Airbus A340-500

Type (Muster)
Widebody ultra long-range airliner (Ultralangstrecken-Verkehrsflugzeug mit vier Triebwerken)

Country (Land)
France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom

Manufacturer (Hersteller)
Airbus Industrie
1, Rond Point Maurice Bellonte
31707 Blagnac
France

Phone: 0033-561-933387
Fax: 0033-561-934955, -934834

General (Allgemeine Angaben)
Crew (Besatzung): 2
Passengers (Passagiere): 313 in three-class layout (12 first, 42 business, 259 economy), 440 maximum in one-class
Cargo (Fracht): 30 LD3 containers or 6 pallets and 12 LD3 and bulk in the underfloor hold

Power plant (Antrieb): 4 x Rolls-Royce Trent 553 turbofans with an 8,5:1 bypass ratio.
Thrust (Schub): 53000 lbs (235 kN)

Dimensions (Abmessungen)
Length (Länge): 67,51 m
Height (Höhe): 17,75 m
Span (Spannweite): 63,45 m
Wing area (Flügelfläche): 437 sq m
Wing sweep (Flügelpfeilung): 31,1 degrees at quarter-chord

Fuselage diameter (Rumpfdurchmesser): 5,64 m
Cabin length (Kabinenlänge): 53,55 m
Cabin width (Kabinenbreite): 5,19 m maximum
Cabin height (Kabinenhöhe): 2,40 m

Weights (Massen)
Operating empty weight (Einsatz-Leermasse): 170400 kg
Maximum payload (max. Nutzlast): 56,5 tons
Fuel (Kraftstoff): 213120 litres
Max. zero-fuel weight (max. Masse ohne Kraftstoff): 214808 litres
Max. take-off weight (max. Startmasse): 368000 kg
Max. landing weight (max. Landemasse): 240 tons

Performance (Flugleistungen)
Optimum cruise speed (optimale Reisegeschwindigkeit): Mach 0.83
Ceiling (max. Flughöhe): 41000 ft
Take-off field length:
- 3275 m at sea level, ISA + 15 deg C
- 3901 m at 2000 ft, ISA + 20 deg C
Range (Reichweite): 16020 km with 313 passengers

Costs (Kosten)
Development cost for the A340-500/600 programme was estimated at 2,9 billion US-Dollars in December 1997.

Customers (Kunden)
In July 2002, Airbus had just 19 orders for the A340-500. Customers include:

Air Canada: 2
Emirates: 6
Singapore Airlines: 5
ILFC: 6

Airbus forecasts a market for 1500 ultra-long range airliners in the next 15-20 years and wants to capture half of that market.

Competition (Konkurrenz)
Boeing 777-300ER

Remarks (Bemerkungen)
The A340-500 and -600 are the latest versions in the Airbus A330/A340 family, with the -500 focused on the ultra long-range market, like Singapore – Los Angeles nonstop. It is the longest-range airliner today. Features are:

a stretched fuselage. The A340-500 adds six frames to the –300 (plus 3,19 metres)
an enlarged and refined wing, which produces 40 per cent more lift. It has a tapered insert, an 1,6 m wing extensions providing 20 per cent greater surface area, and features a thermoplastic composite leading edge.
increased design weights
38 per cent more tankage, both in the wing and in the centre section.
Trent 500 engines replacing the CFM56. The test runs began in June 1999.
a revised undercarriage with braked four-wheel bogie centre landing gear and new nosegear
a new, larger horizontal stabilizer
the vertical stabilizer of the A330-200; fly-by wire rudder control
direct maintenance costs per trip that are 23 per cent higher than on the A340-300
direct operating costs per trip 13 per cent higher than A340-300
direct operating costs per seat about 7 per cent higher than A340-300

According to Airbus, the new four-engined airliners are "an attractive and efficient replacement for early model Boeing 747s", featuring better direct-operating costs and 15 per cent lower trip costs than a 747-400. The -500/-600 will retain the same A340 type rating as earlier variants.

History (Geschichte)
Concrete studies began in April 1996, when Airbus and General Electric signed an exclusive agreement to study engine requirements for a stretched A340. GE pulled out in February 1997, but Rolls-Royce came in with an offer for the Trent 500, and this engine was confirmed on a non-exclusive basis in June 1997.
The "commercial launch" of the Airbus A340-600 and -500 was announced on June 15, 1997 at the Paris Air Show. On August 1, 1997, Virgin Atlantic Airways and Air Canada announced their intention to become launch customers for the new A340-versions.
In the autumn, more deals worth up to 13 billion US-Dollars followed. This allowed Airbus Industrie's supervisory board to formally authorize go-ahead of the programme in mid December 1997.
First metal on the A340-600 and A340-500 was cut in June 1998 and June 1999 respectively. Flight tests with the Trent began on 20 June 2000.
The A340-500 made its maiden flight on February 11, 2002, completing a successful mission which lasted 5 hours and 52 minutes. The first A340-500 took off from the Blagnac international airport in Toulouse, France at 10.25 hours returned at 16.17 hours. The flight was captained by Airbus Chief Test Pilot Jacques Rosay and co-piloted by Experimental Test Pilot Richard Monnoyer. The crew was comprised of flight test engineers Didier Ronceray and Sylvie Loisel-Labaste - the first woman crew member for a maiden flight at Airbus - and test flight engineer Bruno Bigand. Commenting on the flight, Jacques Rosay confirmed that the new aircraft and engines had handled as anticipated.
By July 2002, over 250 hours of the 340 hour flight test campaign were completed.
Certification is scheduled for late October 2002.
In August 2002 it emerged that deliveries to Air Canada will probably begin in March 2003, a delay of around five months from November 2002, as "post-certification changes” to the cabin equipment need to be made.

Last updated 15 September 2002

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