27 April
2005
A380,
THE 21ST CENTURY FLAGSHIP, SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES ITS
FIRST FLIGHT
The first A380 to take to the air landed at
Blagnac international airport in Toulouse, France
at 14.23 local time (12.23h UTC) after
successfully completing its first flight that
lasted three hours and 54 minutes. The A380’s
first flight was jointly captained by Claude
Lelaie, Senior Vice President Flight Division,
and by Chief Test pilot and Vice President
Jacques Rosay. The other crew members were
Fernando Alonso, Vice President Flight Division,
Flight Test Engineering who led a team of two
other flight test engineers, Jacky Joye and
Manfred Birnfeld, and test flight engineer
Gérard Desbois. Carrying the registration
F-WWOW, the aircraft is powered by four Rolls
Royce Tent 900 engines.
After landing, joint captains Claude Lelaie
Senior Vice President of Airbus’ Flight
Division and Vice President Chief Test Pilot
Jacques Rosay confirmed that the new aircraft and
engines had handled as anticipated.
Claude Lelaie commented: “We had a very
successful first flight and thoroughly enjoyed
every minute of it. There are of course a lot of
things to be done, but after this first
experience, we now really sense the potential of
this magnificent machine. And even on the ground,
as already felt during the initial ground tests,
the A380 handles as easily as any other aircraft.
Also, the systems and the Rolls Royce engines
performed satisfactorily.” And Jacques Rosay
added: “Within the first minutes of the
flight, we were impressed by the ease of handling
of the aircraft which was in line with what we
had felt in the simulator. We have no doubt any
Airbus pilot would feel immediately at home in
the A380; it is a true member of the Airbus
aircraft family. We could also appreciate that
the new features in the cockpit, including
interactivity, vertical display, new interfaces
that make the work of the crew very easy and
efficient and I want to thank the customer
airline pilots who have greatly contributed to
this design.”
For his part, Airbus President and CEO Noël
Forgeard thanked the crew for their performance:
“I wish to congratulate Claude Lelaie,
Jacques Rosay, Fernando Alonso and the rest of
the team for this successful first flight. I also
sincerely thank all those in the design offices,
at programme and manufacturing level, as well as
the ground crews who, through their ceaseless
hard work, have made this day come true. The same
thanks are extended all those at the airlines who
contributed to the design of the aircraft as well
as the suppliers, airport specialists and many
others who helped define this all-new 21st
century flagship that has now taken to the air.”
For its first flight, the A380 took off at a
weight of 421 tonnes / 928.300 lbs, the highest
ever of any civil airliner to date. During the
flight, which took the aircraft around South West
France, the six crew members explored the
aircraft’s flight envelope as expected. They
tested the A380’s handling using both direct
and normal flight control laws with the landing
gear up and down, and with all flaps’ and
slats’ settings during the part of the
flight at cruise altitude. They made an initial
evaluation of the comfort levels in both the main
and upper decks, confirming that the cabin was
very quiet and the ride smooth.
This maiden voyage, during which all primary
flight test objectives were met, marks the
beginning of a rigorous test flight campaign
involving five A380s, including one for the
certification of the Engine Alliance GP7200
engine on the A380, and some 2,500 flight hours.
It will culminate in the aircraft’s
certification followed by its entry into airline
service in the second half of 2006 with first
operator Singapore Airlines. The scope and rigour
of the A380 ground and flight test programme
should also prepare for a smooth entry into
service.
During the entire development phase, a lot of
work was done to ensure that this all-new large
double-decker will be able to operate on existing
runways capable of accepting the 747, with no
requirement for any significant infrastructure
adaptation. Some 60 airports will be ready to
welcome A380 operations by 2010, and more will
join as the number of operators continues to
increase in the coming years.
Additional information and images of the A380’s
first flight can be obtained from Airbus’
website: www.airbus.com.
A leading aircraft manufacturer with the most
modern and comprehensive product line on the
market, Airbus is a global company with design
and manufacturing facilities in France, Germany,
the UK, and Spain as well as subsidiaries in the
U.S., China and Japan. Headquartered in Toulouse,
France, Airbus is an EADS joint Company with BAE
Systems.
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