Airbus is building the new A-350 wide body plane.

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European nations give financial guarantees.
September 12, 2009

The German government plans to support the planned construction of the Airbus A350 wide body plane with a state guarantee worth EUR1.1 billion euros (USD$1.61 billion).

European governments are planning to provide billions of euros to help Airbus finance the A350 jet despite a ruling earlier this month from the World Trade Organisation that European "launch aid loans" for the A380 and other top-selling planes violated the rules.

Last month, Britain pledged GBP340 million pounds (USD$567.6 million) in loans to help Airbus develop the A350, which is intended to compete with Boeing's much-delayed 787 Dreamliner.

Officials have also said France would provide financing.

Airbus has nearly 500 firm orders from 30 customers for the A350, which it will launch next decade. Company officials estimate the potential market for the aircraft at 2,500.
A further 3,000 jobs would be created in Germany due to the development of the A350, possibly rising to 7,500.

Composites -

The Airbus A350 represents a breakthrough in aircraft design because more than 50% of the aircraft’s weight is composite parts. However, recent Airbus crashes which have shocked the world again raise questions about the long term durability of carbon-resin components.

Composites have been used in aircraft design for many years. They significantly reduce aircraft weight and the fuel savings that result are extremely important. Boeing, Airbus, and the USAF are the largest design and manufacturing entities that are integrating composite parts into new aircraft at a rapid pace. If widespread use of composites does not comprise aircraft structural integrity, then everyone wins. The costs of freight transport, travel and fighting in the air drop significantly, and crew and passenger safety have not been compromised. The real world situation, however, is not that straightforward. Composite aircraft parts have come under intense scrutiny and criticism from pilots, air security professionals and aeronautical engineers.



Airbus has rolled out its second complete carbon-fibre test barrel as part of its development programme for the A350 XWB fuselage design.

This 18m (59ft)-long fuselage demonstrator, which Airbus dubs 'Barrel 1B' and describes as "second generation", was assembled in Hamburg and is close to the final design of the A350 fuselage, as it will be used for certification of design principles and sizing methods.

Barrel 1B's diameter is greater than 6m and it is built in three sections. It has been used to develop and validate the complete production process from the manufacture of individual panels, frames and clips, to shell assembly and section assembly and the production of circumferential joints.

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Airbus A350 XWB

The A350 XWB is Airbus's answer to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Several earlier designs based on the A330 still had the fuselage diameter of the good old A300, which allows a 2-4-2 seating arrangement compared to 3-3-3 seating in the 777 and 787. In Spring 2006, urged by criticism from airlines, Airbus started considering a wider fuselage, a larger wing, more powerful engines, a higher cruise speed and many other changes to satisfy the airlines. This resulted in the A350 XWB, but it means much extra development work and the intended in-service-date for the aircraft has slipped from 2010 to 2013, more than four years behind the scheduled introduction into service of the 787.

Airbus has planned three versions of the new airliner: the A350 XWB-800 carrying around 250 passengers in a three-class configuration, the A350 XWB-900, which accommodates around 300 passengers and the A350 XWB-1000 with about 350 seats.

Advanced materials

The Airbus A350 XWB will be substantially more fuel-efficient than the A330 and less noisy. About 60 per cent of the A350 airframe will be built of weight-saving advanced materials like carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP) and aluminium lithium alloys. In the A330 this is only 15 per cent. The new aircraft will be the first Airbus product with an all-composite wing. The rear fuselage and the tail cone will be constructed from composites as well. An aluminium lithium alloy is used in the forward and aft sections of the fuselage.

The cabin windows will be larger than on the A330. The cockpit crew rest area will be placed beneath the cockpit. This does not only saves space on the main deck, it is also a security precaution to keep the cockpit completely separated from the rest of the aircraft.



The first airline to sign a letter of intent for the A350 XWB was Singapore Airlines. Several other airlines had ordered earlier versions of the A350.