On July 23, 2018, the Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 received the formal certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), with the first production engines, which will power Airbus’ latest aircraft, the A330neo, also delivered to the plane maker’s facility in Toulouse, France. The European regulator’s approval of the next-generation engine was hailed a ‘great milestone’ by the manufacturer, which has been plagued by problems with the Trent 1000 and backlash over the company’s decision to restructure that would cost thousands their jobs.
The EASA, which is responsible for civil aviation safety within the European Union (EU), issued the certification for both Trent 7000-72 and Trent 7000-72C models produced by the British manufacturer. The Trent 7000 is the fourth Rolls-Royce engine to receive formal certification in 12 months, following in the footsteps of the Trent 1000 TEN, Trent XWB-97, and Pearl 15.
The Trent 7000 is the designated powerplant for the A330neo and will power both the A330-900 and A330-800 variants. Powered by two 7000s, the A330-900 made its maiden flight on October 19, 2018, and is set to enter service with launch operator TAP Portugal later in 2018.
The A330neo itself has been a major attraction at this year’s Farnborough International Airshow, where it made its first appearance, and where the EASA certificate was presented to Rolls-Royce President of Civil Aerospace, Chris Cholerton.
Upon receiving the new engine’s ‘ticket to fly’, Cholerton said: “Certifying and delivering the Trent 7000 engine further strengthens our position on the latest generation of aircraft… We now look forward to supporting Airbus and TAP Air Portugal as they prepare for the aircraft to enter into service later this year.”
The seventh member of the Rolls-Royce Trent engine family, the 7000 model brings together more than 50 million flying hours of experience from the Trent 700, which powers the original version of the A330. It combines architecture from the Trent 1000 TEN – the latest version of the Trent 1000 engine – and the latest technology from the Trent XWB.
According to its specifications, the 68-72,000 lb thrust Trent 7000 should deliver a step change in performance and economics compared to the Trent 700, while also being 6dB quieter than its predecessor. With a bypass ratio of 10:1, the Trent 7000 will improve specific fuel consumption by 10% due to its small, high pressure-ratio core and the latest, fully swept, wide-chord fan technology.
Source – AeroTime News Hub
