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Learn about the manufacturing process of the A350 aircraft, the largest and most modern aircraft currently in production at Airbus

In the past, flying in Brazil or abroad meant more than going from one place to another: it was a luxurious event, synonymous with refinement and glamour. Times have changed and today, on a normal day, more than 200,000 flights take off and land worldwide.

But have you ever stopped to think about how the giants that take us to the other side of the world in a few hours are built? We were invited to an exclusive tour for journalists at the Airbus factory in Toulouse, France, and we saw up close how the assembly of an A350 works.

The experience of seeing an aircraft taking shape up close, in addition to all the investment made in technology, design and materials to produce increasingly efficient aircraft is incredible, even more so at the Airbus factory, which has the best-selling commercial aircraft family in history . To give you an idea, the A320 model alone has more than 10,500 planes in operation.

The group intends to reach, by 2035, the manufacture of aircraft with neutral carbon emissions, with sustainable processes and 100% offset, and, already in 2050, it wants to have aircraft with zero carbon emissions, with hydrogen engines.

Building an A350

The A350 has three major sections: the rear, middle and nose of the plane. All sections are assembled at different stations, and the parts are transported by Beluga, the Airbus transport plane. The wings come from the UK, the center and nose from France, and the central part from Spain. Also, some stabilizers and other sections come from Germany.

As soon as the housing arrives, it is directed to station 59, and as it is still open, the internal assembly is carried out first, such as the electrical part and the cockpit. Once ready, the carcass is transported to station 50, where the nose and middle of the plane are installed. It is after this that the wings are attached, at station 40, as well as the completion of the internal part of the wiring, insulation and structural elements. Also at this station, the vertical and horizontal stabilizers and the main landing gear are placed.

Now that the aircraft is assembled, it’s time to install the seats. Only three classes are installed on Airbus: executive, premium economy and economy. If the airline that ordered it wants to install the first class, it must put it in its own hangar.

With the interior and exterior complete, the painting is done according to the contractor’s choices. Remembering that both the inside and outside are completely customizable, from the seats to the color of the hallway lights. And after painting, the installation of the engines begins.

After that, the fuel is put in and some test flights are made, and if all goes well, the plane is ready to be delivered.

Some details are made by the airline itself, such as entertainment and air conditioning. If the plane has internal adhesive, it is also the responsibility of the company that hired it.

The Airbus A350 has capacity for 334 passengers, 33 in business class and 301 in economy class. The seats are arranged in rows of 3-3-3, that is, three seats on the sides and three more in the center, between the aisles. In the executive, the layout is 1-2-1.

The design of this model started as an improved version of the A330, this time with fuel economy and considerably quieter. Around 60% of the A350’s structure is built with lighter materials, such as plastics reinforced with carbon fibers and aluminum-lithium alloys.

*The reporter traveled at the invitation of Azul Linhas Aéreas.



Source: CNN Brasil

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