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91-653: The Airbus A350 is a long-range , wide-body twin-engine airliner developed and produced by Airbus . The initial A350 design proposed in 2004, in response to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner , would have been a development of the Airbus A330 with composite wings and new engines. Due to inadequate market support, Airbus switched in 2006 to a clean-sheet "XWB" (eXtra Wide Body) design, powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent XWB high bypass turbofan engines. The prototype first flew on 14 June 2013 from Toulouse , France. Type certification from

182-573: A rigid fixture . These formers are then joined with lightweight longitudinal elements called stringers . These are in turn covered with a skin of sheet aluminum, attached by riveting or by bonding with special adhesives. The fixture is then disassembled and removed from the completed fuselage shell, which is then fitted out with wiring, controls, and interior equipment such as seats and luggage bins. Most modern large aircraft are built using this technique, but use several large sections constructed in this fashion which are then joined with fasteners to form

273-548: A 300-seat three-class configuration. The A350 was designed to be a direct competitor to the Boeing 787-9 and 777-200ER . The original A350 design was publicly criticised by two of Airbus's largest customers, International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) and GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS). On 28 March 2006, ILFC President Steven F. Udvar-Házy urged Airbus to pursue a clean-sheet design or risk losing market share to Boeing and branded Airbus's strategy as "a Band-aid reaction to

364-452: A 787 seat in the equivalent configuration. In the nine-abreast, 3–3–3 standard economy layout, the A350 seat will be 45 cm (18 in) wide, 1.27 cm (0.5 in) wider than a seat in the equivalent layout in the 787, and 3.9 cm (1.5 in) wider than a seat in the equivalent A330 layout. The current 777 and future derivatives have 1.27 cm (0.5 in) greater seat width than

455-662: A Common Type Rating for pilot training between the A350 XWB and A330. On 12 November 2014, the A350 received certification from the FAA. On 1 August 2017, the EASA issued an airworthiness directive mandating operators to power cycle (reset) early A350-900s before 149 hours of continuous power-on time, reissued in July 2019. In June 2011, the A350-900 was scheduled to enter service in the first half of 2014, with

546-452: A US$ 2.9 billion (€2 billion) 20-year contract to supply avionics and navigation equipment for the A350 XWB, beating Honeywell and Rockwell Collins . US-based Rockwell Collins and Moog Inc. were chosen to supply the horizontal stabiliser actuator and primary flight control actuation, respectively. The flight management system incorporated several new safety features. Regarding cabin ergonomics and entertainment, in 2006 Airbus signed

637-586: A choice of powerplant. It had a common fuselage cross-section with the A330 and also a new horizontal stabiliser . On 13 June 2005 at the Paris Air Show , Middle Eastern carrier Qatar Airways announced that they had placed an order for 60 A350s. In September 2006 the airline signed a memorandum of understanding with General Electric (GE) to launch the GEnx-1A-72 engine for the new airliner model. Emirates sought

728-485: A design is intended to be "self jigging", not requiring a complete fixture for alignment. Early aircraft were constructed of wood frames covered in fabric. As monoplanes became popular, metal frames improved the strength, which eventually led to all-metal-structure aircraft, with metal covering for all its exterior surfaces - this was first pioneered in the second half of 1915 . Some modern aircraft are constructed with composite materials for major control surfaces, wings, or

819-671: A firm contract with BMW for development of an interior concept for the original A350. On 4 February 2010, Airbus signed a contract with Panasonic Avionics Corporation to deliver in-flight entertainment and communication (IFEC) systems for the Airbus A350 XWB. In 2008, Airbus planned to start cabin furnishing early in parallel with final assembly to cut production time in half. The A350 XWB production programme sees extensive international collaboration and investments in new facilities: Airbus constructed 10 new factories in Western Europe and

910-450: A great-circle route extending northward towards the Arctic region. The apparent curve of the route is a result of distortion when plotted onto a conventional map projection and makes the route appear to be longer than it really is. Stretching a string between North America and Japan on a globe will demonstrate why this really is the shortest route despite appearances. The actual flight length

1001-465: A large warplane which uses this process). The logical evolution of this is the creation of fuselages using molded plywood, in which several sheets are laid with the grain in differing directions to give the monocoque type below. In this method, the exterior surface of the fuselage is also the primary structure. A typical early form of this (see the Lockheed Vega ) was built using molded plywood , where

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1092-408: A maximum seating capacity of 440–475 depending on variant. The A330 and previous iterations of the A350 would only be able to accommodate a maximum of eight seats per row. The 787 is typically configured for nine seats per row. The 777 accommodates nine or ten seats per row, with more than half of recent 777s being configured in a ten-abreast layout that will come standard on the 777X . The A350 cabin

1183-428: A more improved design and decided against ordering the initial version of the A350. On 6 October 2005, the programme's industrial launch was announced with an estimated development cost of around €3.5 billion. The A350 was initially planned to be a 250 to 300-seat twin-engine wide-body aircraft derived from the existing A330's design. Under this plan, the A350 would have modified wings and new engines while sharing

1274-455: A non-stop flight between Papeete and Paris-Charles de Gaulle , using a Boeing 787-9 and covering 15,715 km (9,765 mi; 8,485 nmi). in a scheduled time of 16 hours and 20 minutes. As of 2023, it continues to hold the record for the longest ever scheduled commercial nonstop flight (by great circle distance) as well as the world's longest domestic flight . As of November 9, 2020, Singapore Airlines Flights 23 and 24

1365-447: A portion of the external load (i.e. from wings and empennage, and from discrete masses such as the engine) is taken by the surface covering. In addition, all the load from internal pressurization is carried (as skin tension ) by the external skin. The proportioning of loads between the components is a design choice dictated largely by the dimensions, strength, and elasticity of the components available for construction and whether or not

1456-431: A project name, and did not state whether it would be an entirely new design or a modification of an existing product. Airline dissatisfaction with this proposal motivated Airbus to commit €4 billion to a new airliner design. On 10 December 2004, Airbus' shareholders, EADS and BAE Systems , approved the "authorisation to offer" for the A350, expecting a 2010 service entry. Airbus then expected to win more than half of

1547-403: A rate of 10 per month, and were going to keep the rate around nine to 10 per month, to reflect softer demand for widebodies, as the backlog reached 579 − or 5.2 years of production at a constant rate. The COVID-19 pandemic caused the decrease of A350 production from 9.5 per month to six per month, since April 2020. After the pandemic a ramp-up is planned, aiming to reach a rate of 9 per month by

1638-528: A scratch pane near the passenger. Acrylic is susceptible to crazing  : a network of fine cracks appears but can be polished to restore optical transparency , removal and polishing typically undergo every 2–3 years for uncoated windows. " Flying wing " aircraft, such as the Northrop YB-49 Flying Wing and the Northrop B-2 Spirit bomber have no separate fuselage; instead what would be

1729-428: A six-panel flightdeck windscreen. This differs substantially from the four-window arrangement in the original A350 XWB design. The new nose, made of aluminium, improves aerodynamics and enables overhead crew rest areas to be installed further forward and eliminate any encroachment in the passenger cabin. The new windscreen has been revised to improve vision by reducing the width of the centre post. The upper shell radius of

1820-458: Is 10 frames shorter (six forward and four aft of wing) than the −900 aircraft. It was designed to supplement the Airbus A330-200 long-range twin. Airbus planned to decrease structural weight in the -800 as development continued, which should have been around airframe 20. While its backlog reached 182 in mid-2008, it diminished since 2010 as customers switched to the larger -900. After launching

1911-514: Is 12.7 cm (5.0 in) wider at the eye level of a seated passenger than the 787's cabin, and 28 cm (11 in) narrower than the Boeing 777's cabin (see the Wide-body aircraft comparison of cabin widths and seating). All A350 passenger models have a range of at least 8,000 nmi (14,816 km; 9,206 mi). The redesigned composite fuselage allows for higher cabin pressure and humidity, and lower maintenance costs. On 1 December 2006,

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2002-470: Is 6.8 t (15,000 lb) per hour within a 5,400 nautical miles (10,000 km; 6,200 mi), 11 + 1 ⁄ 2 hours early long test flight. Flight tests allowed raising the MTOW from 308 to 316 t (679,000 to 697,000 lb), the 8 t (18,000 lb) increase giving 450 nmi (830 km; 520 mi) more range. Airbus then completed functional and reliability testing. Type Certification

2093-445: Is a monthly rate of 20 A350neos, up from 10. In November 2019, General Electric was offering an advanced GEnx -1 variant with a bleed air system and improvements from the GE9X , developed for the delayed Boeing 777X, to power a proposed A350neo from the mid-2020s. In 2021, Rolls Royce signed an exclusive deal to supply A350-900 engines until 2030, following previous similar commitments for

2184-491: Is being changed for the wider, optimised spanload pressure distribution , and will be used for the Singapore Airlines A350-900ULR in 2018 before spreading to other variants. On 26 June 2018, Iberia was the first to receive the upgraded -900, with a 280 t (620,000 lb) MTOW version for an 8,200 nmi (15,200 km; 9,400 mi) range with 325 passengers in three classes. By April 2019, Airbus

2275-445: Is composed of 4–6 panels, 35 kg (77 lb) each on an Airbus A320 . In its lifetime, an average aircraft goes through three or four windshields , and the market is shared evenly between OEM and higher margins aftermarket . Cabin windows, made from much lighter than glass stretched acrylic glass , consists of multiple panes: an outer one built to support four times the maximum cabin pressure, an inner one for redundancy and

2366-417: Is prevalent in the series production of many modern sailplanes . The use of molded composites for fuselage structures is being extended to large passenger aircraft such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner (using pressure-molding on female molds). This is the preferred method of constructing an all- aluminum fuselage. First, a series of formers in the shape of the fuselage cross sections are held in position on

2457-427: Is required for aircraft stability and maneuverability. This type of structure is still in use in many lightweight aircraft using welded steel tube trusses. A box truss fuselage structure can also be built out of wood—often covered with plywood. Simple box structures may be rounded by the addition of supported lightweight stringers, allowing the fabric covering to form a more aerodynamic shape, or one more pleasing to

2548-400: Is the length of the track flown across the ground in practice, which is usually longer than the ideal great-circle and is influenced by a number of factors such as the need to avoid bad weather, wind direction and speed, fuel economy, navigational restrictions and other requirements. In the example, easterly flights from Japan to North America are shown taking a longer, more southerly, route than

2639-596: Is the shortest commercial flight in the world, covering 2.8 km (1.7 mi) in two minutes scheduled flight time including taxiing. The world's longest ever commercial flight was Air Tahiti Nui Flight TN64 in early 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the impossibility of transit in the United States through Los Angeles International Airport , Air Tahiti Nui scheduled and operated in March and April 2020 Flight TN64 as

2730-402: Is the world's longest active commercial flight between Singapore and New York–JFK , covering 15,349 km (9,537 mi; 8,288 nmi) in around 18 hours and 40 minutes, operated by an Airbus A350-900ULR . The shortest distance between two geographical points is the great-circle distance . In the example (right), the aircraft travelling westward from North America to Japan is following

2821-471: The A340 and competes against Boeing's large long-haul twinjets , the Boeing 777 , its future successor, the 777X , and the 787 . Airbus initially rejected Boeing's claim that the Boeing 787 Dreamliner would be a serious threat to the Airbus A330 , stating that the 787 was just a reaction to the A330 and that no response was needed. When airlines urged Airbus to provide a competitor, Airbus initially proposed

Airbus A350 - Misplaced Pages Continue

2912-582: The Airbus A330neo at the 2014 Farnborough Airshow, Airbus dropped the A350-800, with its CEO Fabrice Brégier saying "I believe all of our customers will either convert to the A350-900 or the A330neo". He later confirmed at a September 2014 press conference that development of the A350-800 had been "cancelled". There were 16 orders left for the -800 since Yemenia switched to the -900 and Hawaiian Airlines moved to

3003-481: The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on 30 September 2014. On 15 October 2014, EASA approved the A350-900 for ETOPS (Extended-range Twin-engine Operations Performance Standards) 370, allowing it to fly more than six hours on one engine and making it the first airliner to be approved for "ETOPS Beyond 180 minutes" before entry into service. Later that month Airbus received regulatory approval for

3094-537: The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) was obtained in September 2014, followed by certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) two months later. The A350 is the first Airbus aircraft largely made of carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers . The fuselage is designed around a nine-abreast economy cross-section, an increase from the eight-abreast A330/A340. It has a common type rating with

3185-524: The French fuselé "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft 's main body section. It holds crew , passengers, or cargo . In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an engine as well, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage, which in turn is used as a floating hull . The fuselage also serves to position the control and stabilization surfaces in specific relationships to lifting surfaces , which

3276-559: The Luxembourg to Bucharest route operated by Luxair , the scheduled flight length remains constant while the flight duration varies depending on aircraft used. On Thursday mornings, Luxair operates a DHC-8 turboprop with a scheduled duration of approximately 3 hours, while on Saturday mornings, Luxair's use of an Embraer 190 jet reduces the scheduled duration of the flight down to approximately 2 hours 20 minutes. Fuselage The fuselage ( / ˈ f juː z əl ɑː ʒ / ; from

3367-474: The Rutan VariEze ). An example of a larger molded plywood aircraft is the de Havilland Mosquito fighter/light bomber of World War II . No plywood-skin fuselage is truly monocoque , since stiffening elements are incorporated into the structure to carry concentrated loads that would otherwise buckle the thin skin. The use of molded fiberglass using negative ("female") molds (which give a nearly finished product)

3458-711: The Trent turbofan engine for the A350 XWB, named Trent XWB . In 2010, after low-speed wind tunnel tests, Airbus finalised the static thrust at sea level for all three proposed variants to the 74,000–94,000 lbf (330–420 kN) range. GE stated it would not offer the GP7000 engine on the aircraft, and that previous contracts for the GEnx on the original A350 did not apply to the XWB. Engine Alliance partner Pratt & Whitney seemed to be unaligned with GE on this, having publicly stated that it

3549-668: The landing gear and starting a 2,500 h flight test campaign. Costs for developing the aircraft were estimated at €11 billion (US$ 15 billion or £ 9.5 billion) in June 2013. A350 XWB msn. 2 underwent two and a half weeks of climatic tests in the unique McKinley Climatic Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base , Florida, in May 2014, and was subjected to multiple climatic and humidity settings from 45 °C (113 °F) to −40 °C (−40 °F). The A350 received type certification from

3640-423: The "A330-200Lite", a derivative of the A330 featuring improved aerodynamics and engines similar to those on the 787. The company planned to announce this version at the 2004 Farnborough Airshow , but did not proceed. On 16 September 2004, Airbus president and chief executive officer Noël Forgeard confirmed the consideration of a new project during a private meeting with prospective customers. Forgeard did not give

3731-461: The -800 as a shrink of the baseline -900 to simplify development and increase its payload by 3 t (6,600 lb) or its range by 250 nmi (460 km; 290 mi), but this led to a fuel burn penalty of "a couple of percent", according to John Leahy. The previously planned optimisation to the structure and landing gear was not beneficial enough against better commonality and maximum takeoff weight increase by 11t from 248t. The −800's fuselage

Airbus A350 - Misplaced Pages Continue

3822-427: The -800 to enter service in mid-2016, and the -1000 in 2017. In July 2012, Airbus delayed the -900's introduction by three months to the second half of 2014. The delivery to launch customer Qatar Airways took place on 22 December 2014. The first commercial flight was made on 15 January 2015 between Doha and Frankfurt . The first A350-1000 was assembled in 2016 and had its first flight on 24 November 2016. The aircraft

3913-436: The 250-300-seat aircraft market, estimated at 3,100 aircraft overall over 20 years. Based on the A330, the 245-seat A350-800 was to fly over a 8,600 nmi (15,900 km; 9,900 mi) range and the 285-seat A350-900 over a 13,900 km (7,500 nmi; 8,600 mi) range. Fuel efficiency would improve by over 10% with a mostly carbon fibre reinforced polymer wing and initial General Electric GEnx -72A1 engines, before offering

4004-560: The 787", a sentiment echoed by GECAS president Henry Hubschman. In April 2006, while reviewing bids for the Boeing 787 and A350, the CEO of Singapore Airlines (SIA) Chew Choon Seng , commented that "having gone through the trouble of designing a new wing, tail, and cockpit, [Airbus] should have gone the whole hog and designed a new fuselage." Airbus responded that they were considering A350 improvements to satisfy customer demands. Airbus's then-CEO Gustav Humbert stated, "Our strategy isn't driven by

4095-465: The A330's fuselage cross-section. For this design, the fuselage was to consist primarily of aluminium-lithium rather than the carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) fuselage on the Boeing 787. The A350 would see entry in two versions: the A350-800 with a 8,800 nmi (16,300 km; 10,100 mi) range with a typical passenger capacity of 253 in a three-class configuration, and the A350-900 with 7,500 nmi (13,900 km; 8,600 mi) range and

4186-425: The A330. The airliner has two variants: the A350-900 typically carries 300 to 350 passengers over a 15,000 kilometre (8,100 nmi; 9,300 mi) range, and has a 283 tonne (617,300 lb) maximum takeoff weight (MTOW); the longer A350-1000 accommodates 350 to 410 passengers and has a maximum range of 16,500 km (8,900 nmi; 10,300 mi) and a 322 tonne (710,000 lb) MTOW. On 15 January 2015,

4277-502: The A330/A340. The cabin's internal width is 5.61 m (18.4 ft) at armrest level compared to 5.49 m (18.0 ft) in the Boeing 787 and 5.87 m (19.3 ft) in the Boeing 777. It allows for an eight-abreast 2–4–2 arrangement in a premium economy layout, with the seats being 49.5 cm (19.5 in) wide between 5 cm (2.0 in) wide arm rests. Airbus states that the seat will be 1.3 cm (0.5 in) wider than

4368-484: The A330neo in December 2014: eight for Aeroflot and eight for Asiana Airlines , both also having orders for the -900. In January 2017, Aeroflot and Airbus announced the cancellation of its -800 order, leaving Asiana Airlines as the only customer for the variant. After the negotiation between Airbus and Asiana Airlines, Asiana converted orders of eight A350-800s and one A350-1000 to nine A350-900s. In 2011, Airbus redesigned

4459-470: The A350 in a nine-abreast configuration. The 10-abreast seating on the A350 is similar to a 9-abreast configuration on the A330, with a seat width of 41.65 cm (16.4 in). Overall, the A350 gives passengers more headroom, larger overhead storage space, and wider panoramic windows than current Airbus models. The A350 nose section has a configuration derived from the A380 with a forward-mounted nosegear bay and

4550-449: The A350 programme had broken even that year. Airbus suggested Boeing's use of composite materials for the 787 fuselage was premature, and that the new A350 XWB was to feature carbon fibre panels only for the main fuselage skin. However, after facing criticism for maintenance costs, Airbus confirmed in early September 2007 that it would also use carbon fibre for fuselage frames. The composite frames would feature aluminium strips to ensure

4641-505: The A350-1000 with higher weights and a more powerful engine variant to provide more range for trans-Pacific operations. This boosted its appeal to Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines, who were committed to purchase 20 Boeing 777-9s, and to United Airlines , which was considering Boeing 777-300ERs to replace its 747-400s . Emirates was disappointed with the changes and cancelled its order for 50 A350-900s and 20 A350-1000s, instead of changing

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4732-651: The A350-1000. Airbus expected 10% lower airframe maintenance compared with the original A350 design and 14% lower empty seat weight than the Boeing 777. Design freeze for the A350-900 was achieved in December 2008. The airframe is made out of 53% composites: CFRP for the empennage (vertical and horizontal tailplanes), the wing (centre and outer box; including covers, stringers, and spars), and fuselage (keel beam, rear fuselage, skin, and frame); 19% aluminium and aluminium–lithium alloy for ribs, floor beams, and gear bays; 14% titanium for landing gears, pylons, and attachments; 6% steel; and 8% miscellaneous. The A350's competitor,

4823-429: The A350-900 was scheduled for mid-2013, with the -800 and -1000 following on 12 and 24 months later, respectively. New technical details of the A350 XWB were revealed at a press conference in December 2006. Chief operating officer, John Leahy indicated existing A350 contracts were being re-negotiated due to price increases compared to the original A350s contracted. On 4 January 2007, Pegasus Aviation Finance Company placed

4914-538: The Airbus board of directors approved the industrial launch of the A350-800, -900, and -1000 variants. The delayed launch decision was a result of delays to the Airbus A380 and discussions on how to fund development. EADS CEO Thomas Enders stated that the A350 programme was not a certainty, citing EADS/Airbus's stretched resources. However, it was decided programme costs are to be borne mainly from cash-flow. First delivery for

5005-399: The Boeing 787, is 50% composites, 20% aluminium, 15% titanium, 10% steel, and 5% other. The A350 features a new composite fuselage with a constant width from door 1 to door 4, unlike previous Airbus aircraft, to provide maximum usable volume. The double-lobe ( ovoid ) fuselage cross-section has a maximum outer diameter of 5.97 m (19.6 ft), compared to 5.64 m (18.5 ft) for

5096-520: The Farnborough International Airshow, the redesigned aircraft was designated "A350 XWB" (Xtra-Wide-Body). Within four days, Singapore Airlines agreed to order 20 A350 XWBs with options for another 20 A350 XWBs. The proposed A350 was a new design, including a wider fuselage cross-section, allowing seating arrangements ranging from an eight-abreast low-density premium economy layout to a ten-abreast high-density seating configuration for

5187-583: The Trent XWB engines were powered up on the A350 for the first time. Airbus confirmed that the flight test programme would last 12 months and use five test aircraft. The A350's maiden flight took place on 14 June 2013 from the Toulouse–Blagnac Airport . Airbus's chief test pilot said, "it just seemed really happy in the air...all the things we were testing had no major issues at all." It flew for four hours, reaching Mach 0.8 at 25,000 feet after retracting

5278-441: The Trent XWB for their A350 orders. In May 2009, GE said that if it were to reach a deal with Airbus to offer the current 787-optimised GEnx for the A350, it would only power the -800 and -900 variants. GE believed it could offer a product that outperforms the Trent 1000 and Trent XWB, but was reluctant to support an aircraft competing directly with its GE90-115B-powered 777 variants. In January 2008, French-based Thales Group won

5369-599: The US, with extensions carried out on three further sites. Among the new buildings was a £570 million (US$ 760 million or €745 million) composite facility in Broughton , Wales, which would be responsible for the wings. In June 2009, the National Assembly for Wales announced provision of a £28 million grant to provide a training centre, production jobs and money toward the new production centre. Airbus manufactured

5460-541: The advantage of being made almost entirely of wood. A similar construction using aluminum alloy was used in the Vickers Warwick with less material than would be required for other structural types. The geodesic structure is also redundant and so can survive localized damage without catastrophic failure. A fabric covering over the structure completed the aerodynamic shell (see the Vickers Wellington for an example of

5551-437: The aviation term of "Flight Haul Type", such as "short-haul" or "long-haul". Flight haul types can be defined using either flight distance or flight time. David W. Wragg classifies air services as medium-haul being between 1,600–4,000 km; 900–2,200 nmi; short-haul as being shorter and long-haul as being longer. David Crocker defines short-haul flights as shorter than 1,000 km (540 nmi), and long-haul as

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5642-616: The complete fuselage. As the accuracy of the final product is determined largely by the costly fixture, this form is suitable for series production, where many identical aircraft are to be produced. Early examples of this type include the Douglas Aircraft DC-2 and DC-3 civil aircraft and the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress . Most metal light aircraft are constructed using this process. Both monocoque and semi-monocoque are referred to as "stressed skin" structures as all or

5733-414: The electrical continuity of the fuselage, for dissipating lightning strikes . Airbus used a full mock up fuselage to develop the wiring, a different approach from the A380, on which the wiring was all done on computers. In 2006, Airbus confirmed development of a full bleed air system on the A350, as opposed to the 787's bleedless configuration. Rolls-Royce agreed with Airbus to supply a new variant of

5824-399: The end of 2025. As the pre-pandemic rate of 10 monthly is aimed for by 2026, by April 2024 Airbus was planning a 12-monthly production rate by 2028 after securing 281 net orders in 2023. The first Trent engine test was made on 14 June 2010. The Trent XWB's flight test programme began use on the A380 development aircraft in early 2011, ahead of engine certification in late 2011. On 2 June 2013,

5915-582: The entire fuselage such as the Boeing 787. On the 787, it makes possible higher pressurization levels and larger windows for passenger comfort as well as lower weight to reduce operating costs. The Boeing 787 weighs 1,500 lb (680 kg) less than if it were an all-aluminum assembly. Cockpit windshields on the Airbus A320 must withstand bird strikes up to 350 kn (650 km/h) and are made of chemically strengthened glass . They are usually composed of three layers or plies, of glass or plastic :

6006-402: The eye. Geodesic structural elements were used by Barnes Wallis for British Vickers between the wars and into World War II to form the whole of the fuselage, including its aerodynamic shape. In this type of construction multiple flat strip stringers are wound about the formers in opposite spiral directions, forming a basket-like appearance. This proved to be light, strong, and rigid and had

6097-455: The first A350 static test model was started on 5 April 2012. Final assembly of the first prototype A350 was completed in December 2012. In 2018, the unit cost of the A350-900 was US$ 317.4 million and the A350-1000 was US$ 366.5 million. The production rate was expected to rise from three aircraft per month in early 2015 to five at the end of 2015, and would ramp to ten aircraft per month by 2018. In 2015, 17 planes would be delivered and

6188-657: The first A350-900 entered service with Qatar Airways , followed by the A350-1000 on 24 February 2018 with the same launch operator. As of September 2024, Singapore Airlines is the largest operator with 64 aircraft in its fleet, while Turkish Airlines is the largest customer with 110 aircraft on order. A total of 1,340 A350 family aircraft have been ordered and 623 delivered, of which 622 aircraft are in service with 40 operators. The global A350 fleet has completed more than 1.58 million flights on more than 1,240 routes, transporting more than 400 million passengers with one hull loss being an airport-safety–related accident. It succeeds

6279-433: The first aircraft, MSN59, for the flight envelope , systems and powerplant checks; 500 hours on MSN71 for cold and warm campaigns, landing gear checks and high-altitude tests; and 500 hours on MSN65 for route proving and ETOPS assessment, with an interior layout for cabin development and certification. In cruise at Mach 0.854 (911.9 km/h; 492.4 kn) and 35,000 ft, its fuel flow at 259 t (571,000 lb)

6370-405: The first firm order for the A350 XWB with an order for two aircraft. The design change imposed a two-year delay into the original timetable and increased development costs from US$ 5.5 billion (€5.3 billion) to approximately US$ 10 billion (€9.7 billion). Reuters estimated the A350's total development cost at US$ 15 billion (€12 billion or £10 billion). The original mid-2013 delivery date of the A350

6461-628: The first structural component in December 2009. Production of the first fuselage barrel began in late 2010 at its production plant in Illescas , Spain. Construction of the first A350-900 centre wingbox was set to start in August 2010. The new composite rudder plant in China opened in early 2011. The forward fuselage of the first A350 was delivered to the final assembly plant in Toulouse on 29 December 2011. Final assembly of

6552-485: The fuselage is a thickened portion of the wing structure. Conversely, there have been a small number of aircraft designs which have no separate wing, but use the fuselage to generate lift. Examples include National Aeronautics and Space Administration 's experimental lifting body designs and the Vought XF5U-1 Flying Flapjack . A blended wing body can be considered a mixture of the above. It carries

6643-411: The initial dispatch reliability was 98%. Airbus announced plans to increase its production rate from 10 monthly in 2018 to 13 monthly from 2019 and six A330 are produced monthly. Around 90 deliveries were expected for 2018, with 15% or ≈14 units being A350-1000 variants. That year, 93 aircraft were delivered, three more than expected. In 2019, Airbus delivered 112 A350s (87 A350-900s and 25 A350-1000s) at

6734-634: The inner two are 8 mm (0.3 in.) thick each and are structural, while the outer ply, about 3 mm thick, is a barrier against foreign object damage and abrasion , with often a hydrophobic coating. It must prevent fogging inside the cabin and de-ice from −50 °C (−58 °F). This was previously done with thin wires similar to a rear car window but is now accomplished with a transparent, nanometers-thick coating of indium tin oxide sitting between plies, electrically conductive and thus transmitting heat. Curved glass improves aerodynamics but sight criteria also needs larger panes. A cockpit windshield

6825-420: The layers of plywood are formed over a "plug" or within a mold . A later form of this structure uses fiberglass cloth impregnated with polyester or epoxy resin as the skin, instead of plywood. A simple form of this used in some amateur-built aircraft uses rigid expanded foam plastic as the core, with a fiberglass covering, eliminating the necessity of fabricating molds, but requiring more effort in finishing (see

6916-552: The mid-2020s, after the A321XLR and a stretched A320neo "plus", potentially competing with the Boeing New Midsize Airplane . Service entry would be determined by ultra-high bypass ratio engine developments pursued by Pratt & Whitney, testing its Geared Turbofan upgrade ; Safran Aircraft Engines , ground testing a demonstrator from 2021; and Rolls-Royce, targeting a 2025 Ultrafan service entry. The production target

7007-591: The moment an aeroplane first moves for the purpose of taking off until the moment it finally comes to rest at the end of the flight", and is referred to colloquially as "blocks to blocks" or " chocks to chocks" time. In commercial aviation, this means the time from pushing back at the departure gate to arriving at the destination gate. Flight time is measured in hours and minutes as it is independent of geographic distance travelled. Flight time can be affected by many things such as wind, traffic, taxiing time, and aircraft used. A flight's length can also be described using

7098-405: The needs of the next one or two campaigns, but rather by a long-term view of the market and our ability to deliver on our promises." As major airlines such as Qantas and Singapore Airlines selected the 787 over the A350, Humbert tasked an engineering team to produce new alternative designs. One such proposal, known internally as "1d", formed the basis of the A350 redesign. On 14 July 2006, during

7189-453: The nose section has been increased. In 2020, Airbus announced that the A350 could be configured with dimmable windows . Flight length Commercial flights are often categorized into long-, medium- or short-haul by commercial airlines based on flight length, although there is no international standard definition. The related term flight time is defined by ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) as "The total time from

7280-892: The opposite. Flight Haul Type terms are sometimes used when referring to commercial aircraft. Some commercial carriers choose to refer to their aircraft using flight haul type terms, for example: While they are capable of flying further, long-haul capable wide-bodies are often used on shorter trips. In 2017 - 40% of A350 routes were shorter than 2,000 nmi (2,300 mi; 3,700 km), 50% of A380 flights fell within 2,000–4,000 nmi (2,300–4,600 mi; 3,700–7,400 km), 70% of 777-200ER routes were shorter than 4,000 nmi (4,600 mi; 7,400 km), 80% of 787-9s routes were shorter than 5,000 nmi (5,800 mi; 9,300 km), 70% of 777-200LRs flights were shorter than 6,000 nmi (6,900 mi; 11,000 km). The Westray to Papa Westray flight in Orkney , operated by Loganair ,

7371-489: The possibility of a further stretch offering 45 more seats. A potential 4 m (13 ft) stretch would remain within the exit limit of four door pairs, and a modest MTOW increase from 308 t to 319 t would need only 3% more thrust, within the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 capabilities, and would allow a 7,600 nmi (14,100 km; 8,700 mi) range to compete with the 777-9's capabilities. This variant

7462-399: The shorter great-circle; this is to take advantage of the favourable jet stream , a fast high-altitude tail-wind that assists the aircraft along its ground track saving more time or fuel than the geographically shortest route. Even for flights with the same origin and destination, a flight's duration can be affected by routing, wind, traffic, taxiing time, or aircraft used. For example, on

7553-551: The whole order to the larger variant. Assembly of the first fuselage major components started in September 2015. In February 2016, final assembly started at the A350 Final Assembly Line in Toulouse. Three flight test aircraft were planned, with entry into service scheduled for mid-2017. The first aircraft completed its body join on 15 April 2016. Its maiden flight took place on 24 November 2016. The A350-1000 flight test programme planned for 1,600 flight hours; 600 hours on

7644-421: Was announced, along with a wider interior cabin to offer 30 additional seats. The interior changes include moving the cockpit wall forward, moving the aft pressure bulkhead one frame further aft and resculpting the sidewalls to allow ten-abreast 17-inch seats. By November 2018, Airbus was hiring in Toulouse and Madrid to develop a re-engined A350neo. Although its launch is not guaranteed, it would be delivered in

7735-480: Was awarded by EASA on 21 November 2017, along FAA certification. The first serial unit was on the final assembly line in early December. After its maiden flight on 7 December 2017, delivery to launch customer Qatar Airways slipped to early 2018. The delay was due to issues with the business class seat installation. It was delivered on 20 February 2018 and entered commercial service on Qatar Airways' Doha to London Heathrow route on 24 February 2018. Airbus has explored

7826-472: Was changed, as a longer than anticipated development forced Airbus to delay the final assembly and first flight of the aircraft to the third quarter of 2012 and second quarter of 2013 respectively. As a result, the flight test schedule was compressed from the original 15 months to 12 months. A350 programme chief Didier Evrard stressed that delays only affected the A350-900 while the -800 and -1000 schedules remained unchanged. Airbus' 2019 earnings report indicated

7917-629: Was competing against a hypothetical 777-10X for Singapore Airlines. At the 2017 Paris Air Show , the concept was shelved for lacking market appeal and in January 2018 Brégier focused on enhancing the A350-900/1000 to capture potential before 2022/2023, when it would be possible to stretch the A350 with a new engine generation. In October 2017, Airbus was testing extended sharklets , which could offer 100–140 nmi (185–259 km; 115–161 mi) extra range and reduce fuel burn by 1.4–1.6%. The wing twist

8008-577: Was looking at an advanced derivative of the GP7000. In April 2007, former Airbus CEO Louis Gallois held direct talks with GE management over developing a GEnx variant for the A350 XWB. In June 2007, John Leahy indicated that the A350 XWB would not feature the GEnx engine, saying that Airbus wanted GE to offer a more efficient version for the airliner. Since then, the largest GE engines operators, which include Emirates, US Airways , Hawaiian Airlines and ILFC have selected

8099-403: Was testing a hybrid laminar flow control (HLFC) on the leading edge of an A350 prototype vertical stabiliser, with passive suction similar to the boundary layer control on the Boeing 787-9 tail, but unlike the natural laminar flow BLADE , within the same EU Clean Sky programme. On 30 September 2022, a 1.2 t (2,600 lb) weight reduction and a 3 t (6,600 lb) MTOW increase

8190-477: Was then delivered on 20 February 2018 to Qatar Airways, which had also been the launch operator of the -900. and entered the commercial service with a flight from Doha to London on 24 February 2018. The 60.45 m (198.3 ft)-long A350-800 was designed to seat 276 passengers in a typical three-class configuration with a range of 8,245 nmi (15,270 km; 9,488 mi) with an MTOW of 259 t (571,000 lb). In January 2010, Airbus opted to develop

8281-469: Was to be a replacement for the 747-400, tentatively called the A350-8000, -2000 or -1100. At the June 2016 Airbus Innovation Days, chief commercial officer John Leahy was concerned about the size of a 400-seat market besides the Boeing 747-8 and the 777-9 and chief executive Fabrice Brégier feared such an aircraft could cannibalise demand for the -1000. The potential 79 m-long (258 ft) aeroplane

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