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AIRBUS GIVES GO-AHEAD FOR NEW A340 VARIANTS
by Norbert BurgnerShortly before Christmas of last year Airbus Industries' board of directors approved the start of the program for the biggest models of the European Consortium so far, the A340-500 and -600 on the basis of orders and commitments to purchase.
Airbus Industries is tackling the construction of the biggest aeroplane ever manufactured in Europe and is finally getting to the market leader Boeing.
After the European Consortium announced that they were to market the two big versions A340-500 and -600 at the Aérosalon in Paris, the AI board of directors late last year gave their consent to the building of the new models. However, the creation of a reliable and profitable pool of customers, to back up the necessary investment of 2.9 billion US dollars had to be a prerequisite. It was possible to convince the airlines Air Canada, Egyptair, EVA Air, Lufthansa, Virgin Atlantic and even Swissair to order and commit to more than 100 aircraft costing in excess of 13 billion US dollars.
It is estimated that by the year 2010 there will be a potential need for 1,500 long haul planes with a seating capacity for 300 to 400. Airbus is trying to win around 50 per cent market share. If successful a sum of up to 112 billion US dollars would fill the coffers of the enterprise.
Bearing this in mind AI once again underlines the advantages of the Airbus fleet commonality. This would offer sizeable potential savings with regards to running costs, staff training and maintenance and would clearly give greater value for money.
This is why the "jumbo versions" of the A340 will wherever possible have the same systems, cockpit layout and from the pilot's point of view the same computer generated flight characteristics as the current models, the -200 and -300.
When compared with the basic model of the -300 the fuselage of the -600 is going to be extended by 20 frames, 5.9 meters in front of the wing and 3.2 meters aft. Furthermore there will be a wingrootextension and thus a lengthening of the middle section which will give the -600 a total length of 74.32 meters. When compared with the -200 the new big A340 will be 14.93 meters longer.
The cabin space that has now been created will accommodate up to 380 passengers in a three-class layout, approximately 29 per cent more than in the -300 and 44 per cent more than in the -200.
Airbus indicates the range of the 340-600 at 7,300 nautical miles (13520 km). The -500 is claimed to fly up to 1,000 nautical miles (1,852 km) even further.
The smaller of the two big planes has a passenger seating capacity (in 3 classes) of 313 and is 3.2 meters longer than the -300.
The -500 is said to carry passengers over distances of 8,300 nautical miles (15,372km) - further than any other of today's airliners.
The aircrafts perfomances are to be guaranteed by an increase in fuel capacity of 38 percent for the -600 and 48 percent for the -500 to a maximum of up to 194,800 litres.
In order to hold the required amount of fuel, and also to give the increased mass (81 tons to 356 tons) the necessary lift, the wing is intended to "grow" by over 20 per cent (from 361 square meters to 437 square meters). Besides a tapert insert, the wing span will be increased in length by 3.3 meters to 63.3 meters in total. The main and nose landing gear are also going to be upgraded. The vertical tail and rudder geometry will be borrowed from the A330-200 and the elevators will be enlarged.
As it stands, four Rolls-Royce Trent 500 turbo fans will provide the necessary thrust to cope with the new mass. The aggregates use scaled core (middle- and high-pressure compressors and -turbines) of the larger Trent 800 and a new low pressure (LP) turbine matched to the reduced-flow core in connection with the 97,5-inch fan, systems and accessories from the Trent 700
The output of these quiet and fuel efficient aggregates with a high by-pass-ratio of around 8.5:1 is said to be between 248 and 275 kN.
The reason why Rolls-Royce is the only supplier to offer a propulsion system for the new A340 is not that they have an exclusive contract, but that Pratt & Whitney were so far not able to come up with an optimal solution to modify the 4500 to the requirements of the new A340 models. Furthermore, both CFM-International partners, General Electric and Sneema have been unable to come to a satisfactory agreement on developing a tailored version of the PW4000.
Rolls-Royce can therefore be pleased with the current situation. Even more so, since this British engine manufacturer was granted financial aid of #200m by the government for the development of the new Trend versions, (among them the afore-mentioned Trent 500 and also the Trent 900 intended for the A3XX).
The treasury proved less generous when British Aerospace requested similar funding. Early last year the English Airbus partner applied for financial support of around #123m, to partially cover the estimated cost of developing these engines (#370m). The funding has not yet been granted and is one of the reasons why the launch announcement, which had originally been planned for the end of the summer of 1997, was delayed until the winter. Luckily there was enough customer interest in the end.
However, BAe are still optimistic that the government will support them. If their application is unsuccessful, the company might have the work done abroad, this type of pressure normally seems to have the desired effect in Great Britain.
In all the development of the A340-500 and -600 will cost 2.9 billion US dollars (almost 5 billion DM).
The maiden flight of an "Airbus-Jumbo" might take place at the end of the year 2000. Delivery of the first A340-600 to Virgin Atlantic is planned for early in 2002. (It had been intended for late 2001, but the late program start is to blame for this). A few months later the A340-500 will follow.
From page 34 of FLUG REVUE 3/98
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