Airbus Goes Light on New A350 Jetliner

In about-face, switches to composite material used by rival Boeing
By Janice Eisen,  Newser User
Posted Sep 15, 2007 6:32 PM CDT
Airbus Goes Light on New A350 Jetliner
The first Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner takes shape in the assembly plant in Everett, Wash., in this May 21, 2007 file photo. Growth in the manufacturing sector slowed in August while construction spending dropped sharply in July, indicating turmoil in the housing and financial markets could be spilling...   (Associated Press)

Airbus joined rival Boeing in switching from aluminum to carbon-fiber composites to build its new jetliner’s frame, reports the Wall Street Journal. Boeing has built the new 787 Dreamliner entirely from composites, which are lighter and easier to maintain. Airbus had held out on the A350, claiming its method of attaching composite panels to a metal frame was superior.

But customers were not persuaded, the Journal reports, worried that the A350 would cost more to maintain than Boeing’s plane. The lighter skeleton also lowers fuel use and thereby increases range. The European company expects to deliver its first A350 in 2013, while the 787 Dreamliner is scheduled for its first flight in November, and delivery in May 2008. (More Boeing stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X