Story: Airbus to isefrom composite fuselage frames in A350

[smokejumper]

An article in today's Wall Street Journal states that Airbus will use composite fuselage frames in the A350 to get to a lower weight. This will increase its' comptitiveness. See:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1189826 ... lenews_wsj

The article states:

Airbus, in Turnabout, Bets On
Composite Frame for A350
By DANIEL MICHAELS
September 15, 2007

In a switch that could make Airbus's next jetliner more competitive with rival Boeing Co.'s new 787 Dreamliner, the European plane maker plans to build the frame of its planned A350 model from advanced composite materials instead of metal.

The lighter structure -- similar to that of the Boeing plane -- reduces fuel consumption, increases a plane's range and reduces wear on key parts such as landing gear. The shift also cuts the need for costly maintenance inspections.

For months, Airbus had been telling customers that attaching skin panels made of carbon-fiber composites to an aluminum-alloy skeleton was superior to Boeing's method of making both the frame and fuselage of the Dreamliner from composites.

But Airbus, a unit of Franco-German European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co., began to rethink its position after encountering resistance from customers who questioned whether the A350 would be more difficult to maintain than the Dreamliner.

"We thought the design we had was very good, but this one is even better," said John Leahy, Airbus chief operating officer for customers. Airbus officials say the switch will offer crucial weight savings.

An Airbus spokesman played down the change as "just part of the normal refinement" that occurs when an aircraft is being developed. Airbus told potential customers of the plans during a recent update on the A350 program.

Airbus intends to complete its designs of the A350 late next year. It expects to deliver the first A350 in 2013.

Although Boeing recently said it expects as much as a four-month delay in the planned first flight of the Dreamliner, the Chicago-based aerospace company still is hoping to deliver the first Dreamliner on schedule in May.

Airbus has faced public pressure from several key customers throughout the design of the A350. After encountering criticism for first proposing the plane in 2004 with a more traditional all-aluminum fuselage, Airbus said in July 2006 that it was renaming the airplane the A350 XWB, for extra-wide body. Those plans called for making the skeleton of aluminum and the skins of composites, even though some aerospace engineers warned that such a combination could set the stage for corrosion and would require extra attention.

John Plueger, president and chief operating officer of leasing titan International Lease Finance Corp., which had criticized Airbus's plans to use the aluminum frame, said he believes Airbus is making the right decision.

"This is what we were hoping for," Mr. Plueger said. "We're getting more and more interest in the plane from our leasing customers, so the sooner Airbus can get it to market, the better."

[DFW]

This is an interesting development. I know that the 777 uses composite floorbeams, but I don't know what to make of composite frames. Would they be lighter? I'd be interested to hear how that works. It would still be heavier than wound composites. This would imply to me that Airbus is behind the technology curve in wound composite fuselages. That's just my humble opinion.

[achace]

Wound composites weigh the same as composites that are "laid up", its only a process.

Because the XWB is virtually a uniform cross section along the seating area, the frames may all be virtually identical, and could in fact be wound.

The Airbus sound proofing technology would then step in between the frames, and if it has air within the lining, as I suspect it may, it could even be lighter than the solid composite barrels of the 787.

It is possible at the nose and the tail tapered sections that metal frames could be used.

Cheers
Achace