Airbus A350 XWB
Photo: Airbus
The Airbus A350 XWB is a mid-size widebody airliner with 270 - 350 seats, under development by Airbus. The aircraft is intended as a replacement for the A330 and A340 and will compete with both the Boeing 777 and 787 Dreamliner.
Airbus management publicly admitted that it was caught sleeping with the sales success of the Boeing 787. At first Airbus thought that it could counter the 787 with improving the A330 and the first attempts to design an A350 were 'warmed-up' versions of the A330. But this wasn't good enough. After much criticism from the airlines Airbus decided to make an all-new design designated 'A350 XWB' (Xtra Wide Body). The body is a little wider than that of the 787 and 31 cm (12 in) wider than the earlier Airbus widebodies based on the A300 fuselage section.
The maiden flight of the A350 is scheduled for 2012 and the introduction into service will be a year later. Airbus wants to develop three versions of the A350:
- the A350-900 seating 314 passengers in a three-class layout and a range of 15,000 km (8,100 nm) which will enter commercial service in 2013.
- the shorter body A350-800 with 270 seats and a range of 15,400 km (8,300 nm) about to enter commercial operations in 2014.
- the stretched A350-1000 for 350 passengers and a range of 14,800 km (8,000 nm), which will be service-ready in 2015.
The A350 is actually a somewhat larger airplane than the Boeing 787 so that it only competes with the bigger versions of the Dreamliner, and, of course, with the 777.
Like Boeing's 787 the A350 will have an all-composite fuselage. The wing, also constructed of carbonfibre is common for all versions. The engines for the Airbus A350 will be Rolls-Royce Trent 1700. Use of General Electric GEnx turbofans is uncertain.
Until early 2008 Airbus had collected 320 firm orders for the A350.
Photo: Airbus
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Airbus A350-800 XWB - Specifications
Wingspan: 64 m (210ft). Length: 60.6 m (198ft 9in). Height: 16.9 m. (55ft 4in).
Max. take-off weight: 245,000 kg (540,100 lb). Accommodation: 270 passengers (3-class).
Range: 15,400 km (8,300 nm). Max. cruise speed: Mach 0.89.
Engines: Rolls-Royce Trent XWB (333 kN / 75,000 lb).
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Airbus A350-900 XWB - Specifications
Wingspan: 64 m (210ft). Length: 66.8 m. Height: 16.9 m (55 ft. 4 in).
Max. take-off weight: 265,000 kg. Accommodation: 314 passengers (3-class).
Range: 15,000 km (8,100 nm). Max. cruise speed: Mach 0.89.
Engines: Rolls-Royce Trent XWB (387 kN / 87,000 lb)
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Airbus A350-1000 XWB - Specifications
Wingspan: 64 m (210ft). Length: 73.9 m (242ft 6in). Height: 16.9 m (55 ft. 4 in).
Max. take-off weight: 295,000 kg (650,400 lb). Accommodation: 350 passengers (3-class).
Range: 14,800 km (8,000 nm). Max. cruise speed: Mach 0.89.
Engines: Rolls-Royce Trent XWB (422 kN / 95,000 lb).
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