A350 XWB first test flight this friday

[Nibb31]

http://www.dailytech.com/Airbus+A350+XWB+to+Take+First+Flight+Friday+Looks+to+Challenge+Boeing+Dreamliner/article31742.htm

It's not everyday that a new aircraft gets it's first maiden flight. I happen to live right and work right next to the Airbus factory in Toulouse, and I hope I'll be able to witness the first flight of the A350, which is scheduled at 10am this friday. This will mark the start of a year-long certification campaign and the first deliveries will start in 2014.

I watched the first flight of the A380, and we get to see regular flights of the A400M and the good old A300ST Beluga, but the A350 is definitely the sexiest airliner ever!

I'll try to get some exclusive pics and upload them here

[Latcarf]

I hope this link works. Is that a graveyard?

https://www.google.com/maps/preview#!data=!1m4!1m3!1d1331!2d1.3719102!3d43.6132347!2m1!1e3&fid=7

[Nibb31]

Not a graveyard, it's the collection of Ailes Anciennes, a historical preservation society that's been restoring old planes for years. The collection has been moving around various parts of the Airbus factory for years, waiting for a permanent location. I've visited them once or twice, most of the planes are in dire need of some tender loving care, so it's quite sad. There are some interesting pieces however: the old Super Guppy, a Breguet double-decker, a Caravelle, two Noratlas, a DC-3 and lots of old military jets from all countries... The city council is finally building a proper museum, which will open next year, north of the Airbus factory, which will have the planes you see on the picture. Airbus will also be donating the two Concordes that are in Toulouse (one is the 001 prototype, which is quite different from the production aircraft) and the first A300B prototype.

http://www.aeroscopia-blagnac.fr/

[Nibb31]

Lots of cars parked around the Blagnac airport this morning, people with cameras and binoculars... The maiden flight of the A350 should be in about an hour now. I took my camera to work this morning, I hope I can go outside and get a shot or two ;-)

[Nibb31]

Damn, I got stuck in a meeting and missed it... Pfff...

Its flight path is to go out over the Atlantic, then down to Spain and back up to Toulouse over the Pyrenean mountains. I find it amazing that the first flight of a new model aircraft is a 4-hour flight!

Here's the video, it's a beautiful bird:

http://api.dmcloud.net/player/pubpage/4f3d114d94a6f66945000325/51bad01506361d6273000096/c5bdf128d0d34b08ac1f84bc59d621eb?wmode=transparent&autoplay=1

You can follow its flight here:

http://www.flightradar24.com/AIB350

Edited June 14, 2013 by Nibb31

[Nibb31]

Finally managed to get a picture of it, just before landing. Sorry for the poor quality, my main camera ran out of batteries at the last minute.

The white dot on the left is the chase plane.

[DisarmingBaton5]

A350 or 787?

That is the question.

[PakledHostage]

A350 or 787?

That is the question.

It's a flash-back to high school...

B787 and A350: The two pretty girls that kind of look the same

B747 and A380: The pretty girl and her DUFF.

[Fuzzy Dunlop]

The A350 is definitely the sexiest airliner ever!

Lies! Concorde! Also the Lockheed Constellation was utterly gorgeous.

[tavert]

Technically, A350's more of an incremental improvement approach, less risk of as many / as bad teething problems as 787 has had, but also less potential for lower operating costs long-term. Moving towards more composite construction, but not going as heavily into electrified systems as Boeing did.