Airbus is launching ACJ350 XWB – the corporate jet version of its popular, highly-publicized A350 XWB airliner. The company said in a press release that the ultra-long range variant of the ACJ350 can carry 25 passengers for up to 10,800 nautical miles, or 22 hours. In addition to the added space, the modification getting the most attention is the mechanism Airbus has developed that allows the ACJ350 to be customized without damaging the composite fuselage made by Spirit AeroSystems.
As part of its signature “Easyfit” technology, the ACJ350 will feature a number of factory-fitted attachment points where dividing walls and bulkheads can be secured later to meet customer specifications.
As Bloomberg explains, the approach does away with the need for the drilling of hundreds of holes, which is a straightforward process with traditional aluminum fuselages but problematic with modern carbon fiber fuselages featuring layers of laminate that split in different directions. Airbus says it has worked extensively with several cabin outfitters to ensure smooth completions for customers.
