Rolls-Royce announced at the 2014 Farnborough Airshow that it has successfully run the higher-thrust version of the Trent XWB.
Designed for the stretched Airbus A350-1000, the 97,000lb-thrust Trent XWB-97 offers higher thrust settings for the larger aircraft which is due to enter service in 2017.
Simon Burr, Rolls-Royce, Trent XWB Programme Director, said: “The successful first run of our higher-thrust Trent XWB engine is another important milestone in a tremendously exciting year for the programme. All the experience we gained in the Trent XWB-84 test programme will help us optimise development of the Trent XWB-97.”
Rolls-Royce says the engine’s increased thrust is achieved through a combination of a higher-temperature turbine, a larger engine core and fan aerodynamics. By comparison, the Trent XWB used on the smaller A350-900 has 84,000 lbs of thrust.
