Le Bourget

Airbus will conduct key meetings on its A350XWB in the next few weeks, when it will submit the plan for the twin-widebody to an independent review and start detailed talks with potential industrial partners for the project.

The assessment of the A350XWB design will take place early next month, says Airbus Chief Operating Officer Fabrice Bregier. Such drills will be performed throughout the program's development to avoid surprises.

The aims are twofold. First is to allow engineers to determine where improvements can be made and, second, is to ascertain whether technical or other resources need to be applied to keep the program on track, says Tom Williams, executive vice president for programs.

Airbus exited the Paris air show with a strengthened A350XWB order book, having managed to convince many A350 customers to stick with the larger, more expensive XWB model (several increased their original order size). Airbus expects to have 200 firm orders for the type by year-end, says John Leahy, the company's chief operating officer for customers.

Last week, Airbus and General Electric officials met, with little success, to try to sort out their differences regarding a GEnx powerplant for the A350. Williams insists Airbus is interested only in an engine covering all three versions of its aircraft, -800, -900 and -1000. A second Airbus official says that would require a larger core than the GEnx on the Boeing 787.

Not up for debate, though, is the fundamental design of the fuselage. Airbus CEO Louis Gallois says the aircraft maker will not abandon the composite panels on an aluminum-lithium substructure concept, which has drawn some criticism from buyers for not being as efficient as the single-barrel design Boeing has embraced for the rival 787.

Steven Udvar-Hazy, president/CEO of International Lease Finance Corp., says: "We're much more comfortable with what we're seeing from Boeing." He was a buyer of the original A350, but so far hasn't re-upped for the XWB configuration. Airbus has time to make further changes, he suggested, with use of a composite substructure being one option.

Emirates Airlines CEO Tim Clark, who also has voiced some concern about the approach, said last week, "I think it will do the job." Emirates plans to make a decision between the 787 and A350 in the coming months. Clark says the Airbus approach may have to morph. He remains optimistic that the aircraft "is going to improve." Williams notes that the metallic substructure has some key advantages in terms of design of the aircraft's electrical system and for crashworthiness.

Moreover, he adds, it is much easier to industrialize.

For more details, see the June 25 issue of Aviation Week & Space Technology.