Airbus Achieves Milestone with First Giant Cargo Door for the A350F
Airbus has completed the manufacturing and assembly of the first main cargo door of the A350F at its Illescas plant in Spain. The component was delivered to the final assembly line in Toulouse for integration and testing in the coming weeks.
Innovative Design for Enhanced Operations
The main cargo door of the A350F is the largest in the aerospace industry. It features a cutout width of 4.5 meters and a height of 4.3 meters, designed to facilitate, speed up, and secure loading and unloading operations. Positioned at the rear of the fuselage to maintain an optimal center of gravity during loading, it is made from composite materials and equipped with an electric actuation system for opening and closing.
Manufacturing and Assembly Process
The Airbus facility in Illescas manufactures the skins and assembles the door before delivery for integration into the fuselage. During the pre-series production, the first doors will be installed in Toulouse. Once serial production is initiated, the doors will be delivered from Illescas to Hamburg for integration into the rear section of the fuselage and installation of the actuation systems, before being transported to Toulouse as per the Airbus production process.