Airbus A350 XWB First Flight

[Number1]

I posted the link in other threads but I think this deserves it's own thread.

This is a magnificent aircraft and it will give Boeing a run for it's money. Competition is what this is all about, everybody wins. They have over 600 orders already.

Youtube

CNN

Congratulation to all involved. I hope to get a ride on one some day.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

that's a nice looking machine

 

[Wyndru]

Are the slanted wings and up-turned wing tips a new design? I don't remember seeing this before on a plane. Looks a little it would be less sturdy, but I don't know anything about what it's made out of or what kind of pressure the wings take during flight. It just looks sketchy to me how the whole wings are angled up almost higher then the fuselage.

 

[Number1]

Are the slanted wings and up-turned wing tips a new design? I don't remember seeing this before on a plane. Looks a little it would be less sturdy, but I don't know anything about what it's made out of or what kind of pressure the wings take during flight. It just looks sketchy to me how the whole wings are angled up almost higher then the fuselage.

TThe wings are made to flex up quite a bit on those new planes. The 787 does the same thing.

 

[chubbyfatazn]

Are the slanted wings and up-turned wing tips a new design? I don't remember seeing this before on a plane. Looks a little it would be less sturdy, but I don't know anything about what it's made out of or what kind of pressure the wings take during flight. It just looks sketchy to me how the whole wings are angled up almost higher then the fuselage.

That's just wing flex. The "up-turned wing tips" improve efficiency by reducing drag induced by wingtip vortices.

Wings are meant to flex; it weighs less to allow the wing to flex than to add in the structural support to prevent the flex. Wings are tested to structurally fail at no less than 150% of their maximum rated load, so no need to worry about the wings breaking in flight. The first time around, the A380's wing failed at 147%, so it was back to the drawing board to fix the design before another test.

Obviously you're not going to notice flex as much on narrowbody (single-aisle) aircraft as on widebody (dual-aisle) aircraft.

 

[iGas]

Awesome!

Shame less plug for the home team Bombardier CSeries.

http://blogs.wsj.com/canadarealtime...s-paris-aims-for-montreal-for-cseries-flight/

 

[Murloc]

Looks a little it would be less sturdy, but I don't know anything about what it's made out of or what kind of pressure the wings take during flight.

it's made of polymer with carbon fibers and stuff, so they have different characteristics and what would not be normal before may now be feasible or something, I'm not in the field.

These pieces are then glued together, because rivets would require holes and those damage the continuity of the material and make it break, you can't drill it. Seams are weaker though so they make huge single pieces.

Anyway however weird it may look, the structure is tested and everything so...

 

[BoomerD]

I dunno, Gassy...those Bombardiers don't look particularly trustworthy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZKifZmRkV8

 

[iGas]

I dunno, Gassy...those Bombardiers don't look particularly trustworthy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZKifZmRkV8

The mechanics that worked on it had the plane engine on full speed, and the plane jumped the chock.

 

[BoomerD]

The mechanics that worked on it had the plane engine on full speed, and the plane jumped the chock.

See? Not trustworthy at all...it should have stayed behind the chock where it belonged...

 

[kt]

I dunno, Gassy...those Bombardiers don't look particularly trustworthy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZKifZmRkV8

Nice. I live literally across from that airport.

 

[Red Squirrel]

The mechanics that worked on it had the plane engine on full speed, and the plane jumped the chock.

lol you'd think they'd have something better to secure it, and also point it towards the bush or something, just as an extra safety test.

 

[Sheep221]

It looks quite similar to 787 beside having some typical airbus patterns, but hey we will going to have full skies with it soon.
It seems that smaller planes are again in their prime, where 747 and A380 are only used for those longest and demanding flights.

 

[BUTCH1]

Those engines are just freaking HUGE, I guess the days of 4 engine jets are probably gone, I would imagine less drag, easier maintenance schedule, ect. Possibly some safety factor loss on takeoff though, if an engine quit just after rotation (like a bird strike) your down 50% power whereas a four engine design losing an one engine would still leave the pilot with 75% thrust capability..

 

[vshah]

wings are meant to flex

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRf395ioJRY

 

[Thebobo]

Those engines are just freaking HUGE, ..

Always liked this picture to show off jet engine sizes, It's a older 777 engine but pretty neat imo, especially when you make it bigger.

 

[iamwiz82]

Always liked this picture to show off jet engine sizes, It's a older 777 engine but pretty neat imo, especially when you make it bigger.

And in comparison to a 737.

 

[AmdEmAll]

Always liked this picture to show off jet engine sizes, It's a older 777 engine but pretty neat imo, especially when you make it bigger.

Love the 777.. the 300ER GE engines have 115,540 lbf of thrust.. pretty crazy.

 

[3chordcharlie]

It looks quite similar to 787 beside having some typical airbus patterns, but hey we will going to have full skies with it soon.
It seems that smaller planes are again in their prime, where 747 and A380 are only used for those longest and demanding flights.

4 engines really sucks the fuel, so while 747-class still makes some Transatlantic flights, it's hard to justify when 777-class is using 20-30% less fuel.

 

[Demo24]

Those engines are just freaking HUGE, I guess the days of 4 engine jets are probably gone, I would imagine less drag, easier maintenance schedule, ect. Possibly some safety factor loss on takeoff though, if an engine quit just after rotation (like a bird strike) your down 50% power whereas a four engine design losing an one engine would still leave the pilot with 75% thrust capability..

There's a reason for being so big: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22889969

 

[JTsyo]

Are the slanted wings and up-turned wing tips a new design? I don't remember seeing this before on a plane. Looks a little it would be less sturdy, but I don't know anything about what it's made out of or what kind of pressure the wings take during flight. It just looks sketchy to me how the whole wings are angled up almost higher then the fuselage.

Winglets, things you learn playing web browser games. lol.

 

[Gibsons]

4 engines really sucks the fuel, so while 747-class still makes some Transatlantic flights, it's hard to justify when 777-class is using 20-30% less fuel.

This, plus 4 engines is also (maybe) double the maintenance. There used to be a requirement for 3 or more engines if the flight was going over some amount water. Newer engines are much more reliable though, so iirc Boeing was able to get by that for the 777. I assume Airbus will be doing the same.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Always liked this picture to show off jet engine sizes, It's a older 777 engine but pretty neat imo, especially when you make it bigger.

Woah, that's freaking huge! That looks like it's about the size of a small house.

 

[chubbyfatazn]

This, plus 4 engines is also (maybe) double the maintenance. There used to be a requirement for 3 or more engines if the flight was going over some amount water. Newer engines are much more reliable though, so iirc Boeing was able to get by that for the 777. I assume Airbus will be doing the same.

That's called ETOPS (extended operations); aircraft have been rated for ETOPS operations since the 1980s (iirc the 767 was the first to be rated).

The engine in the pic posted above is a GE90-115B, which is the largest engine in the world by diameter (almost as big across as a 737) and by max rated thrust. One of those engines produces almost as much two engines on the 744.

 

[crab]

That's called ETOPS (extended operations); aircraft have been rated for ETOPS operations since the 1980s (iirc the 767 was the first to be rated).

The engine in the pic posted above is a GE90-115B, which is the largest engine in the world by diameter (almost as big across as a 737) and by max rated thrust. One of those engines produces almost as much two engines on the 744.

It was almost comical hanging from it's test bird in comparison to its own fans. Absolutely huge.