Aircraft

Picture: Airbus A380 begins hot trials in Abu Dhabi in partial Etihad livery

By Max Kingsley-Jones in Abu Dhabi

One of Airbus's flight-test A380s (manufacturer's serial number 004) is spending this week in the United Arab Emirate of Abu Dhabi carrying out hot weather tests.

Wearing partial Etihad Airways colours, the A380 participated in a public relations event at the airline's base today at Abu Dhabi international airport. It will spend the rest of the week at the Al Ain airfield in the emirate north of the city of Abu Dhabi carrying out trials of the aircraft's Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines in hot weather conditions.

The aircraft is due to return to Toulouse on Sunday, from where the aircraft (F-WWDD) took off on Friday (pictured below). 

Another A380 test aircraft, MSN001 (F-WWOW), spent last week at Farnborough in the UK, where temperatures reached 37°C (98.6°F). Temperatures are expected to reach 46°C in Abu Dhabi this week and can peak in the mid-fifties during July.

© Yannick Delamarre / French Frogs Aviation Pictures