New Airbus airliner prototype now structurally finished
The first flying example of European airliner maker Airbus’ latest design, the A350 XWB, is now structurally complete, the company reported on Tuesday. Like all Airbus airliners, the A350 XWB is put together at the company’s main assembly plant at Toulouse, in France.
Designated MSN001, the aircraft was removed from the last station, Station 30, of the Roger Béteille A350 Final Assembly Line and towed to Station 18 of the Clément Ader facility. There, it will undergo the next phase of ground testing.
The aircraft was subjected to a series of tests while still indoors at Station 30. These included stability tests on its ailerons, elevators, rudder and wing spoilers and undercarriage lowering and retraction.
At Station 18, MSN001 will undergo outdoor testing. This will involve three main types of tests – radio equipment tests, fuselage pressure tests and fuel tank tests. These last will include fuel level, flows and sealing tests, as well as fuel transfer function tests.
The only major component that the aircraft is still lacking is its engines. The A350 XWB will be powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. These powerplants received their certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency on February 7.
The A350 XWB includes South African components. The fuselage frame clips, which attach the aircraft’s fuselage skin panels to its framework (“skeleton”), are made by Aerosud, based in Centurion, just south of Pretoria, in the Tshwane district. Aerosud also produces the flap track cans, which house the wing flap and slat drive mechanisms.
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