The Real Story Behind The A350 - Full Documentary

Video from the channel Plane Curious about Airbus A350, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 48:52. Language: English. Video type: Documentary.

Documentary about the genesis and commercial trajectory of the Airbus A350. It explains how an initial project derived from the A330, unveiled in 2004 as a response to the Boeing 787, was rejected by airlines and replaced by a completely new design, the A350 XWB, and reviews its technology, variants, customers and role in the rivalry with Boeing in the wide-body market.

In the early 2000s Airbus was betting on the A330, the four-engine A340 and the A380, while Boeing launched the 7E7 in 2003, later the 787, a twin-engine composite aircraft designed for direct routes. The original A350 kept the A330's fuselage section and six-window cockpit and received very few orders. In December 2006 the Airbus board approved the industrial launch of the all-new A350 XWB, aiming to compete with both the 787 and the 777 at once. In 2008 the nose was redesigned, with four windshield panels and the distinctive black "eye mask" later adopted by other models from the brand. The first flight took place on 14 June 2013 at Toulouse-Blagnac and lasted four hours and five minutes; EASA granted type certification in September 2014 and the FAA in November. Qatar Airways received the first A350-900 on 22 December 2014 and operated the first commercial flight from Doha on 15 January 2015. The documentary links its success to the 787's problems, the 737 MAX crisis and the 777X's delays.

Up to 54% of the structure by weight is carbon-fiber composite. The A350-900 has a 64.75 m wingspan and the cabin is 5.61 m wide inside, with a cabin altitude of around 6,000 feet. It is powered by the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB, with between 75,000 and 97,000 lbf of thrust depending on the version. The A350-1000, 7 m longer, entered service in 2018 with Qatar Airways. The A350-900 ULR, with a range of about 9,700 nautical miles, allowed Singapore Airlines to reopen the nonstop flight to Newark in October 2018. The A350-800 was cancelled in 2014. The A350F freighter, launched in July 2021, will carry 111 tonnes and deliveries are planned for 2027. Final assembly takes place in Toulouse and the wings are built in Broughton, Wales.