In total the France should make an advance of 1

Three years after its launch, the horizon remains cleared for the A350 XWB (extra-wide body"), the future long-haul Airbus Jet. Program broke as expected a new stage of its development, last Friday, with the manufacture of the first element of structure at the plant in Nantes: a panel of 36 m2 carbon - the largest ever manufactured in Nantes - destined for the central wing box. This is the beginning of the construction of the first copy, in accordance with the schedule, which must lead to a first flight early 2012 and the first deliveries current 2013. According to internal sources, most of the technical problems encountered in the development phase has been resolved in a satisfactory manner, including those related to the risk of lightning strikes, especially important on composite aircraft.

Commercially, the A350 has crossed the Cape of 500 firm orders last month, which is already one of the biggest successes of Airbus, despite competition from the Boeing 787. On the thorny issue of the funding for this project from 11 to 12 billion euros, it also appears to being fastened. After years of discussions, the payment of reimbursable advances promised by the France, the Germany, the Spain and the United Kingdom for a total of at least EUR 3.1 billion is expected to begin next year. The France and the Spain should sign the first cheques. The French payment will not made public, to not exacerbate tensions with the United States, but it will appear in the next Finance Act, under consideration in Parliament. In total, the France should make an advance of 1.4 billion, against 1.1 for the Germany. For its part, the Spain has already been vote a lead of 278 million.

On the other hand, the Germany and the United Kingdom are not yet ready to pay, even if their contribution is granted on the principle. The change of Government has delayed things at Berlin, while the terms of the British involvement - advance repayable or simple loan - are not arrested. Nevertheless, London would be prepared to pay up to EUR 500 million. Other repayable advances should be granted to the major Airbus partners who have made the request, such as Latécoère, for hundreds of millions more. In the end, 33 of the programme should thus be prefinanced by States, to support for Airbus and its subcontractors then repay these amounts, with some royalties. And this, despite the pending proceedings before the World Trade Organization and the American threat to initiate a new procedure.

Problems on the fuselage

"The A350 will well," summarized yesterday Louis Gallois, CEO of EADS, in an interview with the "Financial Times". The Group envisages therefore not seek its shareholders to finance, despite reports of commands other aircraft that weigh on the cash for Airbus.

Party with five years behind on the Boeing 787, the A350 XWB and regained part of the ground lost after the failure of its first version, although the B787, which the first flight should take place by the end of the year, retains a serious advance. If Airbus to his calendar, the A350 would be launched the same year as the same version capacity of the B787. A condition that the newest of Airbus does not know the same taunts his rival or other Airbus programmes. This is by no means be won. If rumours of delay of a year or two appear to be unfounded, Airbus engineers met with persistent difficulties in the central part of the fuselage. For the junction of the wings and fuselage, which had already caused problems on the A380 and earned several months of delay for the Boeing 787. The resistance of the stiffeners is also proven to be insufficient. The challenge is to develop solutions to strengthen the weak points without excessively increasing the weight of the aircraft, main challenge, which depend on the performance of the A350.