Airbus A350 First Flight on Friday

[starrymarkb]

Airbus confirms that the A350 XWB first flight is planned for this Friday, 14th June, based on current visibility of the programme and the flight test status. Weather conditions permitting, the A350 XWB “MSN1” will take off from Toulouse-Blagnac airport at around 10:00 am local time.

The A350 XWB flight test teams are now carrying out the last checks on the A350 XWB “MSN1” before they give their final green light for the first flight to take place this Friday. Recent pre-first flight tests successfully carried out include the first power up of the fuel efficient Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines on MSN1, which took place on June 2nd.

The A350 XWB is the all-new mid-size long range product line comprising three versions and seating between 270 and 350 passengers in typical three-class layouts. The new family will bring a step change in efficiency compared with existing aircraft in this size category, using 25 per cent less fuel and providing an equivalent reduction in CO2 emissions. Scheduled for entry-into-service in second half of 2014, the A350 XWB has already won 613 firm orders from 33 customers worldwide.

http://www.airbus.com/newsevents/ne...us-confirms-timing-for-a350-xwb-first-flight/

That's 09:00 UK time

I'm amazed at how quick this has gone Roll Out last month and first flight on Friday. Of course there is still potential for snags but it does rather trump the 787s over 2 years between roll out and first flight

 

[83G/84D]

Given that the 787 first flight was covered extensively on BBC News and Sky News one wonders if this event will be the same?

 

[starrymarkb]

I hope so - though I'll be working so won't be able to watch live

 

[daikilo]

http://www.airbus.com/newsevents/ne...us-confirms-timing-for-a350-xwb-first-flight/

That's 09:00 UK time

I'm amazed at how quick this has gone Roll Out last month and first flight on Friday. Of course there is still potential for snags but it does rather trump the 787s over 2 years between roll out and first flight

You shouldn't be, what appeared a month ago was apparently a complete aircraft, not a cardboard cut-out. I will be checking Airbus.com as I expect they will try to post videos quickly, and maybe a livelink to the take-off and/or landing.

 

[WatcherZero]

Yeah that was amusing about the 787 rollout, that they had used temporary fasteners which were not flight certified to show it off as 'complete', moment it went back in the hanger they were disassembling it to remove the temporary fasteners.

 

[starrymarkb]

Just seen it lift off, looks very good!

A live stream is on www.youtube.com/airbus (take-off is around the 1 hour mark)

 

[trentside]

Given that the 787 first flight was covered extensively on BBC News and Sky News one wonders if this event will be the same?

It's headline news on the BBC website; pleasing given it's a European company!

Airbus A350 makes maiden test flight

The newest aircraft from European planemaker Airbus has taken off on its maiden test flight.

The Airbus A350 is designed to be more fuel-efficient, and a direct competitor to US rival Boeing's 787 Dreamliner.

It is seen as vital to the future of Airbus, which competes with Boeing to supply the majority of the world's airlines with new planes.

It took off from Blagnac airstrip in the French city of Toulouse, where the A350 is assembled, on Friday morning.

The plane will take a short trip to carry out tests, and then land back at Toulouse again.

Boeing's Dreamliner has proved popular since its first flight in 2009, despite recently being grounded by regulators over safety fears relating to its batteries.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22899952

The Airbus A350 really does look like an impressive aircraft, and I will hopefully get some time to watch more of the live stream later on.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

It's headline news on the BBC website; pleasing given it's a European company!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22899952

The Airbus A350 really does look like an impressive aircraft, and I will hopefully get some time to watch more of the live stream later on.

Wings built in Chester/Broughton, engines in Derby.
Lots of UK content (much more than the 787).

 

[starrymarkb]

A lot of design work is done in Bristol too. I believe the landing gear is also designed and tested at Filton.

 

[jopsuk]

The carbon fibre prepreg* it is made from was developed at Hexcel in Duxford. Much of the prepreg is made here too, and for prepreg made elsewhere in Europe, the resin films are made in Duxford- so every last piece of the carbon fibre structure (50 tonnes of it!) at some point is processed in the UK.

The carbon fibre itself is made in the US and in Spain, from polymer made in the US. Prepreg using films from Duxford is made in France, Germany and Spain, near Airbus plants using the material.

*sheets of carbon fibre with uncured resin incorporated.

 

[futureA]

It looks impressively sharp. It looks like some interesting orders are on the way as well.

 

[starrymarkb]

Looks like it will be doing a flypast at the Paris Airshow tomorrow

 

[jopsuk]

and it did. Seems flight testing has been going very well, with on some days the flight crew taking little more than thirty minute refuelling breaks between flights.