Technology and Politics: Boeing 787-9/10 vs Airbus A350XWB

The two largest plane manufacturers, Airbus and Boeing have always been trying to top each other in a war of innovations. Now, both companies have come out with two planes that will take flying to a whole new level. The Boeing 787-9 and the Airbus A350XWB. So which one is better?

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The maiden flight of the A350XWB

Boeing Launched it's Dreamliner program in 2009 and have come out with 3 types since. The 787-8, 787-9 and the 787-10. These planes were Boeing's idea to reduce fuel consumption and were made out of Carbon Fiber and other composite materials. They were created to be a direct competitor of the Airbus A330. This pushed the European based Airbus to come up with another plane that could rival the 787. So, they came out with the A350XWB which, like the 787, was created to be a fuel efficient plane used for long haul flights. The A350XWB also has 3 models. The A350-800, the A350-900 and the A350-1000.

Range and Dimensions

The new Boeing 787-10 on which Boeing says it will start construction on in 2017 has a seating capacity of 330 with 2 class configuration. The Airbus A350 on the other hand has only 225 seats but with 3 class configuration. According to the Boeing and Airbus websites, the older Boeing 787-9 has a superior range of 7,635 nautical miles while the A350 has a range of 7,600 nmi. Boeing says that the new 787-10 will have a range up to 8,200 nmi but we don't know for sure yet. The Airbus

A350-900 beats the Boeing 787-10 in all dimensions except length. here is a table that shows the dimensions of both planes.

Note: The width of the 787 is smaller, but it has an option of having 8 or 9 seats in a row while the A350 has 9.

Fuel Efficiency

Boeing claims that the 787-10 is 25% more fuel efficient than similar sized planes but Airbus claims the same for the A350XWB. Both planes are made out of carbon fiber and other composite materials that make the plane lighter and thus more fuel efficient. The planes also have new and fuel efficient engines. Boeing has been working with two engines for the Dreamliner. The Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 and the General Electric while Airbus has only been working with one engine for the A350. The Rolls-Royce TrentXWB

Interior

Windows

The windows of a 787

The windows on the Dreamliner are one of the first things that catch the passengers' eyes. These windows are 70% bigger than older aircraft and 30% bigger than it's contemporaries. The A350's windows are bigger than other Airbus aircrafts' but noticeably smaller than the Dreamliner windows.

Another difference between the windows' is how they shut out light. Boeing has dimmable windows that can be dimmed or brightened again by pressing buttons. The A350, on the other hand has the classic shut out blind windows.

Lighting

The interior of a 787

Both Airbus and Boeing have gone above and beyond to provide the best LED lighting. Both the 787 and the A350 have millions of shades of lighting! The cabin, using the LED lighting, is programmed to look like the day sky with the sun in the day and the night sky with the moon and stars at night. This lets the passengers sleep and adjust to the time zone shift, thus reducing jet lag

Passenger Comfort

Both planes use stronger but lighter carbon-fiber fuselages that make the cabin more comfortable. The cabins will be pressurized to 6000 ft instead of the standard 8000 ft to make the passengers more comfortable. Both planes also use air filters and cycle out air every few minutes.

The winner? Well, the person who gains the most is the passenger! The competition between Airbus and Boeing forces both companies to innovate and create a more comfortable experience for the passenger.