Royal Aeronautical Society : Toulouse Branch Gordon Corps Lecture

Airbus announced in early 2018 that it was studying a development to its A321 family of aircraft, the principal target being to extend the range of the aircraft to more than 4500NM. The principal driver to extending the range would be to increase the fuel capacity; this in turn would require an increase to the maximum take-off weight (MTOW) up to 101 tonnes. Considering that the A321 is basically a stretched A320, whose wing, structure and landing gear was initially designed and certified for a MTOW of just 68 tonnes, this represents perhaps the ultimate development of this highly successful family.

In this lecture, the modifications to the aircraft will be presented and the associated flight testing required to achieve CS25 certification will be explained in detail. The technical aspects will be complemented by some behind-the-scenes anecdotes to illustrate the way of working which was recognised by EASA shortly after the end of the certification campaign : Despite immense technical and non-technical pressures, the Airbus Flight Test Team exhibited a remarkable blend of technical expertise, innovative problem-solving, and an unwavering commitment to safety. Their exemplary attitude and performance ensured that every aspect of the A321XLR not only met, but sometimes exceeded, the stringent CS25 certification requirements, certainly setting a new benchmark for long-range single-aisle aircraft.

Hybrid event - streamed and recorded on Gmeet