Let the air war begin...

[Agschmid]

With Boeing's 787 Dreamliner reeling from recent and well-publicized setbacks, the commercial airline industry is no doubt eagerly awaiting the first flight of Airbus' next new airplane, the A350 XWB.

Although Airbus isn't saying when it will unveil the all-new A350 XWB (the XWB stands for "extra-wide body&quot , there is plenty of speculation that those attending this summer's Paris Air Show will get to see the plane in flight.

This would be big news for a number of airlines, who no doubt are wondering if they can afford to tie themselves to the Dreamliner, given that aircraft's global grounding in the wake of battery fires aboard some of the next-generation planes.

For Airbus, the A350 XWB presents a wealth of opportunity, since the plane was designed to compete directly with both the 787 Dreamliner and Boeing's 777 and 777-X. It is, as Airchive.com wrote, the "War of the Wide-bodies."

http://news.cnet.com/8301-10797_3-57575248-235/its-airbus-a350-vs-boeings-dreamliner-in-the-war-of-the-wide-bodies/



In this world economy who are you going to be rooting for?

[Nuclear Unicorn]

1. The tips are curled up

Did they leave it in the dryer too long?

[Agschmid]

2. Damn carbon fiber shrinks on the "high" setting...

[SugarShack]

3. Most planes do that.....

[Agschmid]

5. The poster is right though the first picture is...

quite dramatic bend, didn't notice that before!

The new 737 Advanced blended wing tip:

[Cooley Hurd]

7. The 737 and the B-52 - airframes worth every cent paid in development!

The 737 is 50 years old and the B-52 is freakin' 60!!!

[Agschmid]

8. And they both will be flying for quite a while! n/t

[Cooley Hurd]

4. Only if Bill Allen were still alive...

He was in charge of Boeing during their heyday (1940-1970) - back when they tested the hell out of their aircraft.

[Agschmid]

6. Mulally did a great job with the 777 as well! n/t