The dangerous flutter test performed last 23/October with the MSN1 A350 prototype. Video

When a flight test crew puts on helmets and parachutes, you know they´re going to attempt a potentially risky mission. And that´s what the crew of MSN1 did on 23/October during the flutter test, one of the most critical and most dangerous tests during an aircraft´s flight test campaign.

Click the picture to watch the video

Stéphane Vaux, flight test engineer, said: “with flutter testing, we´re confirming the aircraft´s damping properties, how effectively it reduces oscillations”. During the flutter test performance, the pilots push the aircraft to it´s designed speed and mach limits. But to truly test the aircraft´s damping ability, the flight engineers artificially “excite” the flight control surfaces; the rudder, ailerons and elevators.

To “excite” the aircraft, Stéphane send signals to the flight control surfaces that initiate oscillations. “With the aircraft already shaking, there´s a second flight test engineer monitoring what I do”, he said. “He´s making sure I don´t type in the wrong input, something that could damage the aircraft”.
           

                         


At the same time, the pilots have their own challenges. In a violently shaking aircraft, they have to sustain constant speed and mach. They must also maintain proper pitch and bank angle during the excitation phase, which can last up to 3 minutes.

In order to minimize risk, the crew will only gradually increase the aircraft´s speed and mach combinations. After each excitation phase, “We look at the data and get feedback from flutter and aero-elasticity experts monitoring the flight in the telemetry office”.

Inputting information from dozens of accelerometers around the aircraft into complex mathematical models, those experts will analyze the structure´s damping response. “If the oscillations are damped, the structure is stable”, Stéphane said. “If not, the aircraft can be severely damaged”. Only when the results are good, the flight crew accelerates to the next speed and mach combination.

After each 5-hour flutter flight, Stéphane said the crew comes back exhausted. “The test requires non-stop concentration”, he said. “We´re demanding a lot of the aircraft – we´re right at the limits of what it can do”.

With the successful completion of the flutter test campaign -6 flights in total- the A350 XWB´s flight envelope, in terms of speed and mach, is now completely opened. “We have flown faster and rougher than what any customer A350 XWB ever experience”, said Stéphane Vaux.

Based on the article “Flutter test; going to the edge” published by Airbus.

Gulf airlines define the range and payload capabilities for new aircraft. And that converts the A350-1000 in a heavier and more capable aircraft than many other European, US and Asian carriers require.

Middle Eastern airlines are now hugely influential when it comes to defining new aircraft models



For more than a decade, Persian Gulf carriers have collectively helped shape the long-range airliner product development strategy for both Airbus and Boeing and the world's high-capacity air transport markets. With the advent of the Boeing 777X and possible Airbus A350, and A380 upgrades, their influence looks like it will only grow.

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The impact of airlines such as Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways on performance requirements has therefore evolved into something considerably greater than the sum of their parts. As a result, even though the airlines of the region in themselves represent a sizeable chunk of both the Airbus and Boeing market forecasts, their influence extends out of all proportion around the globe. Having placed themselves at the nexus of an ever-growing network of interconnecting global routes, they have driven airframe and engine manufacturers to reach new levels of range and payload capability.

Because of the geographic location of their hubs, the Middle Eastern carriers require more range than most others. A flight to New York is not an 8 h. mission like it would be for Lufthansa or Air France, but can be a trip in excess of 14 h. against winter headwinds. Trips to the U.S. West Coast can reach 17 h., much like flights to Latin American destinations, which are increasingly linked to Middle East networks. Carriers claim they can connect any 2 markets on the globe with only one stop somewhere in the Persian Gulf region, and they need aircraft with long legs to keep that promise.

But Airbus and Boeing risk having to produce aircraft that are designed only for a part of the market, with European, U.S. and Asian airlines having to deal with heavier and more capable aircraft than they require. And the manufacturers have to avoid at all costs developing more slow-sellers like the Boeing 777-200LR or the Airbus A340-500. The second life of the A330 can partially be explained by the fact that the aircraft is all many airlines need as far as range is concerned. Lufthansa and Air France are flying the aircraft to the U.S. West Coast and Latin America. And the recently launched Boeing 787-10 is targeting that—arguably large—segment as well.

The A350-1000 is the most obvious example of Persian Gulf carriers' intervention in the design process. Emirates, notably, doubted that its engines were powerful enough and that the aircraft would have the required range. Along with Qatar Airways, the airline put significant pressure on Airbus. “Some say the A350-1000 needs to take on more thrust and weight, and I believe that to be the case,” Emirates' Clark said before the latest redesign. And Al Baker wanted “increased takeoff weight and increased range.”

The 2 got it their way. Airbus delayed the aircraft's EIS to allow time for Rolls-Royce to raise engine thrust from 93,000 to 97,000 lb. The Persian Gulf carriers' appetite for larger aircraft has also been a factor in Airbus's notable lack of interest in building the -800, the smallest A350 version.
Since the 777X will be launched largely on the strength of Persian Gulf carriers' orders, industry sources point at their massive influence in the aircraft's design.



Based on the article “Dubai 2013. Top Designers” published in Aviation Week

Toulouse-FAL expansion in progress to be prepared for the A350 ramp up.

As Airbus is preparing for the industrial phase of the stretched A350-1000, the company is expanding capacity at its final assembly line in Toulouse. It is adding a third station 50 where the current station 59 is located, and station 59, which is used for sections preparation, will move to the other side of the final assembly line.

Currently, two of the four station 40s are used for wing assembly and two for testing, but once the second part of the final assembly line is completed, all four stations will be used for wing assembly. Further integration and outfitting work is taking place in the four station 30 bays, which are still under construction and will be used from the end of 2014. Airbus has decided to add a fifth station 30 by the end of 2015 to increase capacity.

Head of Program Mr. Didier Evrard said that the set-up will be sufficient for the planned production rate of 10 aircraft per month, and that it also has capacity reserves to go beyond that threshold if market demand is strong enough.

Airbus will be at the production rate of one per month by the end of this year, and a rate of three per month by the end of 2014. Evrard pointed out that he expected strong demand for the -1000 variant and that Airbus now has the flexibility to mix production between the -900 and the -1000, up to around a 50/50 split.



Based on the article “Airbus Sets A350-900 Service Entry Target, Expands Production Capacity” published in Aviationweek

Spirit Aerosystems names a new vicepresident for A350 XWB program.

Spirit AeroSystems announced last week that Kevin Matthies has joined the company as ‎Vice President, Airbus & A350 XWB programs.

Matthies will have responsibility for A350 program management and be the deputy for all Airbus programs at Spirit, according to a news release from the company.

Matthies previously held positions with Raytheon, Hughes and General Dynamics. Most recently, he was with Raytheon Missile Systems as president of the Javelin Joint Venture between Raytheon and Lockheed Martin. He also served as program director for the Excalibur and Stinger programs.

Currently Spirit workpackages, specially in the central fuselage, are the bottle neck in the A350 XWB ramp-up.



Based on the article “Spirit names Kevin Matthies as vice president, Airbus programs” published in The Wichita Eagle

A350-800 remains scheduled for delivery in September 2016.

The orders of the A350-800 model are only being cancelled or converted to bigger models -900 or -1000. With a backlog of just 84 aircraft and a spate of cancellations and conversions to the larger A350-900, many observers are waiting Airbus action with the smaller model. US Airways, the type’s largest customer, could convert to the A350-900 their orders if the merger with American go through, in order to avoid overlap with the 787-9.

Instead of cancelling the A350-800 model, Airbus would likely shift the sequence of the entry-into-service of the A350; right now, only one A350-800 is scheduled for delivery in September 2016 (to lessor ILFC), according to one data base, with several more following in 2017–when the more popular A350-1000 is scheduled to enter service.

Airbus officially says no re-sequence has been made; “No change in sequence A350-900 EIS H2 2014, A350-800 EIS mid-2016 and A350-1000 mid-2017,” said a spokesperson.


Based on the article “Analyzing A350 backlog” published in Leeham News

Don´t panic. There is no emergency to decide about the A350-1100 and also there is more time to optimize the A350-800 model. Fabrice Brégier prefers to focus the team on the A350-900 certification, ramp-up and A350-1000 development.

Since Boeing announced an extended version of its 777 to more than 400 seats version, it is normal that Airbus looks what they could do.

“But this is only a preliminary examination, non-emergency and we have made no decision” said Airbus President and CEO Brégier. 

Airbus is very satisfied with the current positioning of the A350 on the niche of the 300 to 350 seats, which is doing the bulk of the request.

“It was A350´s success what led Boeing to launch an extended version of the 777” added Brégier.

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Concerning the A350-800 version, “The market has evolved since the launch of the program in 2007, moving to aircraft with more large capacity, such as the A350-900.”

“This leaves more time to optimize the 800 version. Its delivery is still scheduled for 2016, but we will be able to adapt if the market goes further towards the 900 and 1000 versions” said Brégier.


Based on the article “Fabrice Brégier : «Airbus dégagera 10% de marge si l’A350 tient ses objectifs »” published in Les Echos

The first “big problem” for A350 XWB: no white tails until 2020.

Airbus has flown its second test and certification A350-900 on its first flight. But there is a problem. Not a technical problem, and not a lack of interest.

The problem is that there is so much demand for the A350 XWB that EADS CEO, Tom Enders said last week in Sydney it would currently take until 2020 for an order for an A350 to be delivered.

While this is a ‘good’ problem for Airbus, in that it can’t build A350s fast enough, it would be on the face of it, quite a disappointment for Virgin Australia or Qantas should they decide they need this airliner’s range and payload capacity, which in the initial form could fly a typical three class 325 passenger configuration non-stop between east coast Australia and west coast America.

However, Mr Enders has said Airbus would consider increasing production rates later in this decade under some circumstances, a non-committal assessment also offered by others in Airbus management on recent occasions.



Based on the article ”Airbus A350′s first big problem? A seven year waiting list!” published in Plane Talking