Airbus has completed a portable mock-up of its new A350 XWB cabin, which is now on display at the airframer’s marketing centre in Toulouse.
The mock-up, which was transported to Bordeaux in early September to be exhibited at the A350 customer focus group meeting, comprises a mix of economy and premium economy seats in eight and nine abreast layouts.
Equipped with fairly basic furnishings and eight and nine abreast economy seating, the demonstrator is designed to enable customers to make direct comparisons with the 787, rather than to articulate cabin concepts as previous Airbus mock-ups have, says Robert Lange, head of aircraft interiors marketing. “It is designed to allow customers to come along with their tape-measures and understand exactly what they can fit in the XWB’s cabin.”
The XWB mock-up’s eight abreast, two-four-two arrangement is a premium economy layout, says Lange. “In this configuration, the seats are 19.5in [49.5cm] wide between 2in wide arm rests.” He adds that the width is 0.5in greater than the seat on a Boeing 787 in the equivalent configuration.
In the nine abreast, three-three-three economy layout, the A350’s seat width is 17.7in, again 0.5in wider than the 787 seat in similar configuration, says Lange.
Airbus has finalised the A350’s double-lobe fuselage cross-section, with an maximum outer diameter of 5.97m – this compares with 5.64m for the legacy Airbus widebodies. The A350 cabin’s internal diameter is 5.61m wide at armrest level, compared with 5.49m that Boeing quotes for the 787, says Lange.
Airbus A350 XWB specifications ...
Source: FlightGlobal.com
