Airbus A350 - Overview of the wide-body long-haul aircraft

The Airbus A350 is a wide-body long-haul passenger aircraft developed by Airbus in 2013.

Salon overview and layout of the best places

The passenger cabin of an Airbus A350 usually accommodates 314 people with a three-class layout (first, business and economy class) or 366 with a two-class layout (business and economy class). The A350 version with a two-class layout is more common among global airlines, so we’ll dwell on it in detail.

Business class is located in the passenger cabin of the Airbus A350. Usually, business-class seats are ranked with numbers from 1 to 12 (as shown in the diagram of the passenger cabin of the aircraft). There are 2 fairly wide aisles, and the chairs are arranged according to the "1-2-1" scheme. The business class has soft and comfortable seats, which are located mostly slightly at an angle, which provides more legroom and the ability to expand the seats in the way that is convenient for passengers to have a good rest during the flight. In some models of aircraft seats can be expanded by 180 degrees, which allows you to turn them into comfortable beds. Business class passengers are offered a delicious menu with a wide selection of dishes and drinks. Also, places are equipped with multimedia entertainment systems, which allows to brighten up the time in flight.

Of course, business class seats are the best places in the Airbus A350. However, for some places there are certain inconveniences. First of all, it concerns the places located in rows 1 and 12 (according to the scheme). They are located close to the toilets and utility rooms of the liner, which can be a serious problem for those passengers who want to relax in flight. The constant walking of passengers and attendants past these places, the sounds of opening-closing doors can seriously interfere with a peaceful rest and, ultimately, even spoil the whole impression of the flight. It is also worth adding that the light near the toilet rooms, as a rule, does not turn off at night, so when booking tickets for business class places, you should definitely take into account these features.

Behind the business class is an economy class lounge. Its places are located in rows with numbers from 13 to 41 (according to the scheme). The economy class cabin has two aisles, which are somewhat narrower than those in the business class, and in some places located according to the 3-3-3 scheme. Economy class armchairs are soft, comfortable, equipped with comfortable armrests and able to lean back at a certain angle. The distance between the seats meets international standards and is usually about 80 centimeters.

The best in the economy class cabin for the Airbus A350 are the seats located in the 13th row. Their convenience and advantage is explained by the fact that they are located directly next to the partition that separates the business class cabin from the economy class. This means that there is more legroom, and no one will tilt the back of the chair in front, thus limiting this place. Also to the obvious advantage of these places can be attributed to the fact that, as a rule, the spacing of food begins with them, and, therefore, passengers here have the widest choice of dishes and drinks. However, these places have their own specifics. So, there are special devices for infants, so that passengers with children, most likely, will fly exactly in these places. This fact means that the seats of the thirteenth row are not recommended for people who want to relax during the flight, or for people who do not tolerate fuss or children's cry.

Also among the best in economy class will be places located in the 14th row and marked with letters C and G (according to the diagram). There are no places in front of them, no one will fold the back of the chair, and, again, these places are located near the entrance to the economy class, so that the choice of food and drinks will be provided. The 26-row seats, which are located in the second section of the economy-class cabin, are also very comfortable, which means that there is plenty of legroom.

Not the best in economy class aircraft Airbus A350 are places that are in rows 25, 40 and 41. Close proximity to toilet and utility rooms can cause frequent queues near these places, fuss and busy traffic, and even at night. Passengers who occupy seats in the 40th row, adjacent to the aisles, are doubly uneasy: with constant movement, the passengers try to accidentally catch or touch them. Places 41 series boldly called the worst in the entire aircraft for the same reason. On top of that, there is an unpleasant smell from the toilet, the sound of washable water, as well as stuffiness. It should also be noted that the seats of 41 rows are categorically not recommended for people with a weak vestibular apparatus - here the view through the portholes is very seriously limited, since the row only takes places in the middle between two passes.

History of creation

The competition between Airbus and Boeing has long been the talk of the town and is known today, perhaps, to all aviation enthusiasts. Historically, Airbus aircraft are designed to create decent competition for Boeing airplanes and vice versa.

The history of the creation of the Airbus A350 began in 2005, when Boeing announced the development of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner (Dreamliner), which was supposed to be a serious competitor to Airbus aircraft due to its more economical operation. The airlines operating the Airbus concern planes took this announcement as a challenge and did their best to agree with Airbus Industrie on the creation of a new wide-body passenger airliner, which would have been even more economical to operate, to create competition for the not yet commercially produced Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Initially, the Airbus A350 was conceived as a replacement for the Airbus A330 and Airbus A340. It should be noted that in fact the first models of the new aircraft were implemented on the basis of the A330, but with an improved design and greater comfort. However, potential customers did not need a new modification of the A330, so the Airbus concern was forced to finance the creation of an almost new Airbus model, called the A350. In this case, based on the design of the new liner used composite materials, new methods of manufacturing the fuselage, as well as more modern on-board electronics. Also, representatives of the group Airbus announced that the new aircraft will be more economical than the new Boeing 787, which will create a serious competition for it.

In 2006, began processing Airbus A350. The new model, which received the designation Airbus A350XWB (Extra-Wide Body - extra-wide fuselage), has a greater passenger capacity, while maintaining a high range of flight. The first flight of the car took place in June 2013, and from 2018 its commercial operation began. The first flight was made by Qatar Airways.

As of autumn 2013, 764 Airbus A350 orders were made. From 2014 to 2018, this order was fulfilled by 5% - 37 aircraft were delivered to customers.

Modifications Airbus A350

Today, there are 3 main modifications of the Airbus A350.

• Airbus A350-800 - is the first model of the aircraft, capable of carrying from 270 passengers with a three-class layout of the passenger compartment to 375 (with a single-class). The introduction of the airbus was planned for 2014, but in September of the same year the project was officially closed. The reason for its closure was the refusal of the Airbus concern to develop and manufacture the A350-800 in favor of the Airbus A320neo.
• Airbus A350-900 is a modification of the Airbus, the commercial operation of which began in 2014. Able to carry from 314 (with a three-class layout) to 440 people (with a single-class layout of the passenger compartment). The aircraft is highly economical, which makes it the main competitor for the Boeing 777. Currently, work is underway to develop a cargo modification of the aircraft, named A350-900F and a variant with an increased flight range A350-900R. Also on the basis of the version was created modification of the Airbus A350-941, with increased passenger capacity and flight range.
• Airbus A350-1000 - modification of the aircraft, with the highest passenger capacity among the A350 family. Thus, the Airbus is able to accommodate from 366 (with a three-class layout) to 440 passengers (with a single-class layout of the passenger compartment). In addition, among the visible features of the liner will be an increased area of ​​the wing compared with previous modifications of the liner. This model was presented to the public at an exhibition in France in the summer of 2018.

Overview and characteristics of the aircraft

Aerodynamically, the Airbus A350 is a nizkoplan with single tail fin. Wing - swept (sweep 31.9 degrees). Due to the fact that the aircraft fuselage is 52 percent composed of composite materials, its mass is definitely lower than that of liners of the same class. Composite materials also provide additional strength to the A350 design, which makes it a more reliable and safe liner. In turn, the smaller mass of the aircraft makes its operation much more economical.

Due to the fact that the wing of the aircraft is also mainly composed of composites, as well as due to its special sweep, the aircraft is able to develop a good maximum speed, and without any harm to the whole structure. Thus, a large number of tests and experiments were carried out at Airbus, with a total duration of about 4000 hours, which proved that this configuration of the wing and hull is optimal.

The power plant of the liner is represented by two Trent engines, whose power depends on the model of the aircraft. Additionally, the Airbus concern announced the development of models of the Airbus A350, specifically designed for Middle East airlines. In accordance with the local climate (hot and dry), the engines of these models, called "Hot and High" ("hot and high"), will be able to provide more traction in conditions of lack of air and strong heating. Given the great interest in aircraft from the side of the airline Emirates Airlines and Qatar Airways - such a project has a great future.

Also, the A350 is equipped with an emergency aviation turbine Hamilton Sundstrand, which in critical situations is able to provide electricity to the onboard electronics system of the airliner.

Technical characteristics of the aircraft Airbus A350:

Conclusion

The Airbus A350 is a new aircraft of the Airbus concern, which was originally conceived as a replacement for the A330 and A340 aircraft, and also as a competitor to the aircraft of the same Boeing class. Nevertheless, it is already possible to judge about the great prospects for this aircraft in the Middle Eastern and Asian markets. The large number of existing and developed modifications allows us to confidently conclude that the machine has great potential for improvement.

Watch the video: Airbus A350 - the most advanced airliner (November 2024).