Airbus A350
Encyclopedia
The Airbus A350 is a family of long-range, wide-body
Wide-body aircraft
A wide-body aircraft is a large airliner with two passenger aisles, also known as a widebody aircraft or twin-aisle aircraft. The typical fuselage diameter is . In the typical wide-body economy cabin, passengers are seated seven to ten abreast, allowing a total capacity of 200 to 850 passengers...
jet airliner
Jet airliner
A jet airliner is an airliner that is powered by jet engines. This term is sometimes contracted to jetliner or jet.In contrast to today's relatively fuel-efficient, turbofan-powered air travel, first generation jet airliner travel was noisy and fuel inefficient...
s under development by Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an aircraft manufacturer Airbus
Airbus
Airbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....
.A consortium originally comprising European aerospace companies from the UK, France, Spain and West Germany, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS
EADS
The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company N.V. is a global pan-European aerospace and defence corporation and a leading defence and military contractor worldwide...
and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. It is commonly known simply as Airbus though. The A350 will be the first Airbus with both fuselage
Fuselage
The fuselage is an aircraft's main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, 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...
and wing structures made primarily of carbon fibre-reinforced polymer
Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer
Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer or carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic , is a very strong and light fiber-reinforced polymer which contains carbon fibers. The polymer is most often epoxy, but other polymers, such as polyester, vinyl ester or nylon, are sometimes used...
. It will carry 270 to 350 passengers in three-class seating, depending on variant.
The A350 was born as an A330
Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo....
-derived minimum-changed competitor to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the larger Boeing 777
Boeing 777
The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
, but was unanimously rejected by prospective customers. Airbus was forced to redesign the initial proposal, but airlines voiced for a complete overhaul. The eventual proposal incorporates major changes, which Airbus says that will be more fuel-efficient
Fuel efficiency
Fuel efficiency is a form of thermal efficiency, meaning the efficiency of a process that converts chemical potential energy contained in a carrier fuel into kinetic energy or work. Overall fuel efficiency may vary per device, which in turn may vary per application, and this spectrum of variance is...
, with up to 8% lower operating cost
Operating cost
Operating costs can be described as the expenses which are related to the operation of a business, or to the operation of a device, component, piece of equipment or facility.-Business operating costs:...
than the Boeing 787. The redesigned A350 was marketed by Airbus as the A350 XWB, where the XWB stands for Extra Wide Body. The launch customer for the A350 is Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways Company Q.C.S.C. , operating as Qatar Airways, is the flag carrier of Qatar. Headquartered in the Qatar Airways Tower in Doha, it operates a hub-and-spoke network, linking over 100 international destinations from its base in Doha, using a fleet of over 100 aircraft...
, which ordered 80 aircraft across the three variants. Development costs are projected to be US$15 billion(€
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
12 billion or £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
10 billion). The airliner is scheduled to enter airline service during the first half of 2014. , 567 orders had been placed for the new aircraft.
Early designs
When Boeing announced its Boeing 787 Dreamliner programme, it said the lower operating costs of this aircraft would make it a serious threat to the Airbus A330Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo....
. In public announcements, Airbus initially rejected this claim, stating that the 787 was itself just a reaction to the A330, and that no response was needed for the 787. But airlines pushed Airbus to provide a competitor, as Boeing had committed the 787 to have 20% lower fuel consumption than the Boeing 767
Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail...
.
Airbus initially proposed the A330-200Lite, a simple derivative of the A330, which would feature improved aerodynamics and engines similar to those on the 787. The company decided to announce this version at the 2004 Farnborough Airshow, but did not proceed. On 16 September 2004, then-Airbus president and CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
Noël Forgeard
Noël Forgeard
Noël Forgeard is a French industrialist and former joint CEO of EADS.-Appointment:From April 1998 until June 2005 Forgeard was CEO of the aircraft manufacturer Airbus SAS.In late 2004 he was nominated as the next French CEO of EADS...
confirmed that a new project was under consideration during a private meeting, which was held with prospective customers. But Forgeard did not give a project name, and did not state whether it would be an entirely new design or a modification of an existing product. He indicated that Airbus would finalise its concept by the end of 2004, begin consulting with airlines in early 2005, and aim to launch the new development programme at the end of that year. The airlines were not satisfied, and Airbus committed €4 billion to a new airliner design. The original version of the A350 superficially resembled the A330 due to its common fuselage
Fuselage
The fuselage is an aircraft's main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, 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...
cross-section and assembly. A new wing, engines and a horizontal stabiliser
Tailplane
A tailplane, also known as horizontal stabilizer , is a small lifting surface located on the tail behind the main lifting surfaces of a fixed-wing aircraft as well as other non-fixed wing aircraft such as helicopters and gyroplanes...
were to be coupled with new composite material
Composite material
Composite materials, often shortened to composites or called composition materials, are engineered or naturally occurring materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties which remain separate and distinct at the macroscopic or...
s and production methods applied to the fuselage to make the A350 an almost all-new aircraft. On 10 December 2004, the boards of EADS
EADS
The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company N.V. is a global pan-European aerospace and defence corporation and a leading defence and military contractor worldwide...
and BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
, then the shareholders of Airbus, gave Airbus an "authorisation to offer (ATO)", and formally named it the A350.
On 13 June 2005 at the Paris Air Show
Paris Air Show
The Paris Air Show is the world's oldest and largest air show. Established in 1909, it is currently held every odd year at Le Bourget Airport in north Paris, France...
, Middle Eastern carrier Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways Company Q.C.S.C. , operating as Qatar Airways, is the flag carrier of Qatar. Headquartered in the Qatar Airways Tower in Doha, it operates a hub-and-spoke network, linking over 100 international destinations from its base in Doha, using a fleet of over 100 aircraft...
announced that it has placed an order for 60 A350 aircraft. In September 2006 the airline signed an memorandum of understanding
Memorandum of understanding
A memorandum of understanding is a document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action. It is often used in cases where parties either do not imply a legal commitment or in...
with General Electric to launch the GEnx-1A-72 for the aircraft. Emirates decided against making an order for the initial version of the A350 because of weaknesses in the design, but has since ordered A350 XWBs.
On 6 October 2005, full industrial launch of the programme was announced with an estimated development cost of around €3.5 billion. This version of the A350 was planned to be a 250- to 300-seat twin-engine wide-body aircraft
Wide-body aircraft
A wide-body aircraft is a large airliner with two passenger aisles, also known as a widebody aircraft or twin-aisle aircraft. The typical fuselage diameter is . In the typical wide-body economy cabin, passengers are seated seven to ten abreast, allowing a total capacity of 200 to 850 passengers...
derived from the design of the existing A330
Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo....
. Under this plan, the A350 would have modified wings and new engines, while sharing the same fuselage cross-section as its predecessor. As a result of a controversial design, the fuselage was to consist primarily of Al-Li
Al-Li
Al-Li alloys are a series of alloys of aluminium and lithium, often also including copper and zirconium. Since lithium is the least dense elemental metal these alloys are significantly less dense than aluminium...
, rather than the carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) fuselage on the 787. It was to see entry into service in 2010 in two versions: the A350-800 capable of flying 8800 nmi (16,297.6 km) with typical passenger capacity of 253 in 3-class configuration and the 300-seat (3-class) A350-900 with 7500 nmi (13,890 km) range. It was designed to be a direct competitor to the 787-9, and 777-200ER.
Airbus faced almost immediate criticism on the A350 project from the heads of two of its largest customers, International Lease Finance Corporation
International Lease Finance Corporation
The International Lease Finance Corporation is an aircraft lessor headquartered in Century City, Los Angeles, California.It is the world's largest aircraft lessor by value, though ILFC's rival, General Electric's GECAS unit, has more aircraft...
(ILFC) and GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS). On 28 March 2006, in the presence of hundreds of top airline executives, ILFC President Steven F. Udvar-Hazy
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy
Steven Ferencz Udvar-Házy is the CEO of Air Lease Corp. He is the former Chairman and CEO of International Lease Finance Corporation , one of the two largest aircraft lessors in the world...
lambasted Airbus' strategy in bringing to market what they saw as "a Band-aid reaction to the 787," a sentiment that was echoed by GECAS president Henry Hubschman. Udvar-Hazy called on Airbus to bring a clean-sheet design to the table, or risk losing most of the market to Boeing. Several days later Chew Choon Seng
Chew Choon Seng
Chew Choon Seng is the former Chief Executive Officer of Singapore Airlines .He is currently the Chairman of both Singapore Exchange and Singapore Tourism Board-Career:...
, then CEO of Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines Limited is the flag carrier airline of Singapore. Singapore Airlines operates a hub at Changi Airport and has a strong presence in the Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and "Kangaroo Route" markets...
(SIA), made a similar comment: "Having gone to the trouble of designing a new wing, tail, cockpit" and adding advanced new materials, Airbus "should have gone the whole hog and designed a new fuselage." At the time, SIA was reviewing bids for the 787 and A350. Airbus responded by stating it was considering improvements for the A350 to satisfy customer demands. At the same time, Airbus' then-CEO Gustav Humbert
Gustav Humbert
Dr. Gustav Humbert is the former Chief Executive Officer and President of Airbus SAS, and a former member of the EADS Executive Committee.- Airbus :...
suggested that there would be no quick fixes: "Our strategy isn't driven by 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."
Redesign and launch
As a result of these criticisms, in mid-2006 Airbus undertook a major review of the A350 concept. The proposed new A350 with a wider fuselage cross-section has become more of a competitor to the larger Boeing 777Boeing 777
The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
as well as some models of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The new A350 fuselage allows 10-abreast high-density configuration. The A330 and previous iterations of the A350 would only be able to accommodate 8 passengers per row in normal configurations. The 787 can accommodate 8 or 9 passengers per row, while the 777 can accommodate 9 passengers per row, with some airlines using 10-abreast seating. The A350 cabin is 12.7 cm (5 in) wider at the eye level of a seated passenger than the competing 787, and 28 cm (11 in) narrower than the Boeing 777, its other competitor. (See Wide-body aircraft
Wide-body aircraft
A wide-body aircraft is a large airliner with two passenger aisles, also known as a widebody aircraft or twin-aisle aircraft. The typical fuselage diameter is . In the typical wide-body economy cabin, passengers are seated seven to ten abreast, allowing a total capacity of 200 to 850 passengers...
for a comparison of cabin widths and seating.) All A350 passenger models will have a range of at least 8000 nmi (14,816 km).
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
website. Within four days, Airbus achieved its first sale of the re-designed A350 when SIA announced an order for 20 A350XWBs with options
Option (aircraft purchasing)
An option, when purchasing aircraft, allows an airline to purchase additional aircraft in the future at an agreed price and date.When placing orders for new aircraft, airlines commonly obtain options from the aircraft manufacturer, for example Airbus or Boeing...
of a further 20. CEO Chew Choon Seng said that "it is heartening that Airbus has listened to customer airlines and has come up with a totally new design for the A350."
On 1 December 2006 the Airbus board of directors approved the industrial launch of the A350-800, -900 and -1000. The delayed decision on formal launch was a result of delays of the Airbus A380
Airbus A380
The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. It is the largest passenger airliner in the world. Due to its size, many airports had to modify and improve facilities to accommodate it...
and discussions about how the development would be funded. EADS CEO Thomas Enders stated that the A350 programme was not a certainty, citing EADS/Airbus' stretched resources. However, it was decided programme costs are to be borne mainly from cash-flow. First delivery for the -900 was scheduled for mid-2013, with the -800 and -1000 following on, respectively, 12 and 24 months later. At a 4 December 2006 press conference, a few new technical details of the A350 XWB design were revealed, but no new customers were identified. John Leahy indicated existing A350 contracts were under re-negotiation due to increases in prices compared to the original A350s contracted. On 4 January 2007, Airbus announced that Pegasus Aviation Finance Company
Pegasus Aviation Finance Company
Pegasus Aviation, Inc. or the Pegasus Aviation Finance Company was a US based aircraft lessor formed in 1988. It is one of the world's largest commercial aircraft lessors, with a fleet of over 200 aircraft...
had placed the first firm order for the A350 XWB with an order for two aircraft.
The change to the XWB design imposed a two-year delay into the original timetable and almost doubled development costs from $5.3 billion to approximately $10 billion (£4.9 billion to £9.5 billion or €5.5 billion to €9.7 billion). The total development cost for the A350 was estimated at $15 billion by Reuters (€12 billion or £10 billion). Although the mid-2013 delivery date of the A350 remains unchanged, longer than anticipated development activities for the aircraft have forced Airbus to delay the final assembly and first flight of the aircraft to the third quarter of 2011 and second quarter of 2012 respectively. As such, flight testing will be compressed from the original 15 months to a 12 month schedule. However, A350 programme chief Didier Evrard stressed that the delays only affect the A350-900 and that the A350-800 and A350-1000 schedules remain unchanged. On 12 November 2010, EADS CFO Peter Ring stated that the delivery date had slipped from mid-2013 to the second half of that year. Ring said the major reason for the schedule change is that the "transition phase from design to manufacturing is a bit longer."
Design phase
Although Airbus previously suggested Boeing's use of composite materialComposite material
Composite materials, often shortened to composites or called composition materials, are engineered or naturally occurring materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties which remain separate and distinct at the macroscopic or...
s for the 787 fuselage was premature, and that the original A350s would be made from aluminium-lithium
Al-Li
Al-Li alloys are a series of alloys of aluminium and lithium, often also including copper and zirconium. Since lithium is the least dense elemental metal these alloys are significantly less dense than aluminium...
(Al-Li), the new A350 XWB will feature large carbon fibre panels for the main fuselage
Fuselage
The fuselage is an aircraft's main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, 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...
skin. After facing criticism for maintenance costs, Airbus confirmed in early September 2007 the adoption of composite fuselage frames for the aircraft structure. The composite frames will feature aluminium strips to ensure the electrical continuity of the fuselage (for dissipating lightning strikes). However, the fuselage crossbeams remain metallic, but Airbus is running trade-off studies to evaluate switching them to composite. Airbus will use a full mock up fuselage to develop the wiring, a different approach from the A380, on which the wiring was all done on computers.
A critical component of the all-new airliner are the engines. Rather than the bleedless configuration used on the Boeing 787, Airbus has confirmed that it will further develop a full bleed air
Bleed air
Bleed air in gas turbine engines is compressed air taken from within the engine, after the compressor stage and before the fuel is injected in the burners. While in theory bleed air could be drawn in any gas turbine engine, its usage is generally restricted to jet engines used in aircraft...
system on the engines
Turbofan
The turbofan is a type of airbreathing jet engine that is widely used for aircraft propulsion. A turbofan combines two types of engines, the turbo portion which is a conventional gas turbine engine, and the fan, a propeller-like ducted fan...
. Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce plc
Rolls-Royce Group plc is a global power systems company headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s second-largest maker of aircraft engines , and also has major businesses in the marine propulsion and energy sectors. Through its defence-related activities...
has agreed with Airbus to supply a new variant of the Trent engine
Rolls-Royce Trent
Rolls-Royce Trent is the name given to a family of high bypass turbofan aircraft engines manufactured by Rolls-Royce plc. All are developments of the RB211 with thrust ratings of . Versions of the Trent are in service on the Airbus A330, A340, A380, Boeing 777, and 787, and variants are in...
for the A350 XWB, currently called the Trent XWB. After the low-speed wind tunnel test, Airbus froze the static thrust at sea level for all three proposed variants in the 330–420 kN (74,187–94,419.8 lbf) range. In June 2007 Rolls-Royce announced that it had signed its biggest ever contract with Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways Company Q.C.S.C. , operating as Qatar Airways, is the flag carrier of Qatar. Headquartered in the Qatar Airways Tower in Doha, it operates a hub-and-spoke network, linking over 100 international destinations from its base in Doha, using a fleet of over 100 aircraft...
for the Trent XWB to power 80 A350 XWBs on order from Airbus worth $5.6 billion at list prices.
General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
(GE) has stated it will not offer the GP7000 engine on the aircraft, and that previous contracts for the GEnx
General Electric GEnx
The General Electric GEnx is an advanced dual rotor, axial flow, high-bypass turbofan jet engine in production by GE Aviation for the Boeing 787 and 747-8...
on the original A350 did not apply to the XWB. Engine Alliance
Engine Alliance
The Engine Alliance is a 50/50 joint venture between General Electric and Pratt & Whitney formed in August 1996 to develop, manufacture, sell, and support a family of modern technology aircraft engines for new high-capacity, long-range aircraft.The main application for such an engine, the GP7200,...
partner Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney is a U.S.-based aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation . Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation and military aviation. Its headquarters are in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA...
seems to be at odds with GE on this, publicly stating that it is looking at an advanced derivative of the GP7000. In April 2007 Airbus former chief executive Louis Gallois held face-to-face talks with senior GE management over developing a new variant of the GEnx engine for the A350 XWB. In June 2007, however, Airbus' Chief Operating Officer John Leahy indicated that the A350 XWB will not feature the GEnx engine, saying that Airbus wants GE to offer a more efficient version for the new Airbus airliner. Since then, largest GE engines operators Emirates, US Airways
US Airways
US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country....
, Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a major airline of the United States. It is the largest airline based in the State of Hawai'i, and is the 11th largest commercial airline in the country. Based in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, the airline operates its main hub at Honolulu International...
and ILFC have selected the Trent XWB for their A350 orders. In May 2009 GE said that if it reaches a deal with Airbus to offer the current 787-optimised GEnx for the A350, it will only power the -800 and -900 variants. GE believes it can offer a product that outperforms the Trent 1000 and Trent XWB, but has been reluctant to support an airframe that competes directly with its GE90-115B-powered 777 variants.
In January 2008 French-based Thales Group
Thales Group
The Thales Group is a French electronics company delivering information systems and services for the aerospace, defense, transportation and security markets...
won the US$2.9 billion (€2 billion) 20-year contract to supply avionics and navigation equipment for the A350 XWB. Thales competed against Honeywell
Honeywell
Honeywell International, Inc. is a major conglomerate company that produces a variety of consumer products, engineering services, and aerospace systems for a wide variety of customers, from private consumers to major corporations and governments....
and Rockwell Collins
Rockwell Collins
Rockwell Collins, Inc. is a large United States-based international company headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, primarily providing aviation and information technology systems and services to governmental agencies and aircraft manufacturers.- History :...
for the flight deck supply contract. However, US-based Rockwell Collins
Rockwell Collins
Rockwell Collins, Inc. is a large United States-based international company headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, primarily providing aviation and information technology systems and services to governmental agencies and aircraft manufacturers.- History :...
and Moog Inc
Moog Inc
Moog is a worldwide designer and manufacturer of motion and fluid controls and control systems for applications in aerospace, defense, industrial and medical device markets...
were chosen to supply the horizontal stabiliser actuator and primary flight control actuation, respectively. The flight management system will include several new safety features.
Regarding cabin ergonomics and entertainment, in 2006 Airbus had signed a firm contract with BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
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.
Production and testing
The A350 XWB production programme sees extensive international collaboration and investments in new facilities. According to Flight Global, Airbus constructed 10 new factories across Western Europe and the US, with extensions carried out on 3 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 WalesNational Assembly for Wales
The National Assembly for Wales is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Assembly comprises 60 members, who are known as Assembly Members, or AMs...
announced provision of a £28 million grant to provide a training centre, production jobs and money toward the new production centre. Another new construction facility was the composite rudder plant in China, which was opened in early 2011.
Airbus planned to introduce new techniques and procedures to cut assembly time in half. Airbus manufactured the first structural component in December 2009. Production of the first fuselage barrel began in late 2010 at its production plant in Illescas
Illescas, Toledo
Illescas is a municipality located in the province of Toledo, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. According to the 2006 census , the municipality has a population of 15830 inhabitants.- History :...
, Spain. Construction of the first A350-900 centre wingbox was set to start in August 2010. As development continues, Airbus plans to decrease structural weight in the -800, which should be around airframe 20.
Airbus will begin a flight-test programme of the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB using the A380 development aircraft in early 2011, ahead of engine certification at the end of 2011. The first engine test on the Trent was made in June 2010.
Design
In September 2007, Airbus rolled out new design advances to a gathering of 100 representatives from existing and potential XWB customers. The A350 XWB will be built on the technologies developed for Airbus A380 and will have a similar cockpit and fly-by-wireFly-by-wire
Fly-by-wire is a system that replaces the conventional manual flight controls of an aircraft with an electronic interface. The movements of flight controls are converted to electronic signals transmitted by wires , and flight control computers determine how to move the actuators at each control...
systems layout. The A350 XWB will be made out of 53% composites
Composite material
Composite materials, often shortened to composites or called composition materials, are engineered or naturally occurring materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties which remain separate and distinct at the macroscopic or...
, 19% Al/Al-Li
Al-Li
Al-Li alloys are a series of alloys of aluminium and lithium, often also including copper and zirconium. Since lithium is the least dense elemental metal these alloys are significantly less dense than aluminium...
, 14% titanium
Titanium
Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....
, 6% steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
and 8% miscellaneous. This compares to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which consists of 50% composites, 20% aluminium, 15% titanium, 10% steel and 5% other. October 2008 was the Airbus internal goal to freeze the design and Airbus expects 10% lower airframe maintenance cost and 14% lower empty seat weight than competing aircraft.
Airbus says that the new design provides a better cabin atmosphere with 20% humidity level during flight and typical cabin altitude at or below 6000 ft (1,828.8 m), pressurisation at 6000 ft (1,828.8 m) and flow management system that adapts cabin airflow to passenger load with draft-free air circulation. Airbus is aiming to certify the A350 with 350 min ETOPS capability upon service entry.
Fuselage
Oval
An oval is any curve resembling an egg or an ellipse, such as a Cassini oval. The term does not have a precise mathematical definition except in one area oval , but it may also refer to:* A sporting arena of oval shape** a cricket field...
) fuselage cross-section
Cross section (geometry)
In geometry, a cross-section is the intersection of a figure in 2-dimensional space with a line, or of a body in 3-dimensional space with a plane, etc...
will have a maximum outer diameter of 5.97 m (19.6 ft), compared to 5.64 m (18.5 ft) for the A330/A340. The cabin's internal diameter will be 5.61 m (18.4 ft) wide at armrest level compared with 5.49 m (18 ft) of the Boeing 787 and 5.86 m (19.2 ft) of the Boeing 777
Boeing 777
The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
. It allows eight-abreast 2–4–2 arrangement in premium economy layout, with the seats being 49.5 cm (19.5 in) wide between 5 cm (2 in) wide arm rests. Airbus says that the seat width will be 1.3 cm (0.511811023622047 in) greater than a 787 seat in the equivalent configuration. In the nine-abreast, 3–3–3 standard layout, the XWB's seat width will be 45 cm (17.7 in) which will be 1.3 cm (0.511811023622047 in) wider than the proposed equivalent seat layout for the Boeing 787. A ten-abreast high-density configuration is also available.
Wings
The A350 will feature new all-composite wings that will be common to the three proposed variants. With an area of 443 m² (4,768.4 sq ft) it will be the largest wing ever produced for a single-deck widebody aircraft. The geometric wingspanWingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
of 64.8 m (212.6 ft) is 4.5 m (14.8 ft) greater than that of the A330. This is the same span as the long-range Boeing 777-200LR/777-300ER
Boeing 777
The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
, which has slightly less area. The wing tip will not sport the traditional wingtip fences, but instead are curved upwards at the final 4.4 metres (14.4 ft), "sabre-like". The new wing will have 31.9° of sweep, helping to increase typical cruise speed to Mach
Mach number
Mach number is the speed of an object moving through air, or any other fluid substance, divided by the speed of sound as it is in that substance for its particular physical conditions, including those of temperature and pressure...
0.85 and maximum operating speed to Mach 0.89.
A new trailing-edge high-lift
High-lift device
In aircraft design, high-lift devices are moving surfaces or stationary components intended to increase lift during certain flight conditions. They include common devices such as flaps and slats, as well as less common features such as leading edge extensions and blown flaps.-Purpose:Aircraft...
system has been adopted with an advanced dropped-hinge flap
Flap (aircraft)
Flaps are normally hinged surfaces mounted on the trailing edges of the wings of a fixed-wing aircraft to reduce the speed an aircraft can be safely flown at and to increase the angle of descent for landing without increasing air speed. They shorten takeoff and landing distances as well as...
(similar to that of the A380), which permits the gap between the trailing edge and the flap to be closed with the spoiler
Spoiler (aeronautics)
In aeronautics, a spoiler is a device intended to reduce lift in an aircraft. Spoilers are plates on the top surface of a wing which can be extended upward into the airflow and spoil it. By doing so, the spoiler creates a carefully controlled stall over the portion of the wing behind it, greatly...
. The manufacturer has extensively used computational fluid dynamics and also carried out more than 4,000 hours of low- and high-speed windtunnel testing to refine the aerodynamic design, achieving the final configuration of wing and winglet on the "Maturity Gate 5" on 17 December 2008.
The wings are produced in the new £400M/46000 square metres (55,015.5 sq yd) North Factory at Airbus Broughton, employing 650 workers, in a specialist facility constructed with £29M of support from the Welsh Assembly Government
Welsh Assembly Government
The Welsh Government is the devolved government of Wales. It is accountable to the National Assembly for Wales, the legislature which represents the interests of the people of Wales and makes laws for Wales...
.
Nose
Cockpit and avionics
The revised design of the cockpitGlass cockpit
A glass cockpit is an aircraft cockpit that features electronic instrument displays, typically large LCD screens, as opposed to the traditional style of analog dials and gauges...
dropped the A380-sized display and adopted 38 cm (15 in) LCD screens. The new six-screen configuration will have two central displays mounted one above the other (the lower one above the thrust lever
Thrust lever
Thrust levers are found in the cockpit of aircraft, and are used by the pilot, copilot, or autopilot to control the power output of the aircraft's engines....
s) and a single (for each pilot) primary flight/navigation display, with an adjacent on-board information system screen. Airbus says the new cockpit will allow advances in navigation technology to be placed on the displays in the future plus flexibility and capacity to upload new software and to combine data from multiple sources and sensors for flight management and aircraft systems control. The A350 XWB will also feature a head-up display
Head-Up Display
A head-up display or heads-up display is any transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints...
.
The avionics
Avionics
Avionics are electronic systems used on aircraft, artificial satellites and spacecraft.Avionic systems include communications, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems and the hundreds of systems that are fitted to aircraft to meet individual roles...
will be a further development of the integrated modular avionics (IMA)
Integrated Modular Avionics
Integrated modular avionics represent real-time computer network airborne systems. This network consists of a number of computing modules capable of supporting numerous applications of differing criticality levels....
concept found on the A380. The A350's IMA will manage up to 40 functions (versus 23 functions for the A380) such as undercarriage, fuel, pneumatics, cabin environmental systems, and fire detection. Airbus says benefits will include reduced maintenance and lower weight because IMA replaces multiple processors and LRUs with around 50% fewer standard computer modules known as line-replaceable modules. The IMA runs on a 100-Mbit/s network based on the avionics full-duplex (AFDX) standard, already employed in the A380 instead of the Arinc 429
ARINC 429
ARINC 429 is the technical standard for the predominant avionics data bus used on most higher-end commercial and transport aircraft. It defines the physical and electrical interfaces of a two-wire data bus and a data protocol to support an aircraft's avionics local area network.-Messages:ARINC 429...
system on the A330/A340.
Powerplant
The Trent XWB family comprises two basic engines to power the three A350 variants. The baseline 370 kN (370,000 N) thrust version for the A350-900 will be derated to 330 kN (330,000 N) and 350 kN (350,000 N) for the -800, while an upgraded 432 kN (432,000 N) thrust version will power the A350-1000. The higher rating 432 kN (432,000 N) engine will have some modifications to the fan module - it will be the same 118-inch diameter but will run slightly faster and have a new fan blade design - and some increases in temperatures brought by new materials technologies coming from its research programmes. The basic 248t MTOW -800 will be offered with a 330 kN (330,000 N) sea-level-thrust rating, while the 279t MTOW option will have 350 kN (350,000 N) thrust. Airbus also plan to offer a 'hot and high' rating option flat-rated at 350 kN (350,000 N) at higher altitudes and temperatures which uses the full capability of the -900's 370 kN (370,000 N) thrust engine prompted by the operating requirements for Middle Eastern launching customers Qatar AirwaysQatar Airways
Qatar Airways Company Q.C.S.C. , operating as Qatar Airways, is the flag carrier of Qatar. Headquartered in the Qatar Airways Tower in Doha, it operates a hub-and-spoke network, linking over 100 international destinations from its base in Doha, using a fleet of over 100 aircraft...
, Emirates, and Etihad.
The Trent XWB will feature a 118 inches (299.7 cm) fan diameter
Fan disk
A fan disk is the part of a turbofan jet engine that contains the fan blades. It is considered one of the most critical components of the engine and has four main functions:...
and the design will be based on the advanced developments of the Trent 900
Rolls-Royce Trent
Rolls-Royce Trent is the name given to a family of high bypass turbofan aircraft engines manufactured by Rolls-Royce plc. All are developments of the RB211 with thrust ratings of . Versions of the Trent are in service on the Airbus A330, A340, A380, Boeing 777, and 787, and variants are in...
(Airbus A380) and Trent 1000
Rolls-Royce Trent
Rolls-Royce Trent is the name given to a family of high bypass turbofan aircraft engines manufactured by Rolls-Royce plc. All are developments of the RB211 with thrust ratings of . Versions of the Trent are in service on the Airbus A330, A340, A380, Boeing 777, and 787, and variants are in...
(Boeing 787). The Trent XWB may also benefit from the next-generation reduced acoustic mode scattering engine duct system (RAMSES), which is a noise-dampening engine nacelle intake and a carry-on design of the Airbus's "zero splice" intake liner developed for the A380. Engine thrust-reversers
Thrust reversal
Thrust reversal, also called reverse thrust, is the temporary diversion of an aircraft engine's exhaust or changing of propeller pitch so that the thrust produced is directed forward, rather than aft. This acts against the forward travel of the aircraft, providing deceleration...
and nacelle
Nacelle
The nacelle is a cover housing that holds engines, fuel, or equipment on an aircraft. In some cases—for instance in the typical "Farman" type "pusher" aircraft, or the World War II-era P-38 Lightning—an aircraft's cockpit may also be housed in a nacelle, which essentially fills the...
s will be supplied by US-based Goodrich Corporation
Goodrich Corporation
The Goodrich Corporation , formerly the B.F. Goodrich Company, is an American aerospace manufacturing company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Founded in Akron, Ohio in 1870 as Goodrich, Tew & Co. by Dr. Benjamin Franklin Goodrich. The company name was changed to the "B.F...
.
The A350 XWB will feature a 1268 kW Honeywell
Honeywell
Honeywell International, Inc. is a major conglomerate company that produces a variety of consumer products, engineering services, and aerospace systems for a wide variety of customers, from private consumers to major corporations and governments....
HGT1700 auxiliary power unit
Auxiliary power unit
An auxiliary power unit is a device on a vehicle that provides energy for functions other than propulsion. They are commonly found on large aircraft, as well as some large land vehicles.-Function:...
, which has 10% greater power density than the previous generation of Honeywell's 331 APU family. Honeywell will also supply the air management system: the bleed air, environmental control, cabin pressure control and supplemental cooling systems. The ram-air turbine will be supplied by Hamilton Sundstrand
Hamilton Sundstrand
Hamilton Sundstrand, is a global corporation that manufactures and supports aerospace and industrial products for worldwide markets. It was formed from the merger of Hamilton Standard and Sundstrand Corporation in 1999. A subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation, HS is headquartered in Windsor...
and will be located in the lower surface of the fuselage. The generator requirement for the ram air turbine is 100 kVA compared to 150 kVA for the A380.
Fuel and hydraulic systems
Parker HannifinParker Hannifin
Parker Hannifin Corporation , originally Parker Appliance Company, usually referred to as just Parker, of Mayfield Heights, Ohio , is the global leader in motion and control technologies. The company was founded in 1918, and has been publicly traded on the NYSE since December 9, 1964...
will supply the complete fuel package: inerting system, fuel measurement and management systems, mechanical equipment and fuel pumps. The fuel tank inerting system will feature air-separation modules to generate nitrogen-enriched air that will be used to reduce the flammability of fuel vapour in the tanks.
Parker will also provide hydraulic power generation and distribution system: reservoirs, manifolds, accumulators, thermal control, isolation, software and new engine- and electric motor-driven pump designs. Parker estimates the contracts will generate more than US$2 billion (€1.5 billion or £1 billion) in revenues over the life of the programme.
Undercarriage
Airbus adopted a new philosophy for the attachment of the A350’s main undercarriageUndercarriage
The undercarriage or landing gear in aviation, is the structure that supports an aircraft on the ground and allows it to taxi, takeoff and land...
as part of the switch to a composite wing structure. Each main undercarriage leg is attached to the rear wing spar forward and to a gear beam aft, which itself is attached to the wing and the fuselage. To help reduce the loads further into the wing, a double side-stay configuration has been adopted. This solution resembles the design of the Vickers VC10
Vickers VC10
The Vickers VC10 is a long-range British airliner designed and built by Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd, and first flown in 1962. The airliner was designed to operate on long-distance routes with a high subsonic speed and also be capable of hot and high operations from African airports...
.
Airbus devised a three-pronged main undercarriage design philosophy encompassing both four- and six-wheel bogies to ensure it can keep the pavement loading within limits. The A350-800 and A350-900 will both have four-wheel bogies, although the -800's will be slightly shorter to save weight. Both will fit in the same 4.1 m (13.5 ft) long bay. The proposed higher weight variant, the A350-1000 (and the A350-900R, which is being proposed to British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
, with -900 size but with sufficient fuel capacity to allow nonstop London-Sydney flights) will use a six-wheel bogey, with a 4.7 m (15.4 ft) undercarriage bay. French-based Messier-Dowty
Messier-Dowty
Messier-Dowty is a company involved in the design, development, manufacture and customer support of all types of aircraft landing gear. The company projects are divided into two business units: Airbus & European Programs and Boeing & North American Programs....
will provide the main undercarriage. The nose gear will be supplied by Liebherr-Aerospace
Liebherr
* The Liebherr Group, a German manufacturing complex established in 1949 by Hans Liebherr* Liebherr Grazer AK* Liebherr T 282B, an off- highway, ultra class, rigid frame, two- axle, diesel/electricappointed...
.
Variants
Airbus Executive and Private Aviation
Airbus Executive and Private Aviation is a producer of large corporate aircraft. It is a part of Airbus S.A.S., an EADS company, and had a model range that parallels the commercial aircraft offered by the company, ranging from the A318 Elite to the double/triple-decked Airbus A380 Prestige...
.
A350-800
The A350-800 will seat 270 passengers in a 3-class with a 9-abreast layout. It will have a range of 15400 km (8,315.3 nmi). It is designed to compete with the Boeing 787-9 and to directly replace the Airbus A330-200Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo....
. In January 2010 Airbus announced that the -800 would be developed as a simple shrink of the -900, incorporating minor changes to the systems and structure and share more hardware with the -900 rather than as an optimised variant as was previously planned. This increased commonality will allow a higher maximum takeoff weight, which will increase the range (or payload) of the A350-800 compared to initial plans. The change will increase fuel burn by "a few per cent", according to the programme's marketing head, Sophie Pendaries.
The -800's fuselage is 10 frames shorter (six forward and four aft) than the -900 aircraft. The baseline -800 will be offered with an MTOW of 248 t (546,746.4 lb), MLW of 190 t (418,878.3 lb), MZFW of 178 t (392,422.8 lb), and 330 kN (330,000 N) thrust engines. An optional 11 tonnes (24,250.8 lb) increase in MTOW, to 259 t (570,997.3 lb) with a corresponding increase of MZFW to 181 t (399,036.7 lb), MLW to 193 t (425,492.2 lb), and a higher thrust 370 kN (370,000 N) engine (common with -900 engine thrust) was announced by Airbus in April 2010 to be made available for customers as an option. While the increased weights compensate for the increased empty weight of the aircraft and associated minor fuel burn penalty due to maintaining commonality with -900, it also resulted in an increase in the aircraft maximum structural payload capability by 3 t (6,613.9 lb), or 459 km (247.8 nmi) of additional range.
A350-900
The A350-900 is the first A350 model and seats 314 passengers in a 3-class cabin 9-abreast layout. It has a standard design range target of 15000 km (8,099.4 nmi). Airbus says that the A350-900 will have a decrease of 16% MWEManufacturer's Weight Empty
Manufacturer's Weight Empty Manufacturer's Weight Empty (MWE) Manufacturer's Weight Empty (MWE) (also known as Manufacturer's Empty Weight (MEW) is the weight of the aircraft "as built" and includes the weight of the structure, power plant, furnishings, installations, systems and other equipment...
per seat, a 30% decrease in block fuel per seat and 25% better cash operating cost than the Boeing 777-200ER
Boeing 777
The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
.
The -900R and -900F variants also have been proposed but not yet launched. These are to feature the higher engine thrust, strengthened structure and undercarriage of the -1000. Range of the "standard" A350-900R was estimated to 17,600 km (9,500 nmi), which would be boosted to about 19,100 km (10,315 nmi) by these design improvements to compete with the Boeing 777-200LR
Boeing 777
The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
and be capable of non-stop flight
Non-stop flight
A non-stop flight, especially in the aviation industry, refers to any flight by an aircraft which does not involve any intermediate stops. A "direct flight" is not the same as a "non-stop flight"...
from London-Heathrow
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
to Auckland. The -900 is designed to compete with the Boeing 777-200ER
Boeing 777
The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
and replace the Airbus A340-300
Airbus A340
The Airbus A340 is a long-range four-engine wide-body commercial passenger jet airliner. Developed by Airbus Industrie,A consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. a consortium of European aerospace companies, which is...
. The -900R was expected to enter service in 2016.
A350-1000
The A350-1000 has an 11-frame stretch over the -900 and will enter service after the -800. It is the largest variant of the A350 family and will seat 350 passengers in a 3-class cabin 9-abreast layout. It will have range of 15,600 km (8,400 nmi). It is designed to compete with the Boeing 777-300ERBoeing 777
The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
and replace the Airbus A340-600.
The A350-1000 will feature a slightly larger wing than the -800/900 models; a trailing-edge extension increasing its area by 4%. This will extend the high-lift devices and the ailerons, making the chord bigger by around 400 mm, optimising flap lift performance as well as cruise performance.
Orders and deliveries
, 35 customers have placed 567 firm orders for the A350 XWB.| A350-800 | A350-900 | A350-1000 | TBD | Total firm orders |
| 135 | 357 | 75 | 0 | 567 |
Source: Airbus orders data
Orders and deliveries by year
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | Total | |
| Net orders | 20 | 330 | 133 | 22 | 78 | ||
| 567 | |||||||
| Deliveries | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Specifications
Specifications are preliminary until design is finished.| Model | A350-800 | A350-900 | A350-900R | A350-900F | A350-1000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cockpit crew | Two | ||||
| Seating, typical | 270 (3-class) 276–312 (2-class) 375 (1-class typical) 440 (maximum) |
314 (3-class) 315–366 (2-class) 420 (1-class typical) 475 (maximum) |
- | 350 (3-class) 369–412 (2-class) 475 (1-class typical) 550 (maximum) |
|
| Overall length | 60.54 m (198.6 ft) | 66.89 m (219.5 ft) | 73.88 m (242.4 ft) | ||
| Wingspan | 64.8 m (212.6 ft) | ||||
| Wing area | 443 m² (4,768.4 sq ft) | ±460 m² (4,951.4 sq ft) | |||
| Wing sweepback Swept wing A swept wing is a wing planform favored for high subsonic jet speeds first investigated by Germany during the Second World War. Since the introduction of the MiG-15 and North American F-86 which demonstrated a decisive superiority over the slower first generation of straight-wing jet fighters... |
31.9° | ||||
| Overall height | 17.05 m (55.9 ft) | ||||
| Fuselage width | 5.96 m (19.6 ft) | ||||
| Fuselage height | 6.09 m (20 ft) | ||||
| Cabin width | 5.61 m (18.4 ft) | ||||
| Maximum takeoff weight | 259 t (570,997.3 lb) | 268 t (590,838.9 lb) | 298 t (656,977.5 lb) | 308 t (679,023.8 lb) | |
| Maximum landing weight Maximum Landing Weight The Maximum Landing Weight is the maximum aircraft gross weight due to design or operational limitations at which an aircraft is permitted to land... |
193 t (425,492.2 lb) | 205 t (451,947.6 lb) | 233 t (513,677.1 lb) | ||
| Maximum zero fuel weight | 181 t (399,036.7 lb) | 192 t (423,287.5 lb) | 220 t (485,017 lb) | ||
| Manufacturer's empty weight Manufacturer's Weight Empty Manufacturer's Weight Empty Manufacturer's Weight Empty (MWE) Manufacturer's Weight Empty (MWE) (also known as Manufacturer's Empty Weight (MEW) is the weight of the aircraft "as built" and includes the weight of the structure, power plant, furnishings, installations, systems and other equipment... |
115.7 t (255,074.8 lb) | ||||
| Maximum cargo capacity | 28 LD3 Unit Load Device A unit load device , is a pallet or container used to load luggage, freight, and mail on wide-body aircraft and specific narrow-body aircraft. It allows a large quantity of cargo to be bundled into a single unit. Since this leads to fewer units to load, it saves ground crews time and effort and... or 9 pallets |
36 LD3 Unit Load Device A unit load device , is a pallet or container used to load luggage, freight, and mail on wide-body aircraft and specific narrow-body aircraft. It allows a large quantity of cargo to be bundled into a single unit. Since this leads to fewer units to load, it saves ground crews time and effort and... or 11 pallets |
90 t (198,416 lb) | 44 LD3 or 14 pallets | |
| Cruise speed | Mach Mach number Mach number is the speed of an object moving through air, or any other fluid substance, divided by the speed of sound as it is in that substance for its particular physical conditions, including those of temperature and pressure... 0.85 (903 km/h, 561 mph, 487 knots, at 40,000 ft/12.19 km) |
||||
| Maximum cruise speed | Mach 0.89 (945 km/h, 587 mph, 510 knots, at 40,000 ft/12.19 km) | ||||
| Maximum range (with passengers and baggage) |
15700 km (8,477.3 nmi) | 15000 km (8,099.4 nmi) | 19100 km (10,313.2 nmi) | 9250 km (4,994.6 nmi) Maximum cargo payload |
15600 km (8,423.3 nmi) |
| Maximum fuel capacity | 129000 l (34,078.2 US gal) | 138000 l (36,455.7 US gal) | 156000 l (41,210.8 US gal) | ||
| Service ceiling | 43100 ft (13.1 km) | 43100 ft (13.1 km) | |||
| Engines (2×) | RR Trent XWB | ||||
| Maximum thrust capability | 79000 lbf (351.4 kN) | 84000 lbf (373.7 kN) | 93000 lbf (413.7 kN) | 93000 lbf (413.7 kN) | 97000 lbf (431.5 kN) |
Sources: Airbus, Flight Global