Efficiency by design: simple and efficient systems for the A350 XWB
The A350 XWB’s on-board systems are being optimised for simplicity and operational efficiency, reflecting Airbus’ 40 years of experience that traces its roots to the original A300.
An update on A350 XWB system technology was provided today by Vincent Tessier, Airbus’ Senior Marketing Analyst for the A350 XWB Family, during a forum presentation at the Paris Air Show.
Tessier said the A350 XWB cockpit represents Airbus’ next step in its evolution of the flight crew’s “front office,” incorporating six large screens to improve the presentation of data and facilitating the exchange of information between the pilots. These 15-inch displays are identical, which allows data to be “hot-swapped” between them, while their common part number simplifies maintenance and reduces spares requirements for airlines.
Architecture simplification also is applied to the aircraft’s fuel system, which uses only three tanks (two in the wing, and one in the centre). The result is a reduction in the number of pumps and valves, and a maximisation of fuel volume and availability.
The A350 XWB’s integrated modular avionics operates on a full duplex switched state-of-the-art Ethernet data bus, providing improved data transfer at broadband speed with reduced complexity.
