Airbus bends wings and sets records

Airbus has successfully performed the ultimate load test of its new 300-seat A350 XWB’s wing, applying loads up to 1.5 times higher than those the aircraft would ever encounter in its entire in-service life. At ultimate load, the A350 XWB wingtip deflection exceeds five meters.

This test was performed on the A350 XWB static test airframe that was built specifically to demonstrate the structural integrity of the airframe. The strains induced into the airframe are measured and monitored in real time using more than ten thousand measurement channels. The huge volume of data recorded is analyzed and correlated to the structural computer models which have been used to design the airframe.

Airbus has already passed the last of the ultimate load tests for the A350 XWB in early December 2013. These successful ultimate load tests are important milestones for type certification and another step on the road entry into service of the A350 XWB in Q4 2014.

And the aerospace giant has also been setting records for orders and backlog achieving a new record of 626 aircraft deliveries (493 A320 family aircraft, 108 A330, 25 A380) to 93 customers and a new industry record of 1619 gross orders (377 A320ceo, 876 A320neo, 77 A330, 239 A350 XWB, 50 A380) beating the previous record in 2011 by 11 aircraft. 

The year (2013) was also Airbus’ most valuable gross order intake (List price US$ 240.5 billion). By year end, the backlog had climbed to an industry wide record of 5,559 aircraft, valued at US$ 809 billion at list prices, or eight years production.

Aircraft deliveries in 2013 were up for the 12th year in a row, beating the initial target and surpassing the previous record set in 2012 (588) by an additional 38 aircraft.

“I thank the Airbus teams for these great achievements. We are producing aircraft at all-time-highs and selling our market leading products at record levels,” said Fabrice Bregier, Airbus President and CEO.