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Airbus and the European aviation safety regulator EASA have agreed on the technical requirements for the Rear Center Tank (RCT) on the A321XLR. The regulator is satisfied that adding a protective liner to the fuselage will protect the tank from foreign object damage in case of penetration of the hull.
Hey @flightradar24, we noticed you’re still tracking… we hope to see you here IRL to start “scanning” our #A321XLR flight display - if you can 😉 pic.twitter.com/woueDGzOF1
— Airbus (@Airbus) June 20, 2023
Airbus has not yet confirmed if the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has also approved the solutions for the RCT to add protection. In December, the FAA set specific design requirements for the tank after a public consultation procedure.
Boeing, which is a competitor to Airbus, raised concerns about the RCT configuration during the consultation. Boeing said that there could be a risk of fire in case of a gear failure and penetration and that passengers could be exposed to the cold from the tank when they are seated right on top of it.
The FAA said that it will require the lower half of the airplane fuselage, spanning the longitudinal area of the tank, to be resistant to fire penetration. Airbus says that it complies with this requirement by adding a structural reinforcement and internal liner to the RCT. The three XLRs used for flight testing will be reconfigured to include the modifications to the tank. The certification phase of the XLR is ongoing but should be completed by the end of next year.