Airbus puts A380 lessons to work on A350XWB

Airbus is taking lessons learned from the A380 program into its strategies for the A350XWB, which has had first metal cut and is now in a detailed design build.

“We launched 380 when we were trying to integrate the company and I think we did it the wrong way around,” said EVP Programmes Tom Williams.

“We tried to use the 380 to integrate the company, but we really should have integrated the company and then done the 380.

“In terms of the aircraft development we were pretty much on time in terms of first flight, in terms of certification (we were certainly six months adrift with that, but nowadays that seems by comparison almost a wonderful success).

“Where we got into trouble and have continued to be in trouble over the last couple of years was with customization.

“But if you look at what we are doing on 350 we have a much more rigorous approach to customisation, in terms of galley options, seat options etc; and it’s a much more rigorous process.

“We are also trying to put more of the provision into the aircraft so that it’s there as a background network regardless of which configuration they (customers) are going to use.

“On 380 we were stuck with the problem that it was such a blue ribbon aircraft for all the airlines that they really wanted the extremes of customization and that’s where we paid the price.

“It wasn’t on the basic aircraft it was all in the customisation and I think we’ve got to be much more disciplined (this time around).”

The A350 is indeed a reality, with the final assembly line underway in Toulouse; with the construction of the wing production facility in the UK almost complete; and with a wing Demobox trialling the technologies and processes that are being introduced with this new aircraft.

The Demobox is a 50 million euro scaled-down, 18-metre partial wingbox which Airbus says is helping to “validate the horizontal assembly process and define methods and tools for the move from aluminium to composite wing structures.