Airbus has confirmed that the first test flight of its next-generation widebody twinjet freighter, the Airbus A350F, will take place in Toulouse in the southwest of France on Tuesday, September 29. This milestone is set to mark a key step forward for the type, which successfully completed various non-flying tests at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport (TLS) this week. Airbus has received nearly 120 orders for the type.
Going forward, the Airbus A350F is set to do battle with the Boeing 777-8F from the US planemaker's heavily delayed 777X series, as the pair look to win market share in the next generation of the air cargo market. The A350F is based on the larger A350-1000 passenger model, albeit with a slightly shorter fuselage, and Airbus plans for it to have a 4,700 NM (8,700 km) range at 109 tonnes structural payload.
In four days' time, Airbus plans to make history by operating the first test flight of its prototype A350F out of Toulouse Blagnac Airport. Simple Flying will be there in the south of France to provide live coverage of the event both on social media and here on the website – keep your eyes peeled! Such is the magnitude of this special event that Airbus has put together a dedicated website with all the details.
As it stands, the Airbus A350F is set to take off on its maiden test flight between 10:30 AM and 10:45 AM local time (04:30-04:45 AM EST) on Tuesday, with the circular trip expected to take four hours or so. Between 2:30 PM and 3:15 PM, Airbus notes that there will be a "flyover, landing, taxiing, technical tests & door opening," followed by photo opportunities and speeches. However, it does hasten to add:
"This event remains subject to essential operational requirements, including weather conditions."
"This event remains subject to essential operational requirements, including weather conditions."
Aside from the announcement of the date for the first test flight, this week has been a big one as a whole for the Airbus A350F. Indeed, as noted by Cargo Facts, yesterday also saw the European planemaker's prototype for the widebody twinjet freighter perform engine tests, as well as two rejected takeoffs. One of these rejected takeoff tests can be seen in the video that is embedded below.
The purpose of these rejected takeoff tests, Cargo Facts notes, is to confirm that, in the event that, for whatever reason, a takeoff needs to be aborted, the aircraft is able to do so successfully and safely. According to Aviation Flights, they followed a pair of engine runs and taxi checks, which took place on September 18 and 22. These came a month after the jet was first spotted in Toulouse in its full paint job.
While the Airbus A350F doesn't match up to quadjet freighters like the Boeing 747-8F in terms of size, it is still inarguably an aircraft of great scale. Indeed, Simple Flying reported back in June of this year that its main cargo door alone is bigger than most regional jet fuselages! This record-breaking door is the largest of its kind in aviation history, and it even has the ability to 'swallow' jet engines whole.
All pilots receive continuous training, which ensures readiness and equips individuals with the skills needed to handle any situation effectively.
Thus far, Airbus's prototype Airbus A350F, which bears the French test registration F-WXLD, according to Aerospace Global News, is the only example of the type to have rolled off the production line. However, there will be plenty more to come, with present fleet data made available by ch-aviation showing that airlines around the world have currently got a grand total of 118 outstanding orders for the type.
21 of these have undisclosed customers, but, of the remaining 97, Atlas Air has made the largest commitment, with 20 firm orders. Elsewhere, double-digit commitments have also been made by Air China Cargo, Etihad Airways, and Starlux Airlines, with 10 orders apiece. Meanwhile, other customers include Air France (three), Cathay Pacific (eight), Korean Air (seven), and Singapore Airlines (seven).
