#13 - Quick news - October 2016

October 2016 edition1. PROGRAMMES & PRODUCT NEWSA350 XWB lifecycle fatigue testing accomplishedFatigue tests for the A350 XWB, conducted at the purpose-built IABG test house near Munich since 2014, have recently concluded. This was achieved after the test specimen, referred to as "EF2", had effectively flown three times the design life of the aircraft. While the official requirement is for two times the nominal design life to be simulated, the EF2 specimen simulated 86,400 flights. This was not only to validate the design and predict maintenance requirements over the life of the aircraft and beyond, but also to gain an even deeper understanding for future development margins of the structure. EF2 represented the A350's centre fuselage, two wings and the belly fairing. With 4,000 measurement channels on EF2, the component teams tracked the performance of the structure over time through physical inspections. The data was analysed and the results shared with the aviation authorities for use in the aircraft's maintenance programme. Following dismantling, the specimens were sent to the original site where they were manufactured for 'tear-down' analysis.