24 September 2014

How much fuel can the A350 hold?

The A350 XWB is what Airbus says an “eco-efficient aircraft”. A350 XWB “burns 25% less fuel than the previous generation of comparable long-range twin-aisle aircraft.”

The fuel consumption is typically an airline’s largest cost. The new-generation Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines are key for this high efficiency, as well as the optimized weight, aerodynamics and advanced systems.

Source: © Airbus




But when talking about the usable fuel capacity, how much fuel can the A350 hold in their tanks?

A350-900 has a capacity for 138.000 litres (36,456 US gallons.) that implies 108,3 Tns (238827 lb) with typical density of 0.785 kg/l considered. 

Source: © Airbus



The A350-1000 has more capacity: 156.000 litres (41,211. US gallons)


Rolls said a year ago that “initial results from testing of the Trent XWB-84s delivered to Toulouse for installation on the first A350-900 show fuel-burn performance meets specification and is slightly improved over that seen on earlier flight-test units.”




But considering the fuel burn a critical performance discriminator between A350 and it´s competitors, both Rolls and Airbus has declined to give specific numbers and they only remark that “the A350-1000 will have up to a 25% fuel-burn-per-passenger advantage over the current Boeing 777-300ER, and up to an 8% operating cost advantage for the other versions over the initial Boeing 787”.

Source: © Airbus



The Trent XWB’s main selling point is its efficiency, burning fuel at 2,000⁰ C, Rolls-Royce says that the XWB has a 16% advantage over the first Trent engines of 1995 and is 10% more efficient than the previous generation of engines. Rolls estimates it will give customers US$2.5 million in fuel savings per plane, per year.



Based on the article “A350 Trent XWB Fuel Consumption Improves In Tests” published in Aviation Week. 

7 comments:

  1. Thks to provide some 'in depth' technical news!

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  2. can anyone twll me the fuel capacity and OEW of 787-9

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  3. "....and up to an 8% operating cost advantage for the other versions over the initial Boeing 787”.
    sounds pretty vague

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  4. Data from the Type Certification

    Fuel quantity
    Tanks Usable Fuel (litres)
    Wing 29,963
    Center 81,052
    Total 140,978

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  5. Hi, I'm looking for the origional source of the fuel tank image you have, could you share this please?

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  6. Turbine jet engines like this do not use "fuel" and planes like 787 do not store tons of fuel in wings taken up by machanisms for flaps. Search on "jet fuel hoax" and witness the stunning revelation that these type of engines create, basically, "free energy" via self-sustaining vorticies and subsequent compressed air output that sustains flight power-- no fuel needed.

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