For Rolls-Royce, the next six months will be critical for the development of the Trent 900 high-bypass turbofan engine as the program moves toward numerous milestones. Up to now, it has been a case of so far, so good: The development and test phase is broadly on track. There have been few surprises, and engine performance is in line with, or better than, predictions. The Trent 900 shipped to Toulouse, France, will be run on Airbus' A340-300 testbed on the No. 2 engine station, with a first flight around mid-May. Certification is penciled in for the end of October, well in time for the A380's first flight in January 2005.
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