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Airbus’s second A350 XWB completes maiden flight
Oct. 15, 2013, Paris, Fra. - Airbus's second A350 XWB, MSN3, has successfully completed its first flight this week, lasting for around five hours.
October 15, 2013 By aerospace-technology.com
Similar to MSN1, the first A350 XWB to fly, MSN3 does not have a cabin but is equipped with heavy flight test installation.
MSN1 completed its maiden flight on June 14, and has to date flown some 330 flight test hours in nearly 70 flights, with three more A350 XWB test jets on track to join MSN1 and MSN3 to perform the scheduled 2,500 hours up to Type Certification.
Airbus's A350 XWB twin-engine jetliner is the latest in its passenger aircraft portfolio.
The new fuel-efficient aircraft family offers a portfolio of new-generation aircraft that meets the market's requirements in size, range, revenue generation, passenger comfort and the environment.
Nearly 70 per cent of the A350 XWB's weight-efficient airframe is made from advanced materials, including 53 per cent of composite structures with titanium and advanced aluminum alloys.
"A350 XWB has new carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) fuselage that results in lower fuel consumption."
Powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engine, A350 XWB has new carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) fuselage that results in lower fuel consumption, as well as easier maintenance.
Recently, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) chief executive Tom Enders announced that Airbus is on schedule to deliver its first A350 XWB by the end of 2015.
The aircraft will compete with Boeing's 787 Dreamliner that has been facing several technical difficulties.
Airbus A350 XWB currently has 725 firm orders from 37 customers worldwide.
