A350 extreme climatic tests means from 45ºC to -40ºC. Pictures and video

As commented some days ago, the A350 MSN2 finished in May the more than 2 weeks of evaluations at the U.S. Air Force’s McKinley Climatic Laboratory.

Click on the picture to watch the video.

During these weeks at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, the MSN2 developmental aircraft was subjected to multiple climatic and humidity settings from a high of 45ºC to as low as -40ºC.

Flight test director Philippe Foucault said the A350 XWB’s various systems – from in-flight entertainment and air conditioning to its galleys, water and waste systems – were validated while the A350 XWB was enclosed in the laboratory’s large hangar.  

Testing included operations with the engines running, which required the A350 XWB to be securely chained in place.

The A350 XWB is one the largest aircraft ever tested at the McKinley Climatic Laboratory, requiring the teams to start their preparations six months prior to arrival.  “This is a one-of-a-kind tool, and the laboratory’s operators are masters of it,” Foucault said. “They made everything seem possible.”

''Well, we've been looking at running the aircraft systems, the engines, the A.P.U., up to temperatures of 30 to 35°degrees Celsius, making sure all the systems are working, in not only the hot and humid temperature conditions, to simulate the sorts of conditions that we're going to find flying the aeroplane around the world in operational service. Similarly, we've gone to very cold temperatures minus 40°, and run the aircraft systems to make sure the electrics and hydraulic systems are up to the task.'' said Frank Chapman, Experimental Test Pilot

All pictures ©Airbus

Based on the press release “The A350 XWB goes “hot and cold” during climatic testing in Florida”

Hawaiian Airlines expects for now their 6 A350-800 from 2017.

Hawaiian Airlines said it remains committed to buying 6 Airbus A350-800, a rare vote of confidence for a jet that’s rapidly lost in popularity in recent years as customers migrate to the 2 larger variants A350-900 and A350-1000.

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The size and range of the A350-800, a smaller model than the A350-900 slated for commercial service by year-end, make it an ideal plane for Hawaiian, Chief Executive Officer Mark Dunkerley said in an interview at the annual general meeting of the International Air travel Association in Doha, Qatar. The plane would serve longer routes from Hawaii, such as Bangkok and Singapore, both 16 hours from its base, he said. Dunkerley said the contract still calls to get his planes from 2017.

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The future of the smallest A350 hangs in the balance as more buyers opt for bigger planes and Airbus studies an upgrade of its popular A330 wide-body with new engines that would encroach on the A350-800s niche. Airbus has said it remains committed to the model and that it has made no final vote on a refreshed A330, which at 20 years of age is less efficient.

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“There’s been much talk about the A330neo, but obviously we must wait to see whether that will come to pass,” Dunkerley said. “For now, the A350-800 does 3 things for us: it has long range -8.250 nautical miles versus 7.200 nm- , it’s slightly larger than the A330-200s which we fly now -276 passengers versus 246-, so it provides for a bit of growth, and it’s more fuel efficient, so it represents a hedge on fuel prices.”

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Airbus has only 34 contracts left outstanding for the A350-800 compared with almost 600 for the A350-900. Hawaiian is one of just 4 customers left holding those contracts. The others are Aeroflot, as well as lessor Awas Aviation Capital and Korean carrier Asiana Airlines.

Based on the article “Hawaiian Faithful to Airbus A350-800 Model as Others Drop Orders” published in Bloomberg.

A350 MSN5's livery shown. It will airborne in comming days.

Although the vertical tail and winglets have the same painting scheme than MSN2, the fuselage is white, probably to avoid postponing the airborne for an additional week, after a capacity bottle-neck in the paint shop in Toulouse. An accident inside the paint hangar with an A330, delayed the schedule.

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The first flight of this cabin fitted flight test prototype -the last for the Type Certification campaign- is planned for comming days.

A350 beats expectations during heavy crosswind test in France. Video

The A350, successfully completed crosswind tests in extreme wind conditions at CFE Clermont-Ferrand/Auvergne Airport in France on May. 

A minimum of 23 knots (42 km/h) crosswind must be demonstrated at take off and landing for its Type Certification that is expected before end of 2014.

During the tests, the A350 was put through its paces, and it showed that it will be able to operate easily with very strong crosswinds during normal operations.

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These tests are normally performed at Keflavik airport in Iceland where weather forecasts usually indicates conditions most pilots try to avoid — wind across the runway.

Keflavik is becoming the go-to location for crosswind testing, as Airbus tested the A380 and Boeing tested the 787 in Iceland.

Click on the picture to watch the video.

Airport runways typically are normally aligned with the prevailing winds to make landings a bit easier, and many airports have runways aligned in different directions to account for changing wind. But the wind doesn’t always cooperate and at some point, every pilot has to make a landing with the wind blowing perpendicular to the runway.

Crosswind testing is important for the airplane makers because it allows them to confirm how strong a crosswind can blow while still allowing pilots to attempt a safe landing. All airplanes, big and small, have a limit to how much of a crosswind they can land in. This is usually dictated by how much the control surfaces (ailerons, rudder and elevator) can be used to keep the airplane flying along the runway heading despite being either crabbed or slipped into the wind.

In the A350 and other big airliners, pilots typically crab into the wind by using the rudder to point the nose of the airplane into the wind. When the airplane is very close to the ground, the pilot pushes on the other rudder pedal to align the nose with the runway while simultaneously using the ailerons to prevent the airplane from being blown down wind across the runway.

Unfortunately this can be a tricky balance of controls and without constant practice, the skill required to land in a crosswind can get rusty.

A350 XWB begins the Early Long Flights tests Program. Video

The Airbus A350 XWB has started a campaign of Early Long Flights with cabin crew and 

Airbus employee passengers. The MSN2 test aircraft equipped with cabin, took off on the first of 2 Early Long Flights from Toulouse-Blagnac airport at 09.20hrs (local). The two flights will be operated in a real airline environment with Air France and Lufthansa cabin crew.

Click on the picture to watch a video

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Covering all types of flight conditions, the flights will be completed during the week with almost 250 passengers on board comprising Airbus employees, and some 30 cabin experts from Airbus and equipment manufacturers.

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The Early Long Flights are not part of the technical certification program but remain an important step towards the A350’s maturity at entry into service.

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 Based on the press release "Airbus A350XWB embarks on Early Long Flights in typical operating conditions, with airline crew and  passengers"

"The A350-800 remained absolutely unchanged" said Airbus

Airbus senior director, A350 program Americas, Daniel Wenninger said Airbus is still fully committed to the A350-800 version, even though it is selling far less well than the larger -1000 variant, with many airline customers switching -800 commitments for -1000s.

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“There is a lot of focus on the -1000 at the moment, but plans for the -800 remain absolutely unchanged,” he said.

Based on the article "Airbus readies for fifth A350 to fly; remains committed to -800 variant" published in ATW

A350 APU by Honeywell

Honeywell is making the HGT 1700 auxiliary power unit (APU) for the A350, which is the largest APU the manufacturer has produced. 

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Honeywell has worked in close collaboration with Airbus from the A350’s design concept phase so that the APU, which will drive the aircraft’s environmental system, would meet the A350’s efficiency and comfort targets. 

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Honeywell developed its A350 Air System Integration Bench, or AirSIB, so that the APU could be developed from the start as an integrated system that was de-risked. 

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The AirSIB includes a full engine so that bleed air—required for APU operations—was accurately replicated in development and testing. This was the first time Honeywell has taken this approach to APU development.



Based on the article "Airbus readies for fifth A350 to fly; remains committed to -800 variant" published in ATW.