A350 MSN4 flying prototype will have the Qatar logo on the Vertical Tail Plane

Airbus is to roll out its 4^th A350 test-flight aircraft in a special hybrid livery based on the color scheme of Qatar Airways, the launch customer that is to take delivery of its first A350-900 before the end of this year.

The rear fuselage of the MSN4 aircraft will carry Qatar Airways branding, including the Doha-based airline’s oryx logo on the vertical fin.

A source familiar with the plan mentioned in Flight International states that the manufacturer’s A350 product scheme will be on the forward fuselage. “It’s not the first time we’ve done this,” the source added, pointing out that an A310 test aircraft was painted in the livery of Lufthansa and Swissair.

A380 VTP

Airbus has been expecting to fly MSN4 around February and it will be used for tests including noise analysis.

Based on the article “Qatar hybrid livery to feature on test A350” published in Flight International.

“The A350-800 would likely not be built”. But there are still 61 orders that need to be upgraded before officially cancelling the smaller variant of the A350 XWB family.

After the announcement from American Airlines Group to convert all of its order for Airbus A350 aircraft (22 aircraft) to the larger -900 variant, the A350-800 only has 61 remaining firm orders. This decision from American Airlines is considered key for the A350-800 future.

These orders include 12 from lessor Aircraft Purchase Fleet, 10 from Yemenia and 8 from Aeroflot (from originally 18 ordered).

The -800 has not secured an order for over 4 years and its backlog has depleted as customers migrate to the larger -900. Airbus has declared that they had decided to focus on two larger wide-body models (-900 and -1000). During the Paris Air Show in June, Didier Evrard Head of Program said that there was no allocated MSN for first A350-800 yet so it is not expected to be before MSN150.

Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker (who cancelled an order for the A350-800 and boosted orders for larger types), said the 270-seater would likely not be built. "This is what they (Airbus) told us," he told reporters at a trade fair.

Airbus had also announced in July the Regional variant of the A350-900 with the same engines than previously planned for A350-800.



Based on the article “American converts remaining A350-800s to larger -900s” published in Flight Global

The A350 XWB wingtip deflects more than 5 meters after ultimate load application

Airbus successfully performed the ultimate load test of the A350 XWB’s wing in December/2013, applying loads up to 1.5 times higher than those the aircraft would ever encounter in its entire in-service life.

At ultimate load, the A350 XWB wingtip deflection exceeds 5 meters.

This test was performed on A350 XWB static test airframe that was built specifically to demonstrate the structural integrity of the airframe. The strains induced into the airframe are measured and monitored in real time using more than 10.000 measurement channels. The huge volume of data recorded is analyzed and correlated to the structural computer models which have been used to design the airframe

Airbus already passed the last of the ultimate load tests for the A350 XWB fuselage in early December 2013 in the MSN500 prototype that has been tested in the L34 building that is in the AéroConstellation site in Toulouse.

The same test with the 787 static test airframe. It looks like more flexible.

These successful ultimate load tests are important milestones for type certification and another step on the road entry into service of the A350 XWB in Q4 2014.

 

Based on the press release “A350 XWB passes ultimate load wing test”

First serial A350 XWB final assembly started. MSN6 will be delivered to Qatar Airways before end of 2014.

Airbus’s first serial-production A350 aircraft MSN6 has started the final assembly in Toulouse.

The aircraft that is destined for launch customer Qatar Airways, is the first customer A350 airframe.  During Airbus´ annual orders briefing in Toulouse, Airbus chief executive Fabrice Bregier confirmed the initial sections' arrival at the final assembly line and that the join has started as planned.

Qatar Airways has 43 A350-900s on order and is scheduled to take delivery of the first aircraft in the fourth quarter of 2014. Doha-based Qatar Airways also has 37 orders for the larger A350-1000.

Based on the article “First serial A350 for Qatar enters final assembly” published in Flight International.

A350 XWB completes high altitude testing in Bolivia

The A350 XWB development aircraft MSN3 has completed in Bolivia a series of tests at the high altitude airfields of Cochabamba and La Paz.

Operations at such high altitude airfields are particularly demanding on aircraft engines, Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) and systems.

The aim of these trials has been to demonstrate and validate the full functionality of engines, systems, materials as well as to assess the overall aircraft behavior under these extreme conditions.

A number of take-offs with all engines operating and with simulated engine failures were performed at each of the airfields to collect data on engine operating characteristics and compare with the same data from Toulouse tests. With these data, Airbus can validate the aircraft take-off performance and can be interpolated without penalty for airports worldwide.

More pictures available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/banzinho/11931953023/in/photostream/

The autopilot behavior has been also evaluated during automatic landings and go-arounds as well as avionics ventilation, APU bleed requirements, pax/crew oxygen systems and handling in flare.

Next stop; Martinique.

Daher-Socata designed and builds the A350 XWB Main Landing Gear Doors “warped”.

Of the hundreds of structural parts and hundreds of moving parts on a commercial airplane, there are very few that are both structural and moving that also face the aerodynamic and mechanical-performance demands placed on landing gear doors. Among the largest moving structures on an aircraft, they must perform flawlessly under all flight conditions and meet a host of contingency requirements in the event of aircraft power loss or landing-gear failure.

Daher-Socata (Tarbes facility) is the Tier1 in charge of the development, design and build the main landing gear door (MLGD) for the A350 XWB (4mx2,2m).

The MLGD solid laminate skin is layed up on this Coriolis automated fiber placement system mounted on the end of a KUKA robot.

The doors are hinged back-to-back in the center of the fuselage and open only when the landing gear are retracted or deployed. Located under each wing, adjacent to the fuselage, each landing gear levers inward for storage under the fuselage. The MLGDs are flat and rectangular except for a 0.9m wide curved tab that extends from the end opposite the hinges to conform with the fuselage curvature.

Daher-Socata made the decision to design the A350 XWB’s MLGD with warp built in to keep the door snug and rattle-free.

Engineers discovered that constantly changing air pressures as the aircraft changes altitude and airspeed cause the MLGD to change shape. Designers determined where and how these changes occurred and then used that data to optimize the design.

After several iterations, Daher-Socata designers settled on a final “warped” design that included an apparent gap of unspecified dimension at the door closure between the MLGD edge and the landing gear opening in the plane’s underside. To match both objectives: to properly stress the door and to meet aerodynamic requirements.



Based on the article “Main landing gear doors designed for all contingencies” published in High-Performance Composites

Final paint of the A350 XWB developed by Mapaero, optimizes the weight, fills composite microcracks and reduces the painting lead time.

MAPAERO is a French company created in 1992 (part of MAESTRIA group) and a premium specialist in aeronautical paints.

MAPAERO is a pioneer in the development of water based paint technology used in aeronautics. The research laboratory continues to provide solutions for paints, sealants and other innovative and performant coatings.

Mapaero is renowned for the quality, continuity, simplicity of their paints.

Jean-François Brachotte, president of Mapaero in Pamiers, started very modestly. "Our activity took off through the paint to water", he said. Because water is an advantage; it saves 20% of time and improves the industrial cycle in the final finishing flow of the aircraft.

Mapaero continues its international expansion with the opening of a site in Seattle, close to the headquarters of Boeing.

SQIP Golden Award for Best Improver in 2013. 

MAPAERO was awarded in December by Airbus Procurement with the SQIP Golden Award for Best Improver among their 47 strategic Materials & Parts suppliers.

"Airbus asked all its suppliers to optimize the weight on the A350, and we contribute to our level," assures Jean-François Brachotte, president and founder of the company with 100 employees and 17 million euros of turnover. "A single layer, which contributes to weight reduction", he explained.

The new paint developed for the A350 cockpit is without solvents -therefore more ecological- and it has welcome anti-glare properties in a cockpit. Additionally it is "auto-texturizing"; "Usually to get a grainy look you need to apply a first layer, let dry and later project drops of paint. Now everything is done in one operation, and this saves time in production", says Eric Rumeau, General Manager. Mapaero has signed an exclusive contract with Airbus for this painting.

Beyond the cockpit, the composite structures of the A350 has no issue with corrosion but in case of fire the paint must prevent the spread of fire and reduce the release of toxic fumes. New Mapaero painting also takes into account some microcracks of composite parts; "Our solution is to first apply a first layer acting as developer, which reveals all the cracks”, said Jean-François Brachotte. “Then, we apply a special sealant which fills the cracks and later we apply the final coat". After 8 years of R&D, this paint has been qualified by Airbus to be used in the A350 XWB.

Based on the article “Mapaéro : Brachotte peint le ciel” published in La Depeche