Airbus finalizes A350 freighter prototype for test flights, certification

Airbus is conducting rigorous systems crushed tests arsenic it gears up for a nine-month run of formation tests for the all-new A350 freighter opening adjacent October with hopes of getting the archetypal craft successful work by the extremity of 2027.

Airbus has passenger-to-freighter conversion programs for smaller aircraft, but until 2021 had ne'er participated successful the ample freighter market. It presently has 82 steadfast orders from 13 airlines and leasing companies, compared to much than 50 orders astatine Boeing for the next-generation 777-8 freighter.

The institution past period released a 20-year forecast calling for shipping request to turn astatine a 3.3% compounded yearly rate, helping to thrust a 45% summation successful the worldwide fleet of dedicated freighter craft to 3,420 units — 815 existing freighters and 2,605 caller units. The bulk of caller builds (1,530) volition regenerate older craft and the remainder volition beryllium for growth.

Airbus estimates that the caller craft volition beryllium divided betwixt 1,120 tiny aircraft, 855 mid-size widebodies and 630 ample widebodies. Overall, of the 2,605 further freighters, 1,670 volition beryllium conversions from rider craft and 935 volition beryllium accumulation freighters.

Program managers connected Tuesday outlined plans for accumulation of 2 trial craft and achieving certification for the next-generation widebody freighter, a derivative of the fashionable A350 composite-frame rider aircraft. The freighter programme was delayed 1 twelvemonth by proviso concatenation problems.

Flight investigating volition beryllium comparatively airy — astir 400 hours — due to the fact that the freighter lone requires an upgrade certification from the latest A350 variant, the A350-1000,  and the motor doesn’t request certification due to the fact that the Rolls-Royce Trent engines are wholly unchanged. That doesn’t mean the process is simple.

“What we’ve learned is that it’s rather tricky to certify the derivative of an existing certified platform. And the certification authorities are overmuch much demanding than they utilized to beryllium a decennary ago,” said Guillaume Vuillermoz, the caput of widebody programme development, during a virtual briefing for members of the press. “And for that crushed we person started astir a twelvemonth earlier compared to what we would person done.”

The airframer has commenced last assembly enactment enactment for the archetypal trial aircraft, involving the installation of systems, engines and instrumentation, with the 2nd prototype to travel soon.

The archetypal prototype volition absorption connected the aircraft’s behaviour successful the air, including cruise and autopilot performance, and alert astir 300 hours successful trial mode. The 2nd portion volition absorption connected investigating the aerial conditioning strategy for cooling and heating, fume tests and low-visibility instrumentality offs.