First Flights redux

It seems there are to be some more first flights coming up, so I thought I would start a thread with updates for them.

First up, the A350XWB. The first aircraft has rolled out of paint, and is expected to be handed over to the flight test division on May 17th. First flight is believed to be about 20 days after handover.

Second up, will be the C Series by Bombardier. The C Series is a narrowbody twin engine commercial aircraft. It's designed to seat up to 110 in the CS100, and 130 in the CS300. The CS100 (known as the BD500-1A10 in documentation) has received a registration number of C-FBCS. It was registered on May 6th, and expected to fly by this summer at the latest (possibly within weeks).

Airbus has stated that they are growing more confident in a summer first flight date. They haven't officially announced anything as far as a specific date goes, but best case scenario would be the week before the Paris Airshow.

The Cseries is on track for an end of June first flight as well. Company officials say that anything that might trip them up is behind them, and they're preparing for taxi tests, and to "shake up the aircraft" to ensure that flight crews are comfortable with it.

The A350 has been turned over to the flight test team. This will allow engine start, and taxi tests to take place ahead of first flight. Sources say first flight could take place within weeks, although no firm date has been set by Airbus.

The flight test team has started the engines and APU on the A350 for the first time.

www.flightglobal.com...

Bombardier has announced that the CSeries will not fly before the Paris Air Show. FTV-1 has been undergoing testing by the flight test team, and is moving along, but first flight is now looking like somewhere towards the end of June.

Both aircraft are moving forward nicely with their tests. The CSeries is on track for a late June flight, and Airbus has named the flight crew for the A350.

Chief test pilot Peter Chandler, project test pilot Guy Magrin, project test-flight engineer Pascal Verneau, flight operations chief Fernando Alonso, flight-test engineer Emanuele Costanzo and head of development flight tests Patrick Du Che will comprise the MSN1 crew.

It will be Chandler's first time as the pilot on a maiden flight.

Flight has posted the first flight plan for the A350.

Airbus has outlined the initial test regime likely to be flown by the A350-900 when it performs its maiden flight from Toulouse.

Configured at a medium centre of gravity and medium weight, the aircraft will be flown off the runway in direct law, with flight-control computers disconnected.

The aircraft will probably be taken to around 10,000ft (3,050m) for the initial part of the test, travelling at an airspeed of around 200kt (370km/h).

Project test pilot for the A350 programme Frank Chapman says the Airbus procedure is "slightly different" to Boeing's.

Once the crew is satisfied and confident with the manner in which the aircraft handles, he says, they will typically undertake configuration changes with flaps.

This will then lead to gear retraction. Telemetry data will be supplemented with information from chase aircraft.

www.flightglobal.com...

The A350 is expected to perform high power engine runs, and high speed taxi tests today, and appears to be just a few days away from first flight. They need cloud cover above 1500 feet, and no storms in the area, but it appears that first flight can happen any day now.

Braking tests have begun with the A350. The high speed rejected take off has NOT occurred yet, and sources say the first flight probably won't take place before the 13th.

First flight for the A350, pending completion of final checks, is set for 10 am, June 14th.

reply to post by Zaphod58


A running commentary? Just curious but why?

reply to post by EA006


Because there was a thread before the 787 first flight and people were actually interested. Apparently it's a waste of time now.

reply to post by Zaphod58


Apparently so

reply to post by Zaphod58


Never a waste of time. I enjoy the updates. Just not much to converse. But never a waste