FTSE 100-listed aerospace and defence giant Rolls Royce has been awarded engine type certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency for the Trent XWB that will power the Airbus A350 XWB aircraft.
The certification represents the last major milestone prior to the first flight of the Airbus A350 XWB later this year.
Rolls Royce reported that certification testing for the Trent XWB engine had commenced in 2010 and had involved 11 individual engines running for more than 3,100 hours.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Rigorous testingIcing tests were conducted on the engine in Canada, hot weather tests were run in the United Arab Emirates and altitude and crosswind examinations were conducted in the US. Endurance and performance tests were also applied to the engine in Spain and the UK respectively.
Eric Schulz, President of Civil Large Engines at Rolls Royce, said: "We are very proud to have achieved this significant milestone on the road to the A350 XWB's entry into service."
He added: "Test results show we have produced the world's most efficient large civil aero engine and we now look forward to the first flight later this year."
Rolls Royce's share price was down 0.15% to 975.50p at 12:35 on Thursday.
MF
-
Should you invest in UK equities?The FTSE 100 hit a record high this week, but UK equities remain unloved and undervalued compared to their global and US peers. Should you snap them up at a discount?
-
State pension errors: DWP urged to check for mistakes among divorced peopleFormer pensions minister Steve Webb says there are a high number of divorced women on low state pensions. Now MPs want the DWP to check if there were any errors in “potentially underpaying men and women who are divorced”.
