aviation

additional fuselage frames –  ve in the

forward section, six in the rear. This gives

space for around another 44 seats in a

typical three-class cabin, bringing the total

up to 366 passengers, although this varies

between intended users. Another attractive

feature to carriers is that the -1000 can

carry eight more industry-standard LD-3

cargo containers and three pallets of freight

more than the -900. Transporting cargo is

lucrative for airlines, so the extra capacity

is a massive plus for the big Airbus. That

said, the maximum take-off weight (MTOW)

has increased from the -900’s 617,300lb

(280,000kg) to 679,000lb (308,000kg) in

the -1000.

The larger model shares a high level

of commonality with the shorter -900,

allowing airlines to economically operate

both variants. The major differences

include a reinforced nose landing gear

and an upgrade of the main undercarriage

from four- to six-wheel bogies, to handle

the extra weight. The -1000 has the

same 212.4ft (64.75m) wingspan as

the -900, though 90% of the parts have

been modi ed and the trailing edge has

been extended to resize the wing for the

additional payload.

FIRST FLIGHT FOR THE -1000

The  rst -1000 made its  ight debut from

Toulouse on November 24, 2016 and

received its type certi cation just under a

year later. Once again, Qatar Airways led

the way when it came to orders, and the

aircraft entered into service in February

2018. Cathay Paci c expanded its A350
      XWB  eet with the A350-1000, becoming
      the second operator of this longer-fuselage
      version in June.
      The A350-1000 is powered by Rolls-
      Royce Trent XWB-97s that provide 97,000lb
      (631.4kN) of thrust on take-off – the highest
      rated engine ever developed for an Airbus
      aircraft. It gives the airliner a range of
      8,000nm (14,800km).
      The -1000 is equipped with a new safety
      feature called the automated emergency
      descent, or AED. This system engages the
      aircraft’s autopilot function to automatically
      and quickly bring the aircraft to a lower,
      safer altitude in the event of in- ight
      cabin depressurisation. The AED mode
      is triggered when the cabin pressure falls
      below a predetermined limit. After alerting
      the  ight crew, the system engages the
      autopilot to bring the aircraft to a lower,
      safe altitude if there is no crew reaction
      within 15 seconds. “Depressurisation
      events are extremely rare,” said Yann
      Besse, an autopilot laboratory test team
      engineer for Airbus. “Our goal was a simple

38 Aviation News incorporating Jets November 2018

Above: The cockpit of the  rst A350-1000 being constructed at Saint-Nazaire in September

2014. Airbus
      Below: Delta Air Lines received its initial A350-900 in June 2017, becoming the  rst US airline to
      operate the newest member of Airbus’ widebody family. A Doumenjou/Airbus

The  rst A350-1000 making its maiden  ight from Toulouse on November 24, 2016. J V Reymondon/Airbus