Airbus brings together the very latest in aerodynamics, design and advanced technologies in the A350 XWB to provide a 25 per cent step-change in fuel efficiency compared to its current long-range competitor. Contributing to this performance are the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines that power the A350 XWB family.Over 70 per cent of the A350 XWB’s weight-efficient airframe is made from advanced materials, combining 53 per cent of composite structures with titanium and advanced aluminum alloys. The aircraft’s innovative all-new Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) fuselage results in lower fuel consumption, as well as easier maintenance.
Airbus’ A350 XWB family consists of three versions (the A350-800, -900 and -1000) – each with flight ranges that give them a global reach. In a typical three-class configuration, the A350-800 will accommodate 270 passengers, while the A350-900 and the A350-1000 will seat 314 and 350 passengers, respectively. All A350 XWB Family members can be configured for higher density layouts of up to 440 seats. the A350-1000 will be equipped with more powerful Trent XWB engines – which will be fully optimised for this largest member of the A350 XWB Family. The enhanced Trent XWB will deliver up to 97,000 lb. of thrust on takeoff, making it the most powerful engine ever developed for an Airbus aircraft. This extra thrust – together with an increased aircraft takeoff weight capability of 308 tonnes – will enable operators to fly the A350-1000 some 400 nm. further with a full load of 350 passengers, or to carry approximately 4.5 extra tonnes of payload at a given range.
The A350 XWB Family’s longest-fuselage member – the A350-1000 – can transport 21 tonnes of volumetric cargo and up to 31.3 tonnes of structural cargo, along with its passenger load in a typical two-class configuration. The mid-sized A350-900’s cargo capability is 16.6 tonnes volumetric and 24.5 tonnes structural (in addition to the passenger load); and the shorter-fuselage A350-800 version has a cargo capacity of 13 volumetric tonnes and 19 structural tonnes while also carrying main deck passengers in the two-class configuration.
The A350 XWB will be a faster, more efficient and quieter aircraft as the result of its advanced wing design ,the wing is optimized through extensive use of computational fluid dynamics and wind tunnel testing for a fast cruise speed of Mach 0.85. This reduces trip times, improves overall efficiency, and extends the aircraft’s range.
All three A350 XWB family members share the same wing planform – with a 64.7-metre wingspan, a total area of 442 sq. metres, and high swept leading edge. In addition the internal wing structure will be scaled to meet the specific requirements of each aircraft variant.
Innovative concepts applied to the A350 XWB wing’s high-lift devices will reduce noise and drag while also improving the aircraft’s low-speed performance. One of these innovations is the stream-wise deployment of trailing-edge flaps. On a traditional swept-wing jetliner, the outboard flaps extend at an angle to the airflow. For the A350 XWB, flap deployment is along the direction of flight – resulting in better lift efficiency and improved low-speed performance, while reducing aerodynamic-generated noise.
Other A350 XWB wing enhancements include the adoption of a drop-hinge mechanism to improve the flap’s deployment kinetics, along with the introduction of a downwards movement for the upper wing spoilers to fill the gaps that occur when flaps are extended. In addition, the A350 XWB’s flight computer will perform in-flight trimming of the inboard and outboard flaps, creating a variable camber wing that adapts to different flight conditions.
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