Airbus engineers are integrating the main cargo doors for the A350F freighter into the first test aircraft ahead the start of testing next month.
The European aircraft maker is manufacturing two A350F aircraft for a flight-testing campaign that will run from 2026 to 2027.
The main deck cargo doors were produced at Illescas, Spain and are 4.5m wide and 4.3m tall, to make loading and unloading easier, faster, and safer. The doors are in the rear fuselage to maintain an optimal centre of gravity during loading and are made from composite materials with an electrical open/close actuation system.
The doors were delivered to the Final Assembly Line in Toulouse earlier this month and are being integrated into the fuselage of the first test aircraft and will undergo testing in the coming weeks.
The Airbus plant in Illescas is one of Airbus’ centres for the manufacturing of large-scale, complex composite surfaces and manufactures the skins and assembles the door before it is delivered for its integration into the fuselage.
While the cargo doors are being installed in in Toulouse for the test aircraft, once serial production the door installation process will happen in Hamburg.
Ricardo Rojas, president of Airbus’ Commercial Aircraft business in Spain said, “This milestone demonstrates Spain’s role in the production of our commercial aircraft, including the A350F programme.”
The A350F has a range of up to 8,700km (5,400 miles) with a payload of up to 111 tonnes. Around 70% of the aircraft is made of carbon fiber reinforced polymers, titanium, and aluminum alloys, making it 46 tonnes lighter than competitors, said Airbus.
The A350F is powered by the latest Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, enabling a reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions of up to 20% when compared to previous generation aircraft with a similar payload-range capability and can also operate with up to 50% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) at the entry-into-service point, with the aim for 100% capability by 2030, as with all Airbus aircraft.
Airbus has 101 orders from 14 customers for the A350F.
