters, maybe going up to 10 to 12 in three to five years," he says. French also predicts the term "low-cost carrier" will disappear in Europe as airlines adapt their short-haul operations to a no- frills, reduced cost model. • Enhanced Vision Systems • Electronic Flight Bags • Flight Deck Systems • Aeronautical Communications li(Q)03' -'O^O'S*) 10° Years °f Innovation cmc electronics MONTREAL • OTTAWA • CHICAGO • www.cmcelectronics.ca www.flightinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 9-15 NOVEMBER 2004 11
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