Airbus A350 first flight

[kiwithrottlejockey]

From the Los Angeles Times....

Airbus planning first flight with high-tech passenger jet Friday

By W. J. HENNIGAN | 12:08PM - Tuesday, June 11, 2013


The Airbus A350 XWB draws a crowd in Toulouse, France. — Photo: Airbus Industries/May 13, 2013.

EUROPEAN plane-maker Airbus announced the first flight of its new A350 XWB passenger jet is set for Friday, just days ahead of the Paris Air Show, the world's premier aviation showcase.

Weather conditions permitting, the A350 XWB will take off from Toulouse-Blagnac Airport in France, the company said.

The Paris Air Show, set to run from June 17th to June 23rd, is where airlines and aircraft leasing companies go on buying sprees, announcing orders worth billions of dollars. It's held every other year.

Airbus executives want the new jet to make a big splash. The A350 XWB is a direct competitor to rival Boeing Company’s beleaguered 787 Dreamliner in the long-haul market.

The A350 XWB seats 270 to 350 passengers in typical three-class layouts. Airbus listed the jet at $254.3 million to $332.1 million, depending on the version ordered.

The plane, which is made largely with lightweight carbon fiber, has been beset by delays, but in recent months several key tasks have been completed, including flight test instrumentation verification, engine installation and a subsequent intensive phase of ground vibration tests.

Airbus is looking to cash in after Boeing's misfortune with its 787. That plane was returned to service in May after being grounded for three months in connection with two separate incidents in less than two weeks in which the plane's lithium-ion batteries were found to be overheating.

Since then, investigators have probed the 787's battery design and certification process, but the root cause remains a mystery.

Airbus had planned on using lithium-ion batteries on the A350 XWB because it saved weight and therefore produced fuel savings, but the company switched to more traditional nickel cadmium batteries when Boeing's problems began making headlines.

Airbus said the A350 XWB has already won 613 firm orders from 33 customers worldwide. The company hopes the jet will be ready for entry into service in the second half of 2014.

www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-airbus-a350-first-flight-20130611,0,3919407.story

[flyjoe180]

A brave commercial move when you consider how much resource and money has been poured into the A380 and that aircraft's ongoing issues. Still, Boeing did it in the 70s with the 747 and then simultaneously developed smaller airliners.

[Ykato]

[ngatimozart]

A350 completes 4h maiden flight
From Flight Global.
Airbus's prototype A350-900 has completed its maiden flight, having touched down after a sortie over southern France lasting just over 4h. It lifted off from Toulouse Blagnac's runway 32L at 10:01 on 14 June after a 24s ground run. The crew concentrated the flight pattern initially on a region to the southeast and east of Toulouse, around Carcassonne and Pamiers. Full story here

[kiwithrottlejockey]

[ErrolC]

www.airbus.com/no_cache/newsevents/news-events-single/detail/the-a350-xwb-embarks-on-final-certification-phase/

World route proving tour to visit 14 cities
24 July 2014 Press Release

The world’s newest airliner, the Airbus A350-900, has taken off this morning for the final stage towards certification. These Route Proving tests are designed to demonstrate readiness for airline operations and will include high airfield performance, auto-landing trials, and airport turnaround and handling services. Some flights will have passengers on board. The A350 world tour itinerary includes 14 major airports worldwide and one route via the North Pole.

The world tour using A350 MSN5 test aircraft forms part of the route proving for certification campaign. The aircraft (MSN5) is one of the fleet of five test aircraft and one of two with a fully functional cabin (42 business class and 223 economy class seats). The A350 flights will be operated by Airbus flight crews with the participation of Airworthiness Authority pilots from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

The tests form part of the last trials required for aircraft Type Certification scheduled for Q3 this year. The first airline delivery, to Qatar Airways, will follow towards the end of the year.

The three week trial (four trips) starts in Toulouse, France. Trip one, includes destinations such as Canada via the north-pole and Frankfurt. Trip two to Asia, the world’s fastest growing aviation market, includes visits to Hong Kong and Singapore. The third trip brings the aircraft to Johannesburg and to Sydney. From Sydney it will fly to Auckland, followed by Santiago de Chile and Sao Paulo before returning to Toulouse. On the fourth and final trip, the A350 will depart from Toulouse to Doha, then onto Perth and back to Doha. From Doha it will fly to Moscow, then to Helsinki from where it will fly back to Toulouse.

Today five development A350s are flying and are actively involved in the intensive flight test programme, which has already reached over 540 flights and 2,250 flight hours.

The A350 XWB is the latest addition to the market-leading Airbus Widebody product line. Offering its customers a 25% reduction in fuel-burn, the all-new mid-size long-range A350 XWB Family comprises three versions from 276 to 369 seats. The A350 has carbon fibre fuselage and wings and sets new standards in terms of passenger experience, operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness. At the end of June 2014, the A350 XWB had won 742 orders from 38 customers worldwide.

Trip one: Toulouse-Iqaluit-Frankfurt-Toulouse

Trip two: Toulouse-Hong-Kong-Singapore-Hong-Kong-Toulouse (Hong Kong to Singapore several times)

Trip three: Toulouse-Johannesburg-Sydney-Auckland-Santiago de Chile-Sao Paulo-Toulouse

Trip four: Toulouse-Doha-Perth-Doha-Moscow-Helsinki-Toulouse