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Airbus A350 XWB Development

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Doesn't look out of place on the A330, does it? Maybe an option for the future perhaps.

Highly unlikely as that will take it back to the original A350 concept that airlines did not want.

 

More likely is that the technologies pioneered in the Trent XWB will work its way into the Trent 900 for future A380s as PIPs. Its a bit like today's Trent 700s that are installed on the A330 are very much improved over the ones delivered in the 1990s.

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Airbus discloses details of first A350 engine flight

 

First flight of the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB aboard a dedicated Airbus A380 flying testbed brought the engine to "the edge of the flight envelope of the A350" and generated "very encouraging, satisfactory results", is the verdict of Airbus flight test engineer Emanuele Costanzo.

 

Such anomalies as arose during the 18 February sortie can be addressed within "the standard development flight test activity for this kind of exercise", added Costanzo. They included "very gentle oscillations, visible on a plot" when the engine was at minimum idle.

 

Costanzo was aboard the 5h flight from Toulouse. A Trent XWB development engine, fitted with test sensors, was mounted on the A380's inner-left pylon, replacing one of the aircraft's Trent 900s.

 

"Flying the actual engine of the A350 on one of our airplanes one year before the first flight of the A350 gives us a tremendous opportunity to identify the engine behaviour, to identify the handling and operability of the engine, and to bring the engine to extreme conditions," said Fernando Alonso, Airbus's head of flight operations.

 

Alonso stressed that the flight focused not just on the engine itself but also on the engine's interfaces with the aircraft. The A350's generators, bleed system and hydraulic pumps had been fitted. "This is a major contributor to the maturity of the A350 XWB right from its very first flight," he said. "The bulk of the first flight on the flying testbed was about opening the flight envelope."

 

The A380 reached its maximum operating speed of Mach 0.9 and normal operating ceiling of 43,000ft. It was also operated at high angle of attack and at the minimum speed that would be encountered in normal service. "The engine was fully functional and gave us exactly the performance that we would have expected at Flight Level 100 [10,000ft] and 108kt," said experimental test pilot Terry Lutz.

 

"When we did the simulator preparation for this particular flight, we noticed that engine acceleration and deceleration characteristics were just slightly better than the Trent 900's, and we were very pleased to find that those characteristics were almost identical on the actual flight," added Lutz.

 

The flight kick-started a seven-month test campaign Airbus is pursuing jointly with Rolls-Royce. This is set to accumulate 175h, "some three times more airborne flying hours than on previous programmes", and will include hot weather testing likely to take place in the United Arab Emirates in the summer, plus tests intended to support Rolls-Royce's efforts to secure European Aviation Safety Agency certification - for example, identification of the re-light envelope and demonstration of compressor surge margins. "We will make the compressor surge in flight to determine the surge line of each compressor in new and deteriorated condition," said Costanzo.

 

Cold weather testing additional to that already carried out by Rolls-Royce is unlikely to happen until the A350 airframe is in flight testing.

 

A350 systems to be deployed within the flying testbed campaign include the air data computer and a Goodrich nacelle and thrust reverser.

 

Source: http://www.flightglo...-flight-368694/

Edited by flee

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33276d0128.jpg

 

 

A350 XWB next generation aircraft takes shape

 

5 aPRIL 2012- Final assembly of the first A350 XWB is now underway at the brand new final assembly line in Toulouse. This latest step in the A350 XWB’s progress is achieved as Airbus starts joining the 19.7 metre long centre fuselage with the 21 metre long front fuselage.

 

This first A350 XWB airframe will be used for the static structural tests that all new aircraft undergo as part of their certification process. The assembly of the first flying A350 XWB, MSN1, will start during summer.

 

The centre fuselage was delivered to Toulouse on Wednesday 4th April 2012 by Beluga from Airbus in St Nazaire, France. The front fuselage was previously delivered from St Nazaire to the A350 XWB final assembly line on the 23rd December 2011. Delivery and installation of the aft fuselage from Hamburg, Germany will take place in the coming weeks, followed by the wings delivered from Airbus’ wing assembly site in Broughton, UK.

 

MORE READING: http://www.airbus.com/newsevents/news-events-single/detail/airbus-starts-final-assembly-of-first-a350-xwb/#

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The A350 is going to be even more important to Airbus than the A380. Airbus needs to get this right and learn from the difficult days of A380 development. It is important that delays are kept to a minimum.

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800x600_1337850888_A350_XWB_static_aircraft_fuselage_roll_out.jpg

 

A350 XWB static airframe fuselage roll-out at the A350 Final Assembly Line in Toulouse, France

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I wonder if MH will order these birds...as a replacement for the B772s.

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Well, it depends on what their route network will be at around 2018-2020 (I think that the earliest delivery for the A350-900 will be 2018, if ordered now).

 

It would be a good time to start replacing the B772s and A333s. MH can also consider the B787-9s or B787-10s, along with the A350-1000.

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Yes, those B772s are getting old. They really need to make a decision soon about replacing them, especially when delivery of these new aircraft are so far away!

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Im curious to know why MH hasn't placed an order for the next generation dual engine aircraft, those 772 need to be replaced somehow and adding new A332's isn't going to cut it.

 

SQ and even VN have already placed their orders for both A350 & B787 aircraft, can we expect MH to do the same soon? They won't be getting them in at least 4-5 years unless they order now.

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Guess what? That is the most sensible thing to do ........ but then, sensible thing does not work in M'sia anymore ...... :nea:

 

 

:hi:

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Guess what? That is the most sensible thing to do ........ but then, sensible thing does not work in M'sia anymore ...... :nea:

 

 

:hi:

So very true...

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With Mas current state, it is more likely to follow Royal Brunei Airlines footstep..

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Looking at the current MH fleet, it makes sense for MH to order the A350-900 or A350-1000. I think that MH may receive deliveries faster if they ordered the A350-1000 as the queue is shorter for that model. Boeing 787 delivery lead time is also very long. I guess MH can try to lease some new wide bodies first, if it is urgent!

 

With the A333 and A380 in the fleet, it would streanline flight crew training and rostering.

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800x600_1342421677_FLT_06.jpg

 

Front section for first flyable A350 XWB arrives at Toulouse FAL

 

16 July 2012

Airbus has delivered the front fuselage for the first flyable A350 XWB (MSN1) to the Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Toulouse (France). The impressive 21 metre long section is already equipped with its systems and was flown in from Airbus’ site in Saint-Nazaire (France) by the Airbus Beluga transport aircraft.

 

The A350 XWB front fuselage section will be mounted in the giant assembly jig ready to be joined with the centre and aft fuselage sections over the summer period. Before they are arrive at the FAL, the aircraft sections are equipped and pre-assembled at Airbus sites in the United Kingdom, Spain, France and Germany. All these major sections are transported to the FAL by the Beluga aircraft.

 

Source: Airbus

 

800x600_1342421679_FLT_24.jpg

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Airbus delays A350 after glitch, EADS lifts forecasts

 

European planemaker Airbus delayed the introduction of its newest passenger jet, the carbon-composite A350, as parent EADS (EAD.PA) unveiled better-than-expected second-quarter earnings lifted by resilient demand for its existing range of jetliners.

 

The three-month delay follows a glitch in wing production and pushes first delivery of the all-new A350 - Europe's answer to the Boeing (BA.N) 787 Dreamliner - into the second half of 2014.

 

Delivering his first results since stepping up from the Airbus unit to become head of Europe's largest aerospace company in June, EADS Chief Executive Tom Enders said improving profits by delivering on major projects would be a top priority.

 

"Another focus of our efforts is to further integrate and globalize EADS," he said in a statement, weeks after Airbus unveiled plans to build an assembly plant in the United States.

 

The A350 was already a year behind its original schedule but new Airbus Chief Executive Fabrice Bregier has stressed he would rather take time to iron out problems before the start of final assembly. A backlog of unresolved problems were blamed in part for three-year delays on the A380 superjumbo and Boeing's 787.

 

Problems in drilling holes in the wings on the A350 were first reported by Reuters after analysts said they had been briefed at this month's Farnborough Airshow.

 

The delay will result in a charge of 124 million euros ($152.5 million), EADS said.

 

Airbus and Boeing are ramping up production to meet a surge in demand for fuel-saving jets as airlines seek to cut costs while preparing for transport growth in emerging markets. But both have run into persistent problems with their newest projects.

 

EADS raised its forecast for Airbus deliveries this year to 580 aircraft from 570 and formalized a goal to sell 600 to 650 Airbus airplanes in 2012. However, a resurgent Boeing is expected to reclaim the number one spot in sales and deliveries this year as it reduces a bottleneck of undelivered Dreamliners.

 

EADS also raised its operating profit forecast to 2.7 billion euros from 2.5 billion on revenue which it now expects to rise 10 percent rather than 6 percent or more.

 

The upgrade, which contrasts with bleak economic news in its home European markets, comes after EADS operating profit almost doubled in the second quarter to 735 million euros.

 

Revenue grew by 12 percent to 13.53 billion, led by Airbus and strong helicopter and space divisions. EADS quarterly defense profits and revenue were flat.

 

Analysts were on average expecting second-quarter operating profit to rise by a third to 626 million euros on revenue of 12.979 billion, according to a Reuters survey.

 

The earnings follow a spate of stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings by U.S. aerospace and defense companies in the past week as they pushed through tough cost cutting and share buybacks to prepare for heavy cuts in defense spending.

 

Boeing raised its full-year earnings forecast on Wednesday as rising commercial airplane deliveries and defense sales offset higher pension costs.

 

Source: http://www.reuters.c...E86Q05V20120727

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Airbus overcoming A350 wing-drill automation snags

 

Airbus admits the slow pace of automated wing-drilling on the A350-900 forced the latest schedule slip to service entry, but the airframer believes it is overcoming the problem and aims to minimise the impact on the maiden flight.

 

A350 programme chief Didier Evrard tells Flightglobal that, in addition to the airframer's having to resort to manual drilling at its Broughton plant, the locking of jigs while the automation issue was addressed has had a knock-on effect on subsequent wing sets.

 

"The robot was not working properly, the software was not optimised," he says, and the drilling "took much more time".

 

The domino effect on production of the prototype fleet left "not enough margin to catch up", he adds, and led Airbus to push back entry into service to the second half of 2014.

 

Airbus has adopted a concept in which it builds the wings horizontally and the Broughton facility is able to assemble three sets of wings in parallel.

 

The plant is currently handling the wings for the static airframe, MSN5000, as well as those for the first flying aircraft, MSN1, plus a test wing designated 'EW' being built to accelerate testing through a separate damage-tolerance exercise.

 

Broughton will probably ship these to their various stations - the MSN1 wing to Bremen for high-lift system work, and the MSN5000 wings to the final assembly line in Toulouse - around the same time, August-September.

 

Drilling on the EW test wing, bound for a rig in Germany, shows that the automation issue is becoming manageable, says Evrard. "For the next sets of wings we won't have the same problem," he says. "We've already tested the new [drilling] software on one wing and it's much more efficient."

 

The next wings in the sequence will be those for MSN3.

 

While the wing production has proven difficult, Evrard says the airframer is making "good progress" on the other sections of MSN1.

 

Airbus started power-on work on 23 July. MSN1 is already equipped with electrical distribution and avionics systems and power-on tests will continue through August, ahead of the next main sections which will arrive in September and Evrard says the MSN1 fuselage will be assembled in October.

 

"We have a good grip on the first flying aircraft," he says. Evrard believes that, despite the wing-drilling problem, the airframer will be able to claw back some of the time in order to reduce delays to first flight - still intended for mid-2013.

 

"Today, I think that we can catch up," he says. But he reiterates that Airbus's strategy with the A350 is to ensure maturity of components at each crucial stage, to avoid out-of-sequence work on the final assembly line.

 

The engine flight-test programme entered a second phase on 26 July using an upgraded Rolls-Royce Trent XWB powerplant. Evrard says that the first phase, involving over 70h of tests using the A380 testbed, generated "very good results".

 

"On the positive side there's good progress on the first sections of the aircraft," he says, including the complex section 15 centre fuselage, produced by Spirit AeroSystems, which had previously been a source of concern. While Evrard "can't say everything is fully bridged" regarding the production process, he is confident that the section for MSN1 will be ready by the end of September.

 

Airbus's attention is focused on the first flight - preparing MSN1 and the static airframe in Toulouse, and performing virtual flights using simulation - as well as demonstrating the integrity of the manufacturing process and the readiness for the initial low rate of production.

 

After MSN1 and MSN3 the prototype assembly effort will turn to MSN2, the first cabin-equipped test aircraft. Another non-cabin aircraft, MSN4, will follow before the cabin-fitted MSN5 is assembled.

 

Source: http://www.flightglo...n-snags-374813/

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With Mas current state, it is more likely to follow Royal Brunei Airlines footstep..

 

Very true. the Brand-New A380 and A330 will not help the carrier in the long run. MAS must start to anaylze and order the B787/A350 soon.

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A350 XWB “MSN1” flight-deck comes to life

800x600_1343891087_A350_XWB_MSN1_flight-deck.jpg

 

Proving early readiness of aircraft systems a year before its first flight

 

2 AUGUST 2012 PRESS RELEASE

Airbus has successfully powered-up the flight-deck of A350 XWB “MSN1” for the first time, following the initial application of electrical power to the aircraft’s front fuselage. This significant milestone was passed only two weeks after this section was delivered to the Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Toulouse. Moreover, it gives a promising indication of the A350 XWB’s progress in pre-FAL and the readiness of the aircraft’s systems.

 

Flight-deck power-on is an important step on the route to complete aircraft power-on and first flight, because it enables most systems functional checking to be undertaken. Having achieved this nearly a year before first flight will allow early identification and resolution of potential issues and thus help to protect the aircraft’s development schedule. Testing of the front fuselage section will proceed during this summer. This will be followed by the power-on of the entire fuselage later this year.

 

800x600_1343891103_A350_XWB_MSN1_powered_up.jpg

 

Source: Airbus

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French Prime Minister inaugurates A350 XWB Final Assembly Line

 

 

Facility named after Airbus pioneer and founding father, Roger Béteille

 

23 October 2012

 

French Prime Minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault and Airbus President and Chief Executive Officer, Fabrice Brégier this morning officially inaugurated the 74,000 square-metre A350 XWB Final Assembly Line (FAL), in Toulouse, France. At full production, the FAL will employ some 1,500 people who will build up to ten aircraft a month as from 2018.

 

The ceremony, held inside the FAL, was attended by French political representatives, regional officials representatives from other Airbus home governments, as well as Airbus customers, suppliers, top executives and over 1,000 employees.

 

“Innovation is deeply rooted in our DNA and this is fully demonstrated on the A350 XWB, the world’s newest, most advanced airliner. Today we honour Roger Béteille, an exceptional aviation pioneer and we name the A350 XWB Final Assembly Line after him, one of our industry’s greatest innovators,” said Fabrice Brégier, Airbus President & CEO.

 

“It is a great honour for me to have my name associated with this magnificent, state of the art A350 Final Assembly Line, “said Roger Béteille. “Airbus’ success is a concrete example of how European partners working hand in hand can achieve incredible things together and this has been an essential ingredient to becoming the world’s largest and premier aircraft manufacturer.”

 

Guests at the ceremony were able to see the A350 XWB coming to life, with the first two aircraft (the static aircraft and the first flyable aircraft, MSN1) at different stages of final assembly.

 

The static aircraft, which will be used solely for ground tests, has nearly completed assembly, with a full fuselage, two wings and the vertical tail plane joined. The aircraft will be transferred to the static test hangar at the Toulouse Jean-Luc Lagardère site to be prepared for static tests to start in spring 2013. The first flyable A350 XWB (MSN1) is also progressing well, with the fuselage already joined. The wing, vertical and horizontal tail plane for MSN1 are inside the FAL and will be joined to the fuselage in early November.

 

Béteille was one of Airbus’ four founding fathers. He was instrumental in the development of fly by wire flight controls, one of Airbus’ key innovations which has since become the industry standard. Béteille’s was also responsible for the introduction of the world’s first two engine wide-body aircraft, the A300 which performed its first flight 40 years ago. With the inauguration of this new FAL, Airbus celebrates the world’s newest generation two engine wide-body aircraft, the A350 XWB.

 

Source: http://www.airbus.com/newsevents/news-events-single/detail/french-prime-minister-inaugurates-a350-xwb-final-assembly-line/

 

More coverage:

http://www.airbus.com/newsevents/news-events-single/detail/building-the-future-of-airbus-with-the-a350-xwb/

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Correct!! 100% for your test.

Just glad that it is not another A300 inspired look airliner again for the A350...

 

Looks pretty similar to 787, btw...

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