Airbus is to optimise the wing of the A380 further as part of the aerodynamic refreshment of the aircraft which is being branded the A380plus.
The A380plus – which would enter service around 2020 if formally launched – is a development study which will include installation of winglets on the aircraft.
As part of this wing adaptation the A380 will undergo a camber modification, increasing the height by 30mm between ribs 18 and 30 on each side.
The outer wing will be slightly retwisted, said A380 marketing chief Frank Vermiere, speaking as the airframer showed off the winglets on its MSN4 test aircraft during the Paris air show.
Airbus will also adapt the upper belly fairing on the double-deck aircraft. "It's an opportunity to further optimise the wing," says Vermiere.
The weight of the winglets and the wing modifications has not been disclosed. But Vermiere says the final result is intended to be weight-neutral, with other changes introduced to offset the penalty.
"We wanted to maintain the same [range] performance," he adds.
These changes will include simplifying the waste system on board the jet. The A380 has four waste tanks – two 675-litre tanks on the main deck and two 373-litre tanks on the upper deck – with a total capacity of nearly 2,100 litres.
But Vermiere says the airframer will "delete" two of the tanks and instead adopt a dual-tank installation for waste.
The A380plus will have improved fuel pumps, with greater reliability, as well as a new flight-management system to maximise fuel savings, and lighter, higher-resolution in-flight entertainment equipment.
Airbus is offering extended range, through a 3t hike in maximum take-off weight, and has previously unveiled several proposed interior cabin changes which will be part of the A380plus development.
But Vermiere says the airframer will aim to increase the efficiency of maintenance, extending A- and C-check, as well as base maintenance intervals, from 2018.
Light maintenance intervals will be lengthened from 750h to 1,000h while base intervals will expand from 24 months, or 12,000h, to 36 months or 18,000h. The combination of all these maintenance schedules means the A380plus would be available for an extra six days in a single year.
Vermiere says that Airbus opted for A380plus enhancements which the company could "bring to market quickly". The airframer is discussing engine performance improvements with both powerplant manufacturers, he adds, but there is no plan to offer a re-engined version of the A380.
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Source: Cirium Dashboard
