Successful First Flight for Trent 500 on A340-600

    LONDON, April 24 An Airbus Industrie A340-600 powered by
four Rolls-Royce Trent 500 engines has completed a successful maiden flight
from Airbus headquarters in Toulouse.
    The aircraft was airborne for just under five and a half hours and reached
an altitude of 38,000 feet.  The flight was used to gather initial aircraft
and engine performance measurements.
    Airbus co-pilot Ed Strongman said: "We achieved the whole of the flight
test programme we set out to do. It was really fantastic to go to maximum
power, and the engines responded magnificently."
    John Cheffins, President -- Civil Aerospace, Rolls-Royce, said the maiden
flight marked "a significant milestone" in the growing relationship with
Airbus.
    "Co-operation between the Airbus and Rolls-Royce teams has been the key to
successfully completing this first flight goal.  The Trent 500 has been one of
the smoothest engine development programmes we have ever undertaken.  It has
been on or ahead of schedule since we committed to the timetable four years
ago."
    The first Trent 500 production engine was delivered to Airbus in March
2000 and installed on an original A340-300 series flying test bed which
subsequently completed over 111 flight hours.
    The maiden flight of the A340-600 took place exactly one month after the
aircraft was unveiled at a special roll-out ceremony in Toulouse.
    Three A340-600s will be used in flight testing throughout the remainder of
the year with a single A340-500 joining the programme in early 2002.  A total
of 2,400 flying hours are planned with the four aircraft.
    When it enters service with Virgin Atlantic next year the A340-600 will
have capacity for up to 380 passengers and a range of 7,500 nautical miles.
Its sister aircraft, the ultra-long-range A340-500, for which the 53,000lb --
56,000lb thrust Trent 500 is also the sole powerplant, will have 8,500 nm
capability and will carry 313 passengers.
    A total of 12 Trent 500 customers have placed firm and option orders for
127 A340-500 and -600 aircraft, taking advance engine sales to around
$6 billion.
    Versions of the Trent already in service have accumulated nearly 3 million
flying hours since entry into service in 1995, experience which is now being
fed back into current developments of the engine family.