A350 Design Changes Again: UPDATE

Der Spiegel is reporting this day by way of Suddeutscher Zeitung that the current "official" version of the A350-CFRP panels on a more or less conventional framework-has been rejected by potential customers including Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways and ILFC.

It is alleged that these customers are plumping for a full monolithic CFRP fuselage because the notion of panels over structure is a more maintenance intensive, intermediate stage on the road to full CFRP structure.

Of course a spokeswoman from da Festung was asked about all this (could it have been the enigmatic Barbara Kracht?) and she said "Horsefeathers!" or something like that.

Whichmore or less confirms that such a design change is in the works and will be announced with mucho fanfare at the Paris Airshow. Der Spiegel also points out that the development piggy bank is showing signs of strain and that da Festung would have to make major investments in infrastructure to acquire the kind of autoclaves that would be necessary to accomplish the task.