[GnL]

I was on the original A340 flight test program from 1991-1993 at Airbus working for CFM (engines). I flew on one of the first test aircraft to the Farnborough airshow in 1992, the Berlin Airshow in 1992 and accompanied the test aircraft to Yakutsk, Siberia in Feb/1993 for cold weather testing (temps were -40F).

The aircraft was originally intended for long, thin routes over water. Having 4 engines meant no need for ETOPS certification which was an early selling point. Airbus originally hoped airlines would use both the A340 and A330 and take advantage of some commonality but I don’t believe many airlines did this. When Boeing certified the 777 a couple years later I think it really took the wind out of the sails (and sales) of the A330/A340 program.

[Erik Latranyi]

Isn’t the A350 supposed to be the 777/787 challenger?

[fallujah-nuker]

The aircraft was originally intended for long, thin routes over water. Having 4 engines meant no need for ETOPS certification which was an early selling point. Airbus originally hoped airlines would use both the A340 and A330 and take advantage of some commonality but I don’t believe many airlines did this. When Boeing certified the 777 a couple years later I think it really took the wind out of the sails (and sales) of the A330/A340 program.

An advantage of two engines is that you end up with a higher thrust to weight ratio since the plane is certified to operate with one engine out. The 777 excels at climbing, I remember my first flight on a 777, it climbed to 39,000, and made one step up to 41,000. A 747 would typically climb to 31,000 and then make several steps up to 37,000. A 777 departing Singapore at the same time as an A340 will arrive in Frankfurt forty-five minutes earlier, and can climb over the storms in the Bay of Bengal while the A-340 has to fly around them many times, which will often end up meaning a technical diversion for fuel.