Newbiepilot wrote:I would love to know what type of technology that Airbus would try to bring from the A350 to an A322. Would we see a composite wing? Would they go for a variable camber design? I don't know that much about the A350.
To try and bring the thread back on track .....
One assumes that the A320 plus plus has both a new wing and a stretch.
A new wing would clearly be an all-new CFRP wing (I'd guess in the 42m-45m span range)
If so, it will unquestionably IMO incorporate the best tech it can, including the variable camber and span-wise flaps from the A350.
The A320 is going to go 2E2H whether there is a MOM or not, so figure on commonality with the A350/A380 systems
Also per the conversation earlier, 3D printed parts will continue to evolve on the A320 platform subject to the trade-off constraints Mjoelnir identified in that informative 3D printing post. Whether there is a MOM or not.
Keejse also posted some assumptions on fuel tankage - I have some concerns about these.
By my fag-packet calcs, a 5 000Nm range A322 with a fuselage 1m longer than the 757-200, with the above wing, would need to be of the order of 108t-110t MTOW, and would need about 30t of fuel tanked to achieve its range.
I think that is an issue if it is going to require ACT's to achieve this (or at least lots of them)
Airbus will want to keep the wing wetted area to a minimum, so there's a trade-off between that and the fuel capacity.
I'm guessing a new wing would also mean a new centre wing box. But I believe (and I think the MAX and 777X experience reflect this) that the confluence of systems that any aircraft will experience in its architecture makes putting a bigger wing box into an existing design really difficult unless the airframer embarks on some serious system re-integration.
I think if Airbus are serious about the "low-cost A320 derivative", they will try and keep this sort of stuff to a minimum.
hence why I think achieving 5 000nm is more of an issue for the A320 ++ than it is for an all-new MOM
Just some thoughts
Rgds