The average duration of an A350 XWB flight is typically six hours, yet the engines that power these flights are the same as those which power ultra-long-range routes of up to 19 hours. That’s part of the appeal says Sam Azad, Marketing Manager - Trent XWB.
“Operators are looking for versatility in their fleets, particularly now when schedules can change at short notice. Airlines don’t just need aircraft and engines that can fly ultra-long-range efficiently; they also need the same aircraft to complete shorter flights economically. This is where the A350 and Trent XWB come into their own; the aircraft is used for the longest commercial flight in the world, as well as shorter flights that take as little as 45 minutes,” says Azad.
So how do we enable our engines to handle these trips around the globe?
New technology plays a big part. For example, high-pressure turbine blades operate in an environment where temperatures can exceed 1,700 degrees Celsius. This level of heat is above their melting point, so each blade has tiny air holes drilled in it where “cooling air” of around 700 degrees Celsius is blown to cover the blade’s surface. This increases the durability of our engines.In addition to investing in new technologies, we also test our engines rigorously and extensively. We put them through gruelling endurance marathons, making sure they can handle powering intensive, ultra-long-range routes, day after day. The Trent XWB recently undertook endurance tests in Thailand to monitor how its components behave. We simulated the equivalent of more than 1,000 ultra-long-range flights, back-to-back. The results demonstrated that our engine is capable of breaking our own current record and setting the new one for the longest commercial flight in the future
Fuel efficiency, reliability and durability are key factors in making ultra-long-range flights economically viable for airlines. The Trent XWB is the most efficient aero engine in service, reducing airlines’ emissions and fuel costs. After five years in service, it has proven reliability. The first engines travelled the equivalent of 350 times around the world before their first overhaul, where engines are taken apart, and parts that endure a high amount of load or stress are replaced. For an engine that regularly flies through some of the world’s harshest conditions, it’s unprecedented that the Trent XWB has demonstrated such durability and reliability.