**2.8 787 vs. A350**

The Boeing 787 and the Airbus A350 aircraft share many similarities in size, configuration, manufacturing methods and mission (**Figure 26**). The primary difference between the composite fuselage structures of the two programs is the exclusive usage of IML controlled cure tooling and full barrel fabrication applied by Boeing and the sector panel approach selected by Airbus with a high percent incorporation of cobonded fuselage skin stiffeners. The true results of these decisions will not be known until more information can be collected about actual fabrication and assembly costs being realized by Boeing and Airbus.
