A350 Cathay's new business class: designed by Porsche.

Cathay Pacific will launch all-new designs for its business class and economy seats on its Airbus A350 fleet from early 2016.

Business Class in MSN2

http://blogs.stern.de/followme/so-sieht-der-neue-airbus-a350-von-innen-aus/

The airline has hired Porsche Design Group to craft its new business class seats, codenamed ‘FB3’ as it will be Cathay’s third flatbed business class.

http://www.aviation-friends-hamburg-forum.de/showthread.php?tid=8314

Also on the roster is London-based Tangerine, perhaps best known as the former home of Apple design guru Jony Ive, which is responsible for Cathay's new economy seats. In addition Tangerine has won a ‘tip to tail’ brief to design the cabin interiors for all three classes on the Airbus A350.

http://blogs.stern.de/followme/so-sieht-der-neue-airbus-a350-von-innen-aus/

The first of Cathay Pacific’s order of 20 A350-900 is slated for delivery in early 2016 and will sport a 3-class configuration with business, premium economy and economy class.

Based on the article “Cathay Pacific confirms next-gen business class for Airbus A350” published in Australian Business Traveller.

Lufthansa Technik preparing for A350 R-R powerplant maintenance support.

Lufthansa Technik (LHT) is in discussions with Rolls-Royce over engine maintenance, repair and overhaul operations for the A350 fleet.  Last September Lufthansa placed firm orders for 25 A350-900s which are to be delivered from 2016.

Source: Rolls Royce

The Rolls-Royce Trent XWB is the unique engine for the A350 XWB. LHT is planning to build up "comprehensive MRO services" for the A350 for both the parent airline and third-party customers, chief executive August Wilhelm Henningsen said during the results briefing in Hamburg on 18/March.

Source: N3 Engine Overhaul Services

The UK manufacturer and LHT already have a joint venture engine shop. N3 Engine Overhaul Services, is situated in Arnstadt, Thuringia, near Erfurt (germany), where it has 41,000 square meters of floor space and a workforce of 480 and supports Trent 500, 700 and 900 powerplants (for A340, A330 and A380 respectively). 

http://www.aviation-friends-hamburg-forum.de/showthread.php?tid=8314

The partners are evaluating whether to introduce the Trent XWB to the facility. However, as yet, no decision has been made, said Henningsen. 

Source: Rolls Royce

A central question is whether the N3 is large enough to accommodate the expected volume of the Trent XWB support work. The greenfield facility is already utilizing about half its capacity of about 200 engines a year, N3 said in December 2013.

Source: N3 Engine Overhaul Services

The site consists of a 25,000 square meters production facility and the biggest and most modern engine test facility in the world, 110 meters long and with a cross-section of 14m x 14m.


Based on the article "LHT lines up new engine capabilities" published in Flight International.

VMU test repeated with MSN3 prototype in March

As explained in the article published in Flug Revue, in early March the VMU tests were repeated with MSN3 prototype. 

http://m.imgur.com/a/uGmVS

https://www.flickr.com/photos/47086222@N03/13222436303/lightbox/

These tests with the minimum take-off speed were done last September with the MSN1 prototype in Paris-Vatry Airport.

http://m.imgur.com/a/uGmVS

Based on the article “Airbus A350: Testflotte erreicht 1400 Flugstunden” published in Flug Revue.

A350 Fuel System tests done in UK.

The MSN3 flight test prototype has been used to perform fuel system tests during it´s visit to Cotswold Airport in Gloucestershire last week.

The aircraft, was flown by London-born experimental test pilot, Frank Chapman. “The A350 XWB has significant UK input, as the wings and fuel systems are designed at the Airbus facilities in Filton, Bristol and assembled at the company’s Broughton plant in North Wales while the engines are made by Rolls-Royce in Derby and the landing gear by Messier-Bugatti-Dowty in Gloucestershire.”

http://www.flickr.com/photos/airbusgroup/13760025655/

“I’m immensely proud to be flying the first A350 XWB to land in the UK and look forward to this aircraft being a regular feature in British skies over the coming years.”

This visit is part of the aircraft’s certification.  Experts from the nearby Airbus Filton facility have played a key role in supporting the fuel system tests.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/99623037@N07/13760035663/lightbox/

The A350 XWB has a simplified fuel system with fewer pumps and valves. Simplified but still quite sophisticated fuel management system that handles fueling and defueling operations on the ground, as well as fuel flow to engines and between tanks while airborne. The system can move fuel between tanks to optimize the aircraft’s center of gravity, reduce wing bending, and keep fuel within the acceptable temperature range.

http://www.airbus.com/galleries/photo-gallery/filter/a350-xwb-family/cache/0/

Design and supply of fuel systems is a key responsibility of Airbus in the UK, complementing its role as the centre for wing design (with the wings having a dual role as the main fuel tanks). Fuel system design ensures that the fuel management and operations are safe, efficient, reliable and offer the best operational performance for the aircraft and the customer.

Source: Airbus

Challenges in fuel systems design include ensuring ground staff can carry out safe, rapid, ergonomic and accurate refuelling; reliably pumping fuel to the engines; redistribution of the fuel around the aircraft tanks during flight to achieve optimum aerodynamic efficiency and performance; and ensuring clear, reliable and comprehensive data is available to pilots on the flight-deck.

Based on the press release “A350 XWB makes first touchdown in UK”

Delta has issued the RFP for 50 aircraft as planned. A350-900 and A350-1000 will be considered.

Delta Air Lines said it is considering buying up to 50 widebody jetliners to replace its aging long-haul aircraft (Boeing 747-400s and some 767-300ERs).

The airline confirmed last week that it has requested sales offers from Boeing and Airbus for the jets. The two plane makers have benefited from a wave of replacement demand from U.S. carriers who have moved to renew their fleets with more fuel-efficient models.

The Boeing and Airbus aircraft that Delta is evaluating seat between 250 and 380 passengers. A Delta spokesman said it expects to decide on a potential order -worth well over $10 billion at list prices- in the second half of 2014.

Delta, the third biggest U.S. airline by traffic, is evaluating the Airbus A350-900, A350-1000, A330-200 and A330-300, as well as the current-generation Boeing 777-300ER and all models of the 787.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/47086222@N03/13564474793/lightbox/

The airline is "only interested in proven technology aircraft," said a spokesman, ruling out Boeing's recently-launched 777X (which is due in 2020) and probably the A330neo –if not launched in few months- as Delta spokesman said it is only considering "what is out there currently," not models yet to be launched. Nothing new; Delta is widely seen as one of the most conservative buyers of new capacity, they eschew new technology, preferring “proven” technology buying aircraft toward the end of their production cycle when prices are lower.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/47086222@N03/13564791064/lightbox/

Interest from Delta could be decisive for the A330neo decision.

Delta currently has 18 of the 787s on order with Boeing, which Northwest Airlines ordered prior to the carriers' 2008 merger.

Based on the article “Delta Seeks Offers from Boeing and Airbus for New Jets” published in The Wall Street Journal and on the article “Delta says may buy up to 50 wide-body jets to update fleet” published in Reuters

Rolls Royce begins assembly of first A350-1000 engine

Rolls Royce has begun the assembly of first Trent XWB test-powerplant with the higher-thrust capability required for the A350-1000 model. The components for the powerplant arrived in the Rolls-Royce finished parts stores from January to March.

The move follows last year’s Trent XWB-97 critical design review (CDR) and prototype demonstration runs. Progress since last November’s Dubai Airshow has included fabrication of early components, welding of the stator-vane assembly and completion of the intermediate-pressure compressor stage 1 “blisk” (bladed disc).

The Trent XWB-97 engine will be able to generate 97.000 lb (433kN) of thrust compared with the 84.000 lb for the A350-900 model.

It is expected the initial engine run in the second quarter of this year, and the first flight is scheduled for the end of 2016 before the A350-1000 enters service in 2017.

Rolls-Royce is still constructing the first production Trent XWB for the Qatar Airways A350-900 (MSN6) which will be the first customer aircraft to be delivered.

To ensure manufacturing fluency while the new variant is introduced, Rolls Royce will build initial flight-test Trent XWB-97s (at least 8 engines) in a preproduction “factory,” not on current Trent XWB assembly lines.

Based on the article “Build work starts on first A350-1000 engine” published in FlightGlobal

A350 Flight Test Instrumentation team. "Excel in Testing, Test for Excellence”

Orange is the color of the Airbus flight test Division. "Everything that is orange here, belongs to the test equipment", Airbus test pilot Wolfgang Absmeier said.

Click the picture to watch the video.

Source: Airbus

On board the MSN001 there are too much orange lights. The test equipment weighs 20 tons. With water tanks, 60 tons of extra weight can be loaded and distributed.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/52420842@N04/13481666143/lightbox/

The logbook of the prototypes (by end of March) as explained by Absmeier is:

-MSN1 has complete 149 test missions and has recorded 682 hours

-MSN003 has gained 534 flight hours on 111 flights

-MSN002 and MSN004 each come to just over 70 flight hours

aspire: Flug Revue

"The biggest surprise for our team was that there was so far no surprises with the A350," said Absmeier and he crossed his fingers. "So far it's going well."

"The flight testing of the 900 is making good progress and confirms the maturity of the product", summarized Absmeier

Based on the article “Ein Besuch bei den Airbus Flugtestern in Toulouse” published in Aero.deand based on the article “Airbus A350: Testflotte erreicht 1400 Flugstunden” published in Flug Revue.