Airbus has taken off for the first time the A350-1000ULR, an ultra-long-range variant designed so that commercial aircraft can cross the planet without a single stopover. The premiere took place a few days ago in Toulouse (France), where the aircraft flew three hours and 43 minutes and exceeded 41,000 feet in altitude, about 12,500 meters. We tell you everything in detail.
The plane. The A350-1000ULR is, in essence, an A350-1000 to which An extra fuel tank has been added at the rear of the fuselage. This change in its structure gives it around 1,000 nautical miles more autonomy than the standard version, that is, about 1,850 additional kilometers. With this it aims to become, once in service, the commercial aircraft with the longest range in the world, surpassing the A350-900ULR.
What was it created for?. Behind is the ambitious Project Sunrise of the Australian airline Qantas, which seeks to directly link Sydney with cities such as London or New York. The Sydney-London route exceeds 18,000 kilometers and until now required making at least one stop along the way. According to the company itselfthis aircraft will allow “direct flights between two continents that have never before been connected without stopovers.”
The 22 hour challenge. The A350-1000ULR is designed to endure journeys of up to 22 hours uninterrupted, and that changes certain priorities from an engineering point of view, since the range alone is not enough, it is also important that the cabin is bearable for almost an entire day. That is why the certification will analyze ventilation, temperature control and a new cooling system for the onboard kitchens, lighter and more efficient. On a plane like this, every kilo counts for consumption. The cabin will also have a special configuration with a space where passengers can stretch their legs.
What happens now. The inaugural flight opens the season for an entire test campaign of about two months aimed at certifying all the modifications. The device that has flown, identified as MSN 707carries specific test instrumentation and will later be reconditioned to have all Qantas commercial configurations.
Curiously, it will not be the first to arrive at the airline, since the second device is in an advanced assembly phase and, since it is not carrying the test equipment, will be delivered soonerscheduled for April 2027 and a four-class cabin.
Figures for an ambitious project. Qantas has ordered 12 units of this version for Project Sunrise, in addition to another 12 standard A350-1000s to reinforce its international network. The model is the fourth passenger variant of the A350 family which, according to Airbus data, had accumulated some 1,579 orders from 68 customers and more than 700 aircraft operating on long-haul routes at the end of April of this year. The range will soon grow with the A350Fthe upload version that is still in development.
Cover image | Airbus
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