A350 XWB: THE DESIGN WAS RECONSIDERED, NOT MERELY RENAMED
The letters XWB mark a real turning point. The WTO record distinguishes the original A350 work from the later A350 XWB and discusses the development of composite technologies during 2004-2006. The modern aircraft should therefore not be described as if its final definition had been fixed at the first mention of the A350 name. The design and the commercial case were being reconsidered under competitive pressure. [210, WT/DS316/RW, paragraphs 6.516-6.517; Original A350 and A350 XWB development]
On 1 December 2006 the EADS board authorised the XWB industrial programme. Its announcement explicitly tied the decision to Power8 and to risk-sharing partners, with development expenditure planned across 2007-2014. That is a useful companion to the later first-flight and delivery milestones: before passengers could judge the cabin, Airbus had to commit to a new product and a way of funding and building it. [219, Industrial launch; Power8 assumption; funding and development period]
An A350-900 in Airbus' corporate archive. The XWB programme followed a substantial reconsideration of the original A350 proposal. Image: Airbus heritage collection; credits in source p.48. [170, PDF p. 43]
The A350-1000 in the manufacturer's archive. The longer A350 made its first flight on 24 November 2016. Image: Airbus heritage collection; source credits p.48. [170, PDF p. 44] [176, PDF p. 20]