
Airbus 350XWB: The Peak of European Aircraft Manufacturing
The appearance of the American Boeing-787 on the market spurred the efforts of its main competitor, Airbus, to create a new airliner. Although, at first, the management of the European aircraft manufacturer was cool towards the Dreamliner. The EU believed that this was just the US reaction to the Airbus A330.
However, the carriers turned out to be much more far-sighted and literally put pressure on Airbus, expecting it to be just as economical Aircraft, like the 787. And management agreed to develop a new model based on the A330.
It was announced that a liner with technical characteristics not inferior to "Boeing-787". The project was named "A330-200Lite". However, the aircraft was conceived back in 2004: then they wanted to create a practically analogue of the 330th, but with a better cabin layout and increased comfort for passengers. However, air carriers were primarily interested in such parameters as fuel consumption per person who bought a ticket. Therefore, the Airbus management allocated 4 billion euros for the new project.
The A350XWB costs over $300 million. Photo: youtube.com
The result was completely new wings, stabilizers, and fuselage. In addition, these components were manufactured using modern technologies and composite materials. The engines were also different. As a result, a completely new aircraft was built, which was announced by Airbus management in 2006. According to them, the aircraft, in terms of operating costs, would be 8% more economical than the Dreamliner. The project received a different name.
The abbreviation at the end of the three digits is of interest. Apparently, the developers decided to follow in the footsteps of the Americans, who called their plane the "Dreamliner". But apparently the Europeans are not very imaginative, so they added three modest letters XWB to the name of their model, which simply mean that the liner is Extra Wide Body - with a "very wide fuselage".
Apparently, Airbus took into account the experience of the B-787, since the aircraft was created much faster than the Dreamliner. The Europeans managed to solve the logistics problem very quickly. After all, a huge number of companies also took part in the creation of the A350. Here are just some of the "accomplices" in the process:
✅ Government of Wales (England) - Composite Wings
✅ Messier-Dowty (France) – chassis
✅ Airbus branch in China – steering wheels
✅ Goodrich Corporation (USA) – thrust reversers, engine nacelles
✅ Illescas (Spain) facility – fuselage
✅ Thales (an international concern with an office in France) – avionics, etc.
This is only a small part of the suppliers. Just imagine what work Airbus did: all suppliers had to be somehow organized in order to create good logistics and manage to assemble the new airliner by the deadlines promised to customers.
Here the EU has slightly “outdone” the Americans: its A350 has 2% more composites (52 versus 50) than the 787. Then it’s about the same – 20% aluminum, 14% titanium, 7% steel, and the rest of everything else accounts for 7%.
The size of the wingtips is impressive. Photo: youtube.com
The wing has a huge area of 443 sq. m – it is the largest for single-deck aircraft. The sweep was increased to 31,9°, the winglets are bent at the ends of the planes by 4,4 m upwards. All this allowed to increase the cruising and maximum speed to 0,85 and 0,89 Mach numbers respectively.
Includes a pair of Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, specially developed for the new product. The turbines have fans with a diameter of 3 m. The maximum thrust of the forced version of the engine reaches 432 kN.
Engines are cheaper to maintain. Photo: youtube.com
The supply of machines with units operating in high-altitude conditions, where the climate is hot and there is a lack of oxygen, is envisaged. The capacity of the auxiliary unit Honeywell HGT1700 has been increased by 10%.
The nose is made of aluminum to better withstand possible bird "attacks". The glazing includes six windows instead of the usual four, which improves visibility. Inside there are 6 fifteen-inch displays, as well as a HUD - a projection on the glass.
In the cockpit. Photo: youtube.com
The IMA avionics system has been improved and can now perform 40 functions, rather than 23, compared to the A380. The addition is the ability to control the chassis, fuel supply, and pneumatics. The pilots have a rest area located immediately behind the cockpit. The flight attendants have a similar room in the tail.
Firstly, it is wider (the difference with the 787 is 13 cm) – the number of seats in a row can reach nine. An updated air supply system for passengers is used, providing pressure exactly the same as at an altitude of 1800 m above sea level. A comfortable humidity of 20% is maintained.
Business class: everything for work and leisure. Photo: youtube.com
Like the 787, the windows are darkened using electrochromic technology. All seats, regardless of class, are equipped with multimedia screens. Of course, there is high-speed Internet and USB ports.
Economy class also has entertainment. Photo: youtube.com
There are three lavatories in the cabin, located in the front, middle and rear sections of the aircraft. In business class, the seats can be transformed into 1,88 m long beds.
The composite wing was tested first: the procedure took place in 2011, in Mexico, at a special Honeywell Aerospace site. And the first machine rolled out of the assembly shop already at the end of 2012. The prototype took to the skies the following year, on June 14. The second plane – on October 14.10.2013, XNUMX.
The company received a type certificate back in 2014. Since 2015, the airliner has been mass-produced and sold to customers. The "pioneer" was the air carrier Finnair (Finland). In February 2020, Russia's Aeroflot received the first A350 out of 22 ordered. In March, it began flying from the capital to St. Petersburg. Interestingly, several Airbuses are operated by the German Air Force.
The first of these, the A350-800, remained a project. It was supposed to be a 270-passenger aircraft with a range of 15 km. However, the project was closed in 700 in favor of the A2014neo. Three other versions of the 330 went into production.
In terms of comfort, it has 3 classes and can take on board from 315 to 440 passengers, depending on the cabin layout. The machine is comparable to its competitor from the USA – Boeing-777-200ER, however, it has better technical parameters.
The most common modification of the 350. Photo: youtube.com
Fuel consumption per hour is 5,8 tons versus 6,7 tons, and maintenance costs are 25% lower. At the same time, the range reaches 15 thousand km.
The last three letters stand for ultra-long range, i.e. "ultra-long radius of action". This addition to the name is associated with the increased flight range and time spent in the air: 18 thousand km and 19 hours (the above model has 15 thousand km and 15 hours).
The A350-900ULR makes the longest flights in the world. Photo: youtube.com
The first aircraft rolled out of the Toulouse plant in 2018. The customer was Singapore Airlines (it has received seven units in total). The airliner is used on the world's longest route from New York to Singapore.
The largest version of the 350, designed for 350 (maximum 480) people. Compared to previous models, it has a 4% larger area of planes. The landing gear is the same as the B-777: with three axles.
The A350-1000 can carry up to 480 passengers. Photo: youtube.com
The aircraft flies 14,8 thousand km, the first copy was ordered by the Qatari carrier Qatar Airways. General (identical) technical data for the A350:
✅ wingspan, height – 64,75 and 17,1 m
✅ cabin and fuselage width – 5,61 and 5,96 m
✅ cruising and top speed - 903 and 945 km/h
✅ ceiling - 13,1 km
✅ takeoff and landing run – 2,6 and 2 km
All modifications of the machines are controlled by a crew of two pilots.
By April last year, 592 units of equipment had been produced. Only 2 accidents were recorded (in Tokyo and the USA), both in 2024. The essence is a collision with another aircraft during taxiing. In one of the accidents, 5 people died.
However, the carriers turned out to be much more far-sighted and literally put pressure on Airbus, expecting it to be just as economical Aircraft, like the 787. And management agreed to develop a new model based on the A330.
prehistory
It was announced that a liner with technical characteristics not inferior to "Boeing-787". The project was named "A330-200Lite". However, the aircraft was conceived back in 2004: then they wanted to create a practically analogue of the 330th, but with a better cabin layout and increased comfort for passengers. However, air carriers were primarily interested in such parameters as fuel consumption per person who bought a ticket. Therefore, the Airbus management allocated 4 billion euros for the new project.

The result was completely new wings, stabilizers, and fuselage. In addition, these components were manufactured using modern technologies and composite materials. The engines were also different. As a result, a completely new aircraft was built, which was announced by Airbus management in 2006. According to them, the aircraft, in terms of operating costs, would be 8% more economical than the Dreamliner. The project received a different name.
Airbus 350XWB
The abbreviation at the end of the three digits is of interest. Apparently, the developers decided to follow in the footsteps of the Americans, who called their plane the "Dreamliner". But apparently the Europeans are not very imaginative, so they added three modest letters XWB to the name of their model, which simply mean that the liner is Extra Wide Body - with a "very wide fuselage".
Development and construction
Apparently, Airbus took into account the experience of the B-787, since the aircraft was created much faster than the Dreamliner. The Europeans managed to solve the logistics problem very quickly. After all, a huge number of companies also took part in the creation of the A350. Here are just some of the "accomplices" in the process:
✅ Government of Wales (England) - Composite Wings
✅ Messier-Dowty (France) – chassis
✅ Airbus branch in China – steering wheels
✅ Goodrich Corporation (USA) – thrust reversers, engine nacelles
✅ Illescas (Spain) facility – fuselage
✅ Thales (an international concern with an office in France) – avionics, etc.
This is only a small part of the suppliers. Just imagine what work Airbus did: all suppliers had to be somehow organized in order to create good logistics and manage to assemble the new airliner by the deadlines promised to customers.
About construction
Here the EU has slightly “outdone” the Americans: its A350 has 2% more composites (52 versus 50) than the 787. Then it’s about the same – 20% aluminum, 14% titanium, 7% steel, and the rest of everything else accounts for 7%.

The wing has a huge area of 443 sq. m – it is the largest for single-deck aircraft. The sweep was increased to 31,9°, the winglets are bent at the ends of the planes by 4,4 m upwards. All this allowed to increase the cruising and maximum speed to 0,85 and 0,89 Mach numbers respectively.
Power point
Includes a pair of Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, specially developed for the new product. The turbines have fans with a diameter of 3 m. The maximum thrust of the forced version of the engine reaches 432 kN.

The supply of machines with units operating in high-altitude conditions, where the climate is hot and there is a lack of oxygen, is envisaged. The capacity of the auxiliary unit Honeywell HGT1700 has been increased by 10%.
Cabin
The nose is made of aluminum to better withstand possible bird "attacks". The glazing includes six windows instead of the usual four, which improves visibility. Inside there are 6 fifteen-inch displays, as well as a HUD - a projection on the glass.

The IMA avionics system has been improved and can now perform 40 functions, rather than 23, compared to the A380. The addition is the ability to control the chassis, fuel supply, and pneumatics. The pilots have a rest area located immediately behind the cockpit. The flight attendants have a similar room in the tail.
What's in the cabin
Firstly, it is wider (the difference with the 787 is 13 cm) – the number of seats in a row can reach nine. An updated air supply system for passengers is used, providing pressure exactly the same as at an altitude of 1800 m above sea level. A comfortable humidity of 20% is maintained.

Like the 787, the windows are darkened using electrochromic technology. All seats, regardless of class, are equipped with multimedia screens. Of course, there is high-speed Internet and USB ports.

There are three lavatories in the cabin, located in the front, middle and rear sections of the aircraft. In business class, the seats can be transformed into 1,88 m long beds.
Test
The composite wing was tested first: the procedure took place in 2011, in Mexico, at a special Honeywell Aerospace site. And the first machine rolled out of the assembly shop already at the end of 2012. The prototype took to the skies the following year, on June 14. The second plane – on October 14.10.2013, XNUMX.
How the A350 was made and tested
The company received a type certificate back in 2014. Since 2015, the airliner has been mass-produced and sold to customers. The "pioneer" was the air carrier Finnair (Finland). In February 2020, Russia's Aeroflot received the first A350 out of 22 ordered. In March, it began flying from the capital to St. Petersburg. Interestingly, several Airbuses are operated by the German Air Force.
Modifications
The first of these, the A350-800, remained a project. It was supposed to be a 270-passenger aircraft with a range of 15 km. However, the project was closed in 700 in favor of the A2014neo. Three other versions of the 330 went into production.
A350-900
In terms of comfort, it has 3 classes and can take on board from 315 to 440 passengers, depending on the cabin layout. The machine is comparable to its competitor from the USA – Boeing-777-200ER, however, it has better technical parameters.

Fuel consumption per hour is 5,8 tons versus 6,7 tons, and maintenance costs are 25% lower. At the same time, the range reaches 15 thousand km.
A350-900ULR
The last three letters stand for ultra-long range, i.e. "ultra-long radius of action". This addition to the name is associated with the increased flight range and time spent in the air: 18 thousand km and 19 hours (the above model has 15 thousand km and 15 hours).

The first aircraft rolled out of the Toulouse plant in 2018. The customer was Singapore Airlines (it has received seven units in total). The airliner is used on the world's longest route from New York to Singapore.
A350-1000
The largest version of the 350, designed for 350 (maximum 480) people. Compared to previous models, it has a 4% larger area of planes. The landing gear is the same as the B-777: with three axles.

The aircraft flies 14,8 thousand km, the first copy was ordered by the Qatari carrier Qatar Airways. General (identical) technical data for the A350:
✅ wingspan, height – 64,75 and 17,1 m
✅ cabin and fuselage width – 5,61 and 5,96 m
✅ cruising and top speed - 903 and 945 km/h
✅ ceiling - 13,1 km
✅ takeoff and landing run – 2,6 and 2 km
All modifications of the machines are controlled by a crew of two pilots.
Exploitation
By April last year, 592 units of equipment had been produced. Only 2 accidents were recorded (in Tokyo and the USA), both in 2024. The essence is a collision with another aircraft during taxiing. In one of the accidents, 5 people died.
- Sergey Mileshkin
- youtube.com, VK Video
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