Airbus begins producing first metal cuts for new A350F freighter

A recently formed segment of the Airbus Group, Airbus Atlantic began producing lithium-aluminium components for the initial parts of its new A350F freighter model at the Nantes facility in France.

This is the first stepping stone in the formation of a new aircraft and is essentially addressed as "the first metal cuts". The conventional flight parts are made of carbon fibre, but the company has explored the potential of lithium-aluminium bonding in this case.

As per the records of Airbus Atlantic, the very first part manufactured for the A350F freighter was the core wing box, a continuous structure that aligns the aircraft's wings.

In comparison with the A350 flight models, the component developed for the A350F is super-reinforced, composed of a rigid mixture of aluminium and lithium to endure the extreme loads on the floor beams of the cabin.

Airbus commented upon the launch of its freighter range A350 XWB in November 2021: "This means that the aircraft is coming to reality in just under 1.5 years after the new freighter was officially unveiled to the industry."

Airbus Atlantic will install the center wing box on the A350F freighter at its Montoir-de-Bretagne facility so that it remains joined with the center fuselage section. Next, the chassis would be delivered to the A350 production line in Toulouse by a Beluga freighter for complete assembly.

The A350F freighter has been crafted to ferry a payload of 109 tonnes and is projected to enter air service by the first half of 2025. This model has been designed to compete with the global freighter market, particularly with the Boeing 777-8F, which will be commercially viable by 2027.

The most captivating part about the A350F freighter is its unique fuselage. Airbus Atlantic has used the 777-8 commercial jet platform, which Boeing does not use in its cargo A350 passenger aircraft.

The new A350F freighter is greater than the A350-900 (66.8 m) in length but smaller than the A350-1000 (73.7m) aircraft. Till now, Airbus has bagged 35 orders for its A350F freighter from different airlines and aircraft leasing brands.