Trade.Information

Airbus opens assembly plant of the future A350 XWB

The European manufacturer wants to reassure the good of the Airbus A350 XWB, remodeled from top to bottom in 2006. The assembly line, inaugurated in Toulouse was expected to produce the first models in 2012 for marketing the following year.

The A350, the future long-haul Airbus jet will be assembled in a new plant located in Colomiers, near Toulouse-Blagnac airport. Tom Henders, president of the group, has laid the foundation stone this week. The plant will employ 74,000 square meters a thousand people and produce the final assembly of the aircraft, ie fixing wings on the fuselage (link-in aviation jargon, or 'putting cross "in mechanics). The project provides for the release of the first copies in 2012, marketing to intervene in 2013.

The program is strategic for Airbus as the long-haul 270 to 350 passengers for a range of 8300 to 15,400 km between the versions is the market segment the applicant. Initially, the Airbus A350 was to complement the current A330 and A340, since its development began during the program's four-A380 (see our gallery of images). But it appeared likely that primarily compete with them. In fact, its design reflected the essential characteristics of these two families Airbus. Meanwhile, Boeing presented its 787 Dreamliner said, much more innovative.

Large part of composite materials based on carbon

In 2006, Airbus engineers have returned to their computers and put together a really new aircraft. Renamed A350 XWB (for extra wide body), this device offers a wider cabin. 5.64 meters in diameter outside the original project (like the A330 and A340), he proceeded to 5.90 meters, six inches more than the enemy 787. The wing was also completely redesigned, with a rise of 33 ° (the angle between the edge of the wing and fuselage, seen from above), more pronounced than the A330/340 (it is 31.5 ° on the A340-600). The most important difference lies in the extensive use of composite materials based on carbon. The fuselage, especially, will be fully established when the original draft of the planned A350, an alloy of aluminum and lithium (the latter being the most solid element lighter). The cruising speed is Mach announced 0.85 (against Mach 0.82 for A330).

The device, which comes in three versions (known as 800, 900 and 1000), seems to have met a warm welcome from potential buyers since Airbus claims 478 orders from 29 customers.