As part of preparations for its maiden flight, the engines of the first Airbus A350 XWB (MSN1) have been powered up today, following the start-up of the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) on 2nd June 2013.
The new aircraft is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, that have been developed from the Trent 1000, that is used on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
The Airbus A350 XWB maiden flight is expected to happen later this month, some sources believe it could already be on June 13.
Rolls-Royce Trent XWB Engine Specifications
- Three-shaft high bypass ratio: 9.3
- Take-off thrust: 75,000–97,000 lbf (330–430 kN)
- Fan diameter: 3.0 m (118 in)
- Fan: single stage, swept, low hub:tip ratio
- Airflow: approx. 1,440 kg (3,200 lb) per second
- Overall pressure ratio >=52:1 (Top-of-Climb)
- HP turbine: single-stage, aircooled
- IP turbine: two-stage, aircooled (extra stage relative to previous marks of Trent)
- LP turbine: 6-stage, uncooled
Video provided by Airbus