A350 XWB Flight Test Program: schedule for taking the prototypes into the air.

The main challenge for the flight test program right now is getting enough aircraft into the air as soon as possible. The schedule is very tight, and the focus is now to speed-up the assembly of the prototypes –engines will be installed on the MSN3 by end of July – and the progress of the flight tests themselves.

A no-updated Flight test plan

• MSN1 took off on 14/June/2013 and is used for exploring the operational flight envelope, systems and engine testing.
• MSN3 will fly in October/2013 to validate the airplane’s performances and participate in systems and engine testing.
• MSN2 will fly in January/2014 and will be used for cabin development and certification
• MSN4 will fly in February/2014 and will validate the avionics
• MSN5 will fly in April/2014 and will be used for cabin certification, airport compatibility, route proving, ETOPS and flight crew training.

 

The EIS with Qatar Airways is planned for “the second semester of 2014” which would allow Qatar to receive the 3 first series aircraft initially planned for 2014. More than challenging.

  

Lithium-ion batteries installed in the first flight-test aircraft MSN1. "Proven and mastered" nickel-cadmium batteries will be set-up in the first 15 series aircraft.

Last February/2013, Airbus announced that they were switching back to nickel-cadmium batteries for the A350 XWB as a risk-reduction strategy, but insisted the change will not affect EIS-entry into service dates.

 Airbus and Saft are embarked on "additional maturity studies" focusing on lithium-ion battery behaviour.

The flight-test aircraft are being equipped with lithium-ion batteries but Airbus will pursue a certification program with nickel-cadmium batteries for production aircraft, the first of which are due to be delivered in the second half of 2014. It is planned to equip with nickel-cadmium batteries the first 3 batches until MSN20. The current Ni-Cd battery of the A380, manufactured by Saft as well as the Li-io batteries, is being adapted to fit the first series aircraft which will require specific electrical architecture changes.

Lithium-ion battery weight is 30,2Kg.

Meanwhile, Airbus expect that the still-unexplained incidents involving lithium-ion batteries on the Boeing 787 are clarified, identifying the  root cause of the 2 incidents occurring on Japanese 787s which resulted in the 787 fleet being grounded for more than 3 months.

Based on the article “Airbus to ditch lithium-ion batteries on A350” published in FlightGlobal

Commonality and Innovation were the 2 pillars to develop the A350 XWB cockpit.

Airbus test pilots have been since 4 years involved in the development of the cockpit in the simulator. The design of the A350 cockpit is based on two pillars, says Airbus test pilot Jean-Michel Roy.

click the image to see the video

"On the commonality with our other cockpit and on innovation." One of the most important aspects is the comfort. "If you sit for hours in the cockpit, you need a most pleasant environment. If it was quiet inside and nothing has vibrated, the pilots end up after ten hours just rested and thus better." These include comfortable seats, sufficiently large shelves, even for 1.5 liter bottles of water, effective sun visors and a good air quality, said Roy.

 click on the picture to watch another video

Based on the article “Besuch im A350-Cockpit” published in Flug revue.

Galley systems manufactured by British B/E Aerospace ready to be installed in the MSN002, the first A350 XWB with cabin interior configuration.

B/E Aerospace is the sole-source supplier of the A350 XWB’s next generation galley systems and passenger and crew oxygen systems on the new aircraft.

The innovative galley system, designed, engineered and tested at the firm’s Grovebury Road interior structures headquarters in Leighton, allows airlines to select from a wide ranging catalogue of pre-engineered galley configurations for their specific operational needs.

 

“We were awarded the contract to design and manufacture the A350 XWB galley in 2008,” said Craig Cunningham of B/E Aerospace. “More than 100 people are currently working on the program. The team consists of design, certification and manufacturing engineers, program management and supply chain experts, and highly-skilled technicians. B/E is entering an exciting phase of the program as we complete the extensive design and engineering, and begin building and functionally testing the galley here in Leighton-Buzzard.”

The series manufacturing of galleys is planned to be carried out in Philippines in a new facility that implies an initial investment of $30 million and the creation of over 300 jobs.

Based on the article “Engineering work is really taking off” published in Leighton-Buzzard Observer

Airbus moves against the new 787-10 launched by Boeing, offering to airlines a “regional” version of the A350 with similar payload-range capability.

 

Airbus is offering airlines a shorter-range "regional" version of its A350-900passenger jet, sales chief John Leahy said at the Paris Airshow.

The previously undisclosed move emerged 2 days after Boeing launched a larger version of its 787 Dreamliner, designed for airlines willing to surrender part of the range of its newest jets to carry more people on dense, intra-Asian routes.

The "regional" version does not involve design changes to the current A350, but it will be offered with lower-thrust Rolls-Royce engines tuned for shorter routes than the baseline model.

"I have a regional version...On the A350-900 there is a regional version with de-rated thrust," said Leahy.

An Airbus spokeswoman said the regional A350 would "match the payload-range capability of the (Boeing) 787-10".

Based on the article “Exclusive: Airbus offers 'regional' A350 - sales chief” published in Reuters

A Research study of Airbus asks about the A350 XWB

Airbus is performing a research study “so that they can better understand your perceptions of the company and their products.”

Clicktools, an independent market research company has been commissioned to conduct the survey.

These are two questions concerning the A350-900 -comparing with 787-9- and another question regarding A330-200 -comparing with 787-8-

No questions regarding neither A350-1000 nor A350-800 is mentioned.

 

The questionnaire takes approximately 5 minutes to complete and at the end of the questionnaire, you can enter a prize draw to win a 1/100 model of the A350 XWB.

Wing Bending Test on MSN5000 Static Test Aircraft at Toulouse. VIDEO

Watch the impressive video of the wing bending test, performed the week before the First Flight .

This "torture testing" was required for First Flight Clearance. Test campaign continues towards ultimate load level of 1.5LL on route to the Type Certification. This is more than the aircraft will ever experience and ensures that it has more enough margin for strength.

Using jacks and loading lines to push and pull (mostly pull), the wing bending test gets a difference of more than 5 meters between rest position and the maximum bending point of the wingtip.

After the Type Certification Clearance, by the end of 2014 or in 2015, it is planned that the team will stress the wing until they break to help Airbus gain experience for future aircraft design.