A350 nærmer seg testflyging

Airbus Installs Engines, APU on First A350 XWB

Airbus has installed the two Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines on its first flight-test A350 XWB, as it prepares for the aircraft for its maiden flight this summer.

The A350 team is also installing the new Honeywell HGT1700 auxiliary power unit (APU) on the aircraft at the company’s production facilities in Toulouse, France this week. Airbus said the APU features a greater power density and higher efficiency than previous generation APUs.

Rolls-Royce’s Trent XWB engines received engine type certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency last month, and have undergone a series of flight tests on an A380 test bed aircraft since February 2012.

The A350 will continue undergoing ground tests before moving on to painting in April, leading up to its maiden flight later this year. Airbus plans on delivering the first A350 to its launch customer, Qatar Airways, in early 2014.