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Airbus A350 XWB
Landing Gear Test Bench Ready For Service By Eddy Metcalf |
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March 5, 2012 - The A350 XWB’s main and nose landing
gear test bench is ready for service at Airbus’ site in
Filton, UK. This latest step in the A350 XWB’s progress
is achieved more than one year before the aircraft’s
first flight and two years before its entry into
service.
Extensive testing campaigns are being carried out for
all A350 XWBs systems and components well ahead of first
flight. This will ensure the aircraft has a high level
of performance, reliability and maturity built-in from
day one.
The defining characteristics of the A350 XWB landing gear are simplicity and robustness with particular attention paid to corrosion prevention. These factors will bring a significant contribution to the A350 XWB’s high operational reliability and lower maintenance costs. |
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The Airbus
A350 is a family of long-range, wide-body jet airliners under
development by European aircraft manufacturer Airbus. The A350
will be the first Airbus with both fuselage and wing structures
made primarily of carbon fibre-reinforced polymer. It will carry
270 to 350 passengers in three-class seating, depending on
variant.
The A350
was born as an A330-derived minimum-changed competitor to the
Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the larger Boeing 777, 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,
with up to 8% lower operating cost 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, which ordered 80 aircraft across the
three variants. Development costs are projected to be US $15
billion. The airliner is scheduled to enter airline service
during the first half of 2014. As of 20 January 2012, 561 orders
had been placed for the new aircraft.
The new XWB fuselage will have a constant width from door 1 to door 4, unlike previous Airbus aircraft, to provide maximum usable volume. The double-lobe (ovoid) fuselage cross-section will have a maximum outer diameter of 19.6 ft, compared to 18.5 ft for the A330/A340. The cabin's internal diameter will be 18.4 ft wide at armrest level compared with 18.0 ft of the Boeing 787 19.2 ft of the Boeing 777. |