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Nice A370 photos

admin — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 09:11:53 +0000

Some cool A370 images:

Lorry turning on the A370

Image by crabchick
Drawbar combination manoevring on the A370 in Somerset. Identification thanks to 240 Gardner.

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Last Airbus A340-300 leaves the production line

PanAm — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 22:30:27 +0000

The last Airbus A340-300 currently on order is undergoing testing in Toulouse ahead of delivery to an undisclosed customer – believed to be a Russian VIP. Unless Airbus secures more orders, this aircraft (MSN 955) will be the last of 246 CFM International CFM56-powered A340-200/300 “Classics” to be delivered.

Last Airbus A340 leaves Airbus factory

Goodbye Airbus A370 hello A350 XWB – extra wide-body

Braniff — Thu, 20 Jul 2006 01:54:34 +0000

From the Airbus Press Release: The A350 XWB (extra wide-body) is Airbus’ response to market demand for a medium capacity long range wide-body family. Available from 2012, it will have an entirely new, uncompromised, 21st Century design with a new and wider fuselage for extra space and passenger comfort. It will also be extra efficient, extra environmentally friendly and quiet, as it will feature all the advanced technologies available in the first part of the 21st century, bringing the A380 experience to a new level.

Conceived from the outset to form a complete family of airliners, three basic passenger versions are being offered. They include the -800, -900 and the -1000 accommodating between 250 and 375 passengers in a range of different configurations to suit airline needs. An ultra long range version, the -900R, and a freighter -900F complete the family. Each basic model will have a range of 8,500 nm/15,800 km, the longest of any aircraft in this size category. The A350 XWB will also offer the lowest operating cost per seat of any aircraft in this size category.Whilst the Airbus product family covers all market segments, the A350 XWB is the most advanced aircraft family in its segment, thus significantly enhancing the overall Airbus product range. The A350 XWB is able to provide economically viable service on long-range markets and is equally attractive as a route opener or as a part of a multi-type Airbus fleet offering optimized network solutions. Airbus forecasts a demand for this product range, which covers a wide range of market applications, at some 4,600 aircraft over the next 20 years.Thanks to its wider fuselage, the A350 XWB will offer comfort levels equivalent to those of the A380. Seating in economy will be either eight abreast for high comfort or nine abreast for extra high efficiency, yet with the widest seats in the industry.

Thanks to its all new design, passengers will also enjoy more headroom. A great first for the A350 XWB family is the modular cabin which is designed to be reconfigurable overnight. This will enable airlines to easily adapt to specific seasonal needs and changing markets. There will also be crew rest compartments away from revenue generating areas.

Whilst the A350 XWB-800 will carry 270 passengers in three classes, the -900 will accommodate 314 passengers in a three-class layout and the -1000 around 350 passengers.The A350 XWB brings together the very latest in aerodynamics, design and advanced technologies to produce an aircraft a step ahead of future competition and a generation ahead of existing competition.

The A350 XWB family will have the highest content of new and advanced materials of any aircraft, including an extensive use of advanced alloys and CFRP (Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic) resulting in the lightest aircraft per seat in this category.

The all new composite wing design brings the A350 XWB cruise speed to Mach 0.85, as fast as the A380. The new generation engines, in the 75,000-95,000 lb thrust range, will power the A350 XWB family with exceptionally low noise and environmental impacts.

As an integral part of the Airbus family, the A350 XWB will build on the A380 interactive cockpit and systems. This will enable customers to introduce the A350 XWB smoothly and economically without the need for major retraining of pilots and crew ensuring airbus operational commonality.

Designed to have longer maintenance intervals with lower maintenance tasks and less maintenance man-hours, cash operating costs will be up to 10 per cent lower than competing 787 models and 20 per cent lower than current generation competitors.

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Airbus announces new A350XWB – Extra Wide Body

Braniff — Wed, 19 Jul 2006 06:55:28 +0000

As reported by Airbus, the new A350XWB model will be 12.5 centimeters wider than the previous draft and carry 314 passengers. It will also make extensive use of carbon-fibre composites and fuel-efficient engines. The new A350XWB _ for "extra-wide body" _ will take on both the Dreamliner and the Boeing’s 777.

Airbus intends to begin development in October, and the plane is expected to enter service by mid 2012. No word yet on the rumored A370.

Airbus to potentially release 3 new jets at the Farnborough Air Show as A350 or A370

Braniff — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 20:21:59 +0000

Airbus will expand its offering of two new mid-sized planes to three in order to catch up with surging rival Boeing Co., industry sources said on Friday.

Worried that its pair of proposed A350 models aimed at competing with the Boeing 787 due in 2008 will do little to slow sales of Boeing’s larger 777, France-based Airbus will add a third, larger model.

“They are definitely looking at doing three,” one industry source said, adding that the new planes were likely to be named the A350-800, A350-900 and A350-1,000. There was a chance Airbus could go with the name A370, he added.

A second source confirmed the story, saying: “It is designed to take on both the 787 and triple-7.”

A spokesman for Airbus declined to comment on specifics, but said Airbus’ chief executive would provide an update at the year’s biggest air show next week: “Christian Streiff will be responding to feedback from customers received over recent months on Monday.”

The additional model could benefit suppliers such as steelmaker Alcoa Inc. and Goodrich Corp., a maker of nacelles and thrust reversers.

It also means Airbus will look to engine makers GE Aviation and Rolls-Royce for more than the one engine each has so far committed to build as the three models will range from 250 to 400 seats and fly different distances.

More details here…

Airbus A370 design may not be shown at the Farnborough Air Show

Braniff — Sun, 09 Jul 2006 00:37:42 +0000

EXECUTIVES of Europe’s aircraft manufacturer Airbus were engaged this weekend in another crisis. They had hoped to unveil the design of their new A370 aircraft this week on the eve of the Farnborough Air Show. The “launch” of the new plane, which is even more critical to the company’s future than its troubled A380 super-jumbo, had been pencilled in for 14 July until British partner BAE Systems announced it was triggering a full audit of the Toulouse-based European planemaker.

On Friday, the launch of the mid-sized jet was suddenly suspended to allow new chairman Christian Streiff to “review” the troubled project, so Airbus claimed.

Airbus may be forced to delay the launch of the A350

Braniff — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 17:47:19 +0000

European aircraft maker Airbus, which faces delays to production of the A380 super-jumbo, may also be forced to delay the launch of its long-haul A350 jet, London’s Times newspaper said Friday.

The new setback was because Christian Streiff, expected to be confirmed as the new Airbus chief executive, needed time to approve the venture, the
newspaper said citing sources close to EADS, which owns 80 percent of Airbus.

The group has been busy redesigning its A350 model, a new mid-sized airliner that has been poorly received by potential clients.

According to The Times, sources close to the European Aeronautics Defence and Space Company have warned that Streiff may not make a decision by the
company’s deadline of the Farnborough Air Show in England which runs from July 17-23.

Streiff, the former deputy chief executive of French construction materials giant Saint-Gobain, was nominated as Airbus boss last week after his predecessor Gustav Humbert was ousted because of delays to the flagship A380.

More here…

Airbus A370 Trivia

Braniff — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 05:28:05 +0000

During a national televised interview in June 2006, French President Jacques Chirac mentioned the A370, about which he had probably been briefed by his staffers. Since the A370 is little known yet outside of aerospace circles, pundits and political opponents wrongly scoffed this reference to the A370, which they didn’t know of, and quoted it as another example of the President being out of touch with reality.

From Wikipedia

GE estimates a redesigned engine for the next iteration of the A350 would cost up to one billion dollars

Braniff — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 04:42:41 +0000

General Electric yesterday estimated it could cost the company up to $1 billion to design a new engine to power the potential next iteration of the Airbus A350, and the company is still weighing whether it wants to make the significant investment.

GE-Aviation CEO Scott Donnelly said on the sidelines of a Wings Club speech in New York that GE was in talks with Airbus about the A350 and a possible new engine, but that no decision had been made. He said GE “would love to be on the plane,” but he had to weigh that desire against the large economic investment in a new powerplant.

Donnelly said the motor on the new engine would probably need to be about 10% larger than the GEnx that will power the Boeing 787 and the current A350 design. Other components, including the fan blades and combustors, would also be bigger, he said. The GEnx features 111-inch fan blades and thrust levels around 75,000 pounds. During recent testing, thrust levels were pushed to about 83,000 pounds.

Airbus excepts to make a decision on a new A350 design within the next four weeks, with airframer head Gustav Humbert emphasizing that the company now has a “clear view of what we want to do” (DAILY, June 15). Rolls-Royce’s offering for the A350 is the Trent 1700, which packs 63,000-75,000 pounds of thrust.

more here…

Airbus presses GE to power A370 with new GEnx to counter R-R Trent 1000 engine offer on revamped A350

Braniff — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 17:39:49 +0000

Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 series is only engine currently offerable to customers for revamped widebody twinjet family

Airbus is trying to convince General Electric to develop an engine that it can offer on the revamped A350 family, which is now being proposed to potential customers powered only by versions of the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine.

Airbus is declining to confirm details of its studies into the revised family ahead of next month’s Farnborough air show, at which time it hopes to “clear up the confusion” surrounding the status of the new twinjet, says the company’s chief operating officer customers John Leahy.

However, he tells Flight International that Airbus is “a little disappointed with GE’s response” to the manufacturer’s requirements for a more-powerful engine to power the proposed larger A350 family it is studying.

According to industry sources, the enlarged aircraft family – which is as yet unnamed, but has been unofficially dubbed “A370” – features a wider fuselage with a diameter slightly greater than the 787, as well as an all-new wing.

The increase in size means that the two smaller models – equivalent to the A350-800 and -900 – would need new, more-powerful engines than the 63,000-75,000lb-thrust (280-335kN) GE GEnx-1A and the R-R Trent 1700 in development for the existing A350. A third, larger A370 variant is being proposed that would be similar in size to the A340-600 and Boeing 777-300ER and would require a larger engine of greater power, probably rated at around 95,000lb-thrust.

Although R-R has agreed to develop versions of the Trent 1000 series to meet Airbus’s requirements, GE is currently baulking, partly due to concerns that the larger A370 could dilute the market for the 777-300ER on which it is the exclusive engine supplier, say sources.

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