Airbus implements larger A350F door design

Airbus has activated a previously unannounced plan by moving forward with a design for a wider cargo door for its new A350F, giving the large-widebody freighter the largest side cargo door of any current modern jet. Under the revised design, which was the result of continuous dialogue with customers, the A350F’s large cargo door will now measure 175 inches in width instead of the 146.5 inches on the version that Airbus initially announced , the France-based manufacturer told Cargo Facts. The height of the door will remain the same at 124 inches. [caption id="attachment_56860862" align="alignright" width="450"] The A350F’s cargo door will take up one additional frame. (Photo/Airbus)[/caption] In comparison, Boeing’s new 777-8F will feature the same maindeck cargo door as that on the 777F, measuring 146.5 inches in width and 120 inches in height, the planemaker confirmed to Cargo Facts . The A350F’s wider door, which will be produced in Spain, will take up one additional frame in the aft direction but will have no impact on the payload of the freighter and enable smoother handling of large items, leading to lower turnaround times, less manpower and less risk of damage, Airbus told Cargo Facts . The manufacturer added that the larger door, which it had previously designed but waited to implement until design maturity, is partly enabled by the new production standard that all A350s starting from the 500th unit — delivered to Spain-based Iberia at the end of September — will incorporate, including enhancements such as a weight reduction of up to 1.2 tonnes by “optimizing systems and structures and increasing the use of advanced materials which already represent more than 70% of the aircraft,” according to an Airbus statement. With the preliminary design phase now completed and suppliers all selected, the manufacturing phase for the A350F has now begun. Planning for a cargo-loading system test rig in Bremen is progressing, while testing of other cargo systems is underway, including a mockup in Hamburg of the freighter’s supernumerary area, Airbus said. The 71-meter-long A350F has the same engines, wings and landing gear as the passenger A350-1000 but is five frames shorter. The first flight of the prototype is being planned for late 2024, with entry into service in 2025. As of the end of November, Airbus had secured orders for thirty-one A350Fs: seven each from Air Lease Corporation , Etihad Airways and Singapore Airlines ; four each from Air France and CMA CGM , and two from Silk Way West Airlines . Cargo Facts EMEA, the essential event for stakeholders in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, will take place live Feb. 6-8 in Dubai. Register today to take advantage of early-bird pricing.

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