The A350′s Rolls-Royce Trent XWB Begins Flight Testing

Posted on Thursday, March 15, 2012 by MegaZone

AIRBUS Logo Something else that happened while I was away (yes, I am catching up, can you tell?), the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB made it’s first test flight on February 18th, on the wing of an A380. The Trent XWB is a new engine being developed to power Airbus’ forthcoming A350 XWB wide body twin airliner, which is set to compete against the high-end of the B787 family, and the low-end of the B777 family.

XWB is a silly marketing thing which stands for eXtra Wide Body. Quick history: Boeing introduced plans for the B787 (after dropping plans for the Sonic Cruiser). Airbus dismissed it as no big deal and said they’d just update the A330. This didn’t go over well with airlines and aircraft lessors, so Airbus steadily revised their stance to increasingly radical updates to the A330, finally giving in and admitting they needed a new aircraft, the A350, to compete. But to try to give it more pizzazz they highlighted the design’s fuselage width with the ‘XWB’. Rolls-Royce jumped on the bandwagon with their engine naming, instead of giving this new model of a Trent family a number like the others.

So, right, the Trent XWB is a new engine being developed specifically for the A350. The A350 is sized between the B787 and B777, overlapping with the larger B787 models, and the smaller B777 models. Boeing and Airbus do that – rather than compete head to head, they stagger their lines. The A320 family overlaps the B737 extensively, but is slightly larger overall. But the single-aisle market is so large that they can afford to split it more directly.

The wide body market is a different story, there aren’t as many sales to go around and no one wins direct shootouts (see DC-10 vs. L-1011). The B767 is the first rung in the twin-aisle ladder, and then the A330/A340 pair are next. Then the B777, the B747, and the A380 fill in the next market segments. The B787 is replacing the B767 in the Boeing lineup, but will be larger – more directly competing with the A330/A340 market. But the A330 is being replaced by the A350, which is also larger, maintaining the staggered pattern. (The A340 is being killed off already due to low sales.)

There’s nothing dramatic in the video, which is good since dramatic test videos mean something bad happened. But it does provide for some nice eye candy of the A380 in flight. As much as I tend to prefer Boeing aircraft, it would be nice to fly on an A380 sometime. And I’m sure the A350 will be a remarkable aircraft when it flies as well. (JetBlue is my favorite domestic airline, and they only fly E190s and A320s.)

About MegaZone

MegaZone is the Editor of Gizmo Lovers and the chief contributor. He's been online since 1989 and active in several generations of 'social media' - mailing lists, USENet groups, web forums, and since 2003, blogging.    MegaZone has a presence on several social platforms: Google+ / Facebook / Twitter / LinkedIn / LiveJournal / Web.    You can also follow Gizmo Lovers on other sites: Blog / Google+ / Facebook / Twitter.
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  • Dball

    you are a moron for making a statement like  “I tend to prefer Boeing aircraft”
    why ? in what way ? because they’re american? if airbus were american and boeing european, would you like airbus better ?

    and then you prove your stupidity by saying your favorite airline is jetblue, which flies only airbus aircraft

  • Dball

    you are a moron for making a statement like  “I tend to prefer Boeing aircraft”
    why ? in what way ? because they’re american? if airbus were american and boeing european, would you like airbus better ?

    and then you prove your stupidity by saying your favorite airline is jetblue, which flies only airbus aircraft

    • http://www.gizmolovers.com/ MegaZone

      Wow, someone is a little defensive – did I strike a nerve?

      Let’s take your last statement first.  An airline is more than the aircraft they fly.  And, BTW, JetBlue doe not fly only Airbus aircraft.  I even stated what they fly – Embraer E190s and Airbus A320s.  They don’t fly Boeings, but they aren’t exclusively Airbus either.

      All else being equal, if I had the choice of two airlines with the same pricing, service, etc. – one flew A320s and one B737s, I’d book the B737s.  I just like them more.

      But that’s not how the real world works.  I prefer JetBlue because they have competitive prices and great service.  No charge for the first bag, unlike many airlines today.  DirecTV in every seat.  A nice snack and drink service.  Friendly staff.  A good website.  Extra legroom seats aren’t an expensive upgrade – I’m 6’6″ tall and really appreciate them.  Many airlines have nothing that compares, or you have to book an expensive upgrade to Business or First class for extra space.

      I fly Jetblue because I prefer them as an airline, it has nothing to do with the make of the aircraft they fly.  I appreciate that they have a young, well maintained fleet, but it could just as easily be B737s.  The opposite is also true.  I’ve also flown US Airways on the east coast where they operate some of their oldest B737 and they show their age – lots of wear, old interiors, etc.   

      As for preferring Boeing aircraft, that’s called a personal opinion.  Did I say anything about Airbus aircraft being inferior?  Or Boeing being superior?  Or anything of the sort?  No, I said I preferred Boeing aircraft more.  You decided to read something into that.  You’d think I kicked your puppy based on your response.

      I like the look of the B747 more than the A380.  The A380 looks super-deformed and stubby to me.  The B747 has a higher fineness ratio, which is more appealing to my eye.  The B747-8 also has a higher cruise speed and should be more efficient than the A380.  There’s no arguing that the A380 is the largest airliner and for airlines that need the capacity that’s the only choice.  But bigger isn’t better for all airlines.

      I think the B777 is a fantastic looking aircraft, I love seeing them at the gate.  The A330/A340 are OK, there’s nothing particularly wrong with them, but they don’t catch my eye like the B777.

      For narrow bodies the B737 has more, I don’t know, I suppose character.  With it’s unusual low stance, the unique engine mounting, the ‘hamster pouch’ inlets, the elegantly swept winglets – nothing else looks like it.  While the A320 family has always struck me as more ‘generic’ – a perfectly fine design, but nothing eye catching to it.  To my eye.  Again, opinion.  Everyone is entitled to one, and that’s mine.

      When it comes to experience as a passenger it is more about the interiors.  Boeing’s new Sky Interior is very nice, a giant improvement in the user experience.  But interiors are selected by the airline and you can fit the same basic interior to Airbus or Boeing aircraft – in fact, some airlines with mixed fleets do exactly that.

      For the record I’ve also always preferred the L-1011 to the DC-10/MD-11, and the B727 to the DC-9/MD8x/9x.  And I never quite liked the look of the B757 – kind of spindly looking since it has long gear to keep the cockpit commonality with the larger B767.  Though I suppose airlines felt the same as the B757 ended production long before it’s sibling, with the B737-900 and A321 primarily taking over that market.

      So, anyway, you think I’m a moron because I expressed a preference and you read way too much into it.  I think you need to take a look at yourself and figure out why you’re so defensive about it.  It isn’t like I said Airbus sucks, I think they make perfectly fine, well-engineered aircraft.

      BTW, I also tend to prefer Embraer regional jets to Bombardier.  And I prefer the Dassault Rafale to the Eurofighter Typhoon, but the Saab Gripen has always had a special appeal. What do you read into that?  

  • Dball

    you are a moron for making a statement like  “I tend to prefer Boeing aircraft”
    why ? in what way ? because they’re american? if airbus were american and boeing european, would you like airbus better ?

    and then you prove your stupidity by saying your favorite airline is jetblue, which flies only airbus aircraft

  • Dball

    you are a moron for making a statement like  “I tend to prefer Boeing aircraft”
    why ? in what way ? because they’re american? if airbus were american and boeing european, would you like airbus better ?

    and then you prove your stupidity by saying your favorite airline is jetblue, which flies only airbus aircraft

  • Dball

    you are a moron for making a statement like  “I tend to prefer Boeing aircraft”
    why ? in what way ? because they’re american? if airbus were american and boeing european, would you like airbus better ?

    and then you prove your stupidity by saying your favorite airline is jetblue, which flies only airbus aircraft

  • Dball

    you are a moron for making a statement like  “I tend to prefer Boeing aircraft”
    why ? in what way ? because they’re american? if airbus were american and boeing european, would you like airbus better ?

    and then you prove your stupidity by saying your favorite airline is jetblue, which flies only airbus aircraft