Rolls-Royce has signed up further risk sharing partners for its Trent 500 engine programme.
The new partners are FiatAvio, Hamilton Standard, Spanish aero-engine company ITP and Kawasaki Heavy Industries of Japan.
Rolls-Royce has already signed up Japanese trading house Marubeni and Anglo-US aerospace and automotive specialist LucasVarity.
John Cheffins, R-R managing director airlines, said yesterday that the six risk sharing partners have in total a 24% stake in the programme.
While four of the Trent 500 partners also have shares in other Trent programmes - the 700 for the Airbus A330 and the 800 for the Boeing 777 - Hamilton Standard and FiatAvio are new Trent risk sharers, says Cheffins.
The Trent 500 is rated at 60,000lb-thrust and is being developed solely for the long-range Airbus A340-500/600 programme.
A first run of the Trent 500 is due to take place in May 1999 with first flight in 2001. There are 120 orders and options for the A340-500/600 from nine customers.
Source: Flight Daily News