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Airbus A350 XWB Development

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MSN 2 and MSN 4 will make their maiden flights today! First time TWO prototypes are making their first flights on the same day!

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A350 XWB flying test fleet doubles size

 

MSN2 and MSN4 perform their first flights same day

26 FEBRUARY 2014 PRESS RELEASE
The A350 XWB flight test aircraft, MSN2 and MSN4, have both taken to the skies above Toulouse, France today for their respective first flights, bringing the total number of A350 XWBs now flying from two to four.
To date, the first two A350 XWB test aircraft to fly, MSN1 and MSN3, have already performed close to 1100 flight test hours out of the programme’s total 2500 hours planned for certification.
MSN2, with its special “carbon” inspired livery, will be the first A350 XWB test aircraft to feature a full passenger cabin. This allows Airbus to start testing and validating all the cabin and passenger related systems. As part of these cabin tests, MSN2 will carry the first A350 XWB passengers during the Early Long Flights (ELF) in spring.

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A350 XWB flying test fleet doubles size

 

MSN2 and MSN4 perform their first flights same day

26 FEBRUARY 2014 PRESS RELEASE
The A350 XWB flight test aircraft, MSN2 and MSN4, have both taken to the skies above Toulouse, France today for their respective first flights, bringing the total number of A350 XWBs now flying from two to four.
To date, the first two A350 XWB test aircraft to fly, MSN1 and MSN3, have already performed close to 1100 flight test hours out of the programme’s total 2500 hours planned for certification.
MSN2, with its special “carbon” inspired livery, will be the first A350 XWB test aircraft to feature a full passenger cabin. This allows Airbus to start testing and validating all the cabin and passenger related systems. As part of these cabin tests, MSN2 will carry the first A350 XWB passengers during the Early Long Flights (ELF) in spring.

 

I don't mind volunteering to b a passenger onboard MSN2 when they test it with people on board

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I don't mind volunteering to b a passenger onboard MSN2 when they test it with people on board

Usually these pax are Airbus staff...

Edited by flee

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Third Time's a Charm: Airbus Has Fewer Headaches with New A350 Jet

 

The new A350 from European airplane manufacturer Airbus is expected to go into service this year. The long-haul plane, which can carry up to 300 passengers, is experencing far fewer problems than the A380 or its Boeing competitor, the 787 Dreamliner.

 

Test pilot Wolfgang Absmeier, 54, has accumulated hundreds of hours of flight-time in the A350, the brand new high-tech jet from Airbus. He has brought the prototype to the very limits of its capabilities over the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean. The pilot has flown too fast and too slow, he's induced dozens of stalls -- and yet he has always managed to bring the giant plane back under control.

 

What has surprised him the most during the vast number of test flights? Absmeier thinks for a moment. "The surprise," the German pilot says, "was that there weren't any surprises."
That is indeed astounding. Normally, a series of glitches are an unavoidable part of developing a new plane. The A380 super jumbo jet and the Airbus military transport plane A400M were both plagued by years of delays and billions of euros in necessary improvements. But the A350 -- Europe's answer to Boeing's fuel-saving 787, which has experienced birth defects similar to those of the A380 and A400M -- seems to be taking off with only a modest delay and cost overruns that are still within the realm of the reasonable.
Since it first took flight last June, Absmeier says, the A350 has flown without any major problems. A couple of the four prototypes take off from the Airbus factory in Toulouse almost every day. The test program required for approval includes approximately 2,500 hours of flight time, of which the planes have now flown 1,500. If no problems crop up that require serious modifications, the wide-bodied jet -- which can carry about 300 people depending on the configuration -- will be able to enter service later this year.
In the production hall, technicians in blue overalls are working on plane No. 006, the first to roll off the new A350 assembly line. The space is so cavernous that sounds ebb away like in a cathedral. The wings have been mounted and monitors are blinking in the cockpit.
Fifty-three percent of the A350's airframe is made using modern composite materials that are lighter than the aluminum used heretofore. The result is significant fuel efficiency improvements. Because the high-tech materials neither corrode nor suffer from material fatigue, the maintenance costs are also expected to be lower. All of this translates to significant cost savings, which makes the new aircraft attractive to airlines.
Plane 006 is expected to be delivered to Qatar Airways, the first customer, by December. It is just one of 80 A350s that the rapidly growing airline has ordered, and it will arrive only one year later than expected. With a project like this one, with an estimated total development budget of over €12 billion ($17 billion), this essentially represents a perfect landing.
A New Era
With the A350, a new era is beginning for Airbus and passengers. In contrast to the prestigious, but hard-to-sell loss leader that is the A380, this frugal long-haul jet is already promising to become a blockbuster for the company. Airbus has 812 orders on its books from airlines as renowned as Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa. For the next two or three decades, the model is to make up a significant portion of Airbus' business.
Thousands of jobs in Germany too, with its Airbus factories and suppliers, are dependent on the success of the A350 program. Parts of the fuselage and the vertical stabilizer are built in facilities near Hamburg. The landing flaps come from Bremen, where the British-built wings are also equipped with electric and hydraulic wiring. The A350 will be shown to the German public for the first time at the end of May at the ILA Berlin Air Show.
Absmeier and his colleagues have flown the plane, which is outfitted with 20 tons of testing equipment, to the North Pole and to La Paz, Bolivia, which, at 4,000 meters (13,123 feet), is home to the world's highest airport. The plane has landed above the Arctic Circle in Canada and in the Arabian Desert.
Soon, though, things are going to get even tougher. This month, it will arrive at the McKinley Climatic Laboratory, a legendary airplane torture chamber. The jet will be cooled to minus 43 degrees Celsius (-45.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in a special US Air Force hangar. All systems must continue to function without a hitch. Soon after, the plane will be heated up to 46 degrees (115 degrees Fahrenheit) and must pass the same tests.

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A350 XWB MSN004 successfully undertakes water ingestion tests at Istres

 

800x600_1399638164_A350_XWB_water_ingest

 

Airbus has successfully performed certification testing to demonstrate the A350 XWB’s ability to operate on wet runways. During these tests at Istres, France, the flight-test aircraft, MSN004, travelled through troughs containing at least 22mm of water depth, at a variety of speeds, starting at 60kts, and successively increasing to around 140kts.

 

This test validates how the aircraft would behave on a very rain-soaked runway, and verifies that neither the water under the aircraft nor the spray generated by the nose landing gear will enter the engines or APU. For the test, the “water trough” was created by applying to the runway’s surface grooves and rubber strips inserted in the grooves to retain the water. This pool measured 100m long by 29m wide. The aircraft performed several runs as planned in order to test various cases, including the use of reverse thrust. The results will be analysed by the Airbus Design Office, which will extrapolate them to predict a variety of typical operational scenarios.

 

The A350 XWB’s certification testing is progressing well, and is on track for certification in Q3 2014, to be followed by entry into service with Qatar Airways in Q4. The first four A350s now flying have together accumulated around 1,600 flight-test hours and over 350 flights. The flight-test fleet will be completed with the fifth aircraft, MSN005, in the coming weeks.

 

Source: http://www.airbus.com/newsevents/news-events-single/detail/a350-xwb-msn004-successfully-undertakes-water-ingestion-tests-at-istres/

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Airbus expects to sell some of A350 test fleet

 

Airbus expects eventually to sell part of the A350-900 test fleet to customers, although it has not indicated how many of the five jets could be transferred.
The airframer is aiming for A350 certification in the third quarter and is preparing to introduce the final test aircraft, MSN5, to the programme.
MSN5 will have a full cabin fit and be used for route proving. One other A350, MSN2, is cabin-fitted while MSN1 and MSN3 have undertaken much of the heavy development testing.
Airbus Group chief financial officer Harald Wilhelm, speaking as the company disclosed first-quarter results, said that “some of them are expected to be sold”.
But he added that this would only take place “at a much later point in time”. He did not state how many of the aircraft could conceivably be handed on.
Boeing had six aircraft in its 787-8 test fleet but could only consider three of them as potential sale airframes because of the extensive modifications made to the other three.
Wilhelm says the airframer has ensured that the book value of the A350 test fleet has been kept realistic, and adds that it “wouldn’t count on a big profit contribution” from any sale. “We don’t expect any substantial profit or loss from it,” he says.
Two A350s are undergoing final assembly in Toulouse ahead of the first delivery, to Qatar Airways, scheduled for the fourth quarter.

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Rolls-Royce dispatches first Trent XWB for entry into service

Rolls-Royce today dispatched the first production Trent XWB that will power the Airbus A350 XWB's entry into commercial service with Qatar Airways later this year.

The Trent XWB, the world's most efficient aero engine and specifically designed for the A350 XWB, is the fastest-selling civil large engine ever, with more than 1,600 already sold to 40 customers.

Employees and guests gathered to wave the engine off on its journey to Toulouse, where it will later be fitted to the first A350 XWB aircraft to enter service.

Chris Young, Rolls-Royce, Trent XWB Programme Director, said: "This is an exciting moment for all of us, and marks the first of many Trent XWB deliveries for service. When we reach peak production in 2017 we will be delivering a Trent XWB every working day."

Qatar Airways has ordered 80 of the aircraft (43 A350-900s and 37 A350-1000s).

The engine powered the A350 XWB's first test flight in June 2013 from Toulouse, France. Since then the aircraft has carried out a variety of test flights, including high altitude testing in Bolivia, hot weather testing in Al Ain, UAE, and cold weather testing in Iqaluit, Canada. The engine also powered the A350 XWB's visit to the Singapore Airshow in February 2014.

The Trent XWB is 16 per cent more efficient than the first-generation Trent engines that entered into service in 1995.

View the latest images

 


V1-Trent-XWB-Infographic---Content_tcm92

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Airbus is continuing the “no surprise” flight programme for its A350 XWB, with more than 1,700 hours logged in preparation for certification later this year – clearing the way for deliveries to customer airlines.


22 MAY 2014 FEATURE STORY

One of the four A350 XWBs currently involved in the programme took a brief time-out to join opening day ceremonies at this week’s ILA Berlin 2014 Air Show, and then departed for the continuation of its work. A fifth aircraft is being prepped to join the test and certification effort, with its maiden takeoff planned in the coming weeks.


The A350 XWB is living up to expectations as the developmental aircraft are being put through their paces, according to Wolfgang Absmeier, an Airbus experimental test pilot who has been fully involved in the A350 XWB’s flight test programme.


“One of the surprises with this ‘carbon airplane’ is that we’ve had no surprises,” Absmeier explained. As an example, he noted the critical flutter testing – to which every new aircraft is subjected, determining the dynamic aeroelasticity – was performed within one week for the A350 XWB, compared to six weeks for the A380.


With over 70 per cent of the A350 XWB’s weight-efficient airframe composed of advanced materials combining composites (53 per cent) titanium and modern aluminium alloys – the A350 XWB is setting new standards for commercial airliners.


Among the many flight programme milestones achieved to date are the validation of the advanced high-lift devices on the A350 XWB’s highly efficient wings, measurement of the aircraft’s noise footprint in the vicinity of airports, runway water injection trials, icing tests and high-altitude airport operations in Bolivia.


This activity is supported by extensive ground-based and flying testbed resources – ranging from the “iron bird” for systems integration to test rigs for the cabin, fuel circuits and the landing gear. More than 13,200 cumulative hours have been logged on these “zero test” means.


Source: Airbus


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Airbus A350XWB embarks on Early Long Flights in typical operating conditions, with airline crew and Airbus employee passengers

 

2 JUNE 2014 PRESS RELEASE
The Airbus A350 XWB has started a campaign of Early Long Flights with cabin crew and passengers. The A350 (MSN 002) test aircraft equipped with cabin, took off on the first of two Early Long Flights from Toulouse-Blagnac airport at 09.20hrs (local). The two flights will be operated in a real airline environment with Air France and Lufthansa cabin crew.
Covering all types of flight conditions, the flights will be completed during the week with almost 250 passengers on board comprising Airbus employees, and some 30 cabin experts from Airbus and equipment manufacturers.
The Early Long Flights are not part of the technical certification programme but remain an important step towards the A350's maturity at entry into service.
Source: Airbus

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I was told that D7 will be receiving their A350s from 2019. They do not want to be the early adopters - they want a proven aircraft that won't give teething problems.

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@flee.. I know.. Its abt 4-5 years from now.. But i still cant wait to try it.. Also, a350 didnt have major problems up till now.. I doubt there will be any in the future in terms of developments..

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Airbus braced for A350 ramp-up as MSN5 nears flight

 

Airbus is expecting to fly its final flight-test A350 by the end of the month as it prepares for production ramp-up, with the final assembly line already handling aircraft up to MSN10.
Certification of the first customer aircraft, MSN6, has commenced with the European Aviation Safety Agency while the fifth test airframe, MSN5, is set to start the route proving part of the certification campaign.
MSN5 will be “the most visible” aircraft in the final parts of the test effort, said A350 programme chief Didier Evrard, speaking during a briefing in Toulouse.
This aircraft – which, like MSN2, is cabin-equipped – will be used for extended operations (ETOPS) checks, as well as a number of technical tests such as those for electromagnetic interference.
Evrard says the test aircraft will continue to be “busy” until August but that certification remains “on track” for the third quarter. The first four airframes have logged over 1,900h. Evrard says that more than 70% of the certification documentation has been submitted to EASA and that all of the paperwork will have been handed over by the end of summer.
While there remain inevitable uncertainties in such a critical programme, Evrard says there is “no reason not to be confident”.
Initial early long flights of the A350-900 – with Airbus pilots but Lufthansa and Air France cabin crews serving volunteer passengers – were “very successful and rewarding” and have generated “very good feedback”, he states, notably about spaciousness and ease of crew service.
There is progress on weight reduction of the airframe, says Evrard, with the aircraft currently at 119t, about 3.3t above specification.
Two initial Qatar Airways aircraft are approaching completion, the first of which is due to be delivered by the end of this year.
Evrard says the ramp-up is in evidence with the final assembly line at Toulouse currently running at a rate of two per month. Airbus intends to raise this to “close to rate three” at the beginning of 2015, he says, but acknowledges that there is still “high pressure” on the supply chain.
The final assembly line is handling MSN10 while some of the larger production centres – the UK wing plant at Broughton and facilities at St Nazaire and Hamburg – are working on MSN17 and MSN18.
But some major components are already being manufactured for aircraft far down the line, such as the vertical fin for MSN29 being built in Stade, the tail cone for MSN38 in Illescas, and structures for MSN39 in Nantes.
Spirit AeroSystems, which manufactures the centre fuselage, had been a source of concern to Airbus in the early stages of the A350 programme.
But Evrard says the company had progressed, with Airbus’s assistance, and has achieved “much better control” of quality and supply, and he is confident that it will be able to meet the ramp-up demand. Spirit says it is “working closely with our customer to support the rates on this important programme”.
Evrard says that 2.5% of 213 suppliers within its A350 chain have been subject to a transformation plan to reduce risk, while another 7.5% have been undergoing joint improvement efforts.
Production of subassemblies for the larger A350-1000 will start in the fourth quarter. The first carbonfibre lay-up in Nantes, as well as the first metal cut, are due to take place in the “coming weeks”, says Evrard. Tooling is in place for the aircraft, some of it dedicated while other assemblies will use -900 tools.
Airbus is using the results of -900 flight-test and static data to optimise the design of its bigger sister. But the -1000 will also benefit from increased simulation, rather than physical testing. Airbus will not repeat the iron bird, wing-bend or ground-vibration tests for the jet.
Evrard expects the first -1000 to enter the line around MSN60, and for its flight-test campaign to take “a little bit less” than a year. Dedicated flight testing with the higher-thrust Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engine will begin in summer 2015 with first flight of the -1000 scheduled for 2016.
Edited by flee

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