The first A350 XWB flight test aircraft has moved to the Station 30 ground test station at Airbus’ final assembly line in Toulouse, France following its structural assembly and initial electrical power-on in the facility’s main assembly hall (Station 40) . Image from Airbus. Click for larger.
This is a copy and paste from a press release issued by Airbus…
Airbus has successfully completed the main structural assembly and system connection of A350 XWB ’˜MSN1’ ’“ the first flight-test aircraft. The aircraft is depicted here on its wheels for the very first time moving out of the main assembly hall (Station 40) at the recently inaugurated ’œRoger Bteille’ A350 XWB Final Assembly Line in Toulouse. It then entered the adjacent indoor ground test station (Station 30).
The structurally-complete no. 1 A350 XWB flight test aircraft is shown during its transfer at the Airbus final assembly line in Toulouse, France ’“ moving from Station 40 in the main assembly hall to the adjacent indoor ground test station (Station 30) . Image from Airbus. Click for larger.
The assembly work performed in Station 40 included the successful electrical power-on of the aircraft’s entire fuselage and wings. Soon work in Station 30 will start by testing the aircraft’s hydraulic system, followed by the full electric and hydraulic power-on of the aircraft which will be completed by around the end of the year. This will mark the start of several weeks of comprehensive functional system testing.
With its main structural assembly and system connections complete, the first A350 XWB flight test aircraft (designated MSN1) was moved from the main assembly hall to the adjacent indoor ground test station at Airbus’ final assembly line in Toulouse, France . Image from Airbus. Click for larger.
After the A350 XWB MSN1 exits station 30, the aircraft will go through a series of extensive production and certification / development tests, be painted and have its engines installed. It will then be delivered to the flight-line and be readied for its first flight in mid-2013.
UPDATE: Airbus has confirmed that the front doors on the A350, as shown in this photo, will be closed on the ground during normal operations. “The forward set of doors only will be open when the gear is being extended or retracted,” Airbus stated to AirlineReporter.com. “The reason that they are open in this picture is that the aircraft is not hydraulically ’œactive’ at the point when the picture was snapped and there was no reason to close the doors for the short road trip.”
David,
Flyable is a bit of a stretch at this point – no engines, no wingbox, vertical fin not complete, probably no systems… cool pictures though. I think what you meant to say is this is the first A350 that Airbus intends to eventually fly.
Great work on the site, keep it up!
Hey Alberto!
I actually copied most of that title from Airbus’ press release — oops and good reason why not to do that.
I think you are right, it is sort of misleading and I have updated. Although I bet the aircraft could “fly” just not take off or land very well.
David
For a “Wide Body”, it looks narrow….. almost 757ish?
Well, it is EXTRA wide-bodied :).
Looks like the A350 has a fuselage width of about 19’7″. The 757 has 12’4″. The A350 is set to compete more against the 777 which has a width of 20’4″.
jeez this thing is ugly, but i geuss thats what to expect from airbus. nice to see a new aircraft type rolling out though
I agree with David,I think the fuselage looks a little too narrow.I would think it would be as wide and as the A340-600 or the triple7 with wings about the same size & engines the size used on the 777
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the wheels look too little don’t you think? looks more like a a321
It’s looks are a little disappointing it almost reminds me of the old Vickers Vanguard except that had propellers !!
I am very excited to see the Airbus A350XWB competing with Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner. I think Airbus has a winner because it can learn from 787’s defects and drawbacks that hit the news recently. Boeing (or any company) has to learn that rushing a product out prior to thorough (I mean really thorough) evaluation processes can be costly, in particular one that involves a product that deploys revolutionary technologies.