Aircraft

An anti-Airbus A350 video clip circulating on the internet puporting to be a commercial promoting the Boeing 787 has been revealed as a parody.

The clip (below) features two actors describing how the earlier version of the Airbus A350 was conceived. The actors, supposedly filmed at a "secret location outside Toulouse" are portrayed as Airbus engineers seeking a solution to the new threat caused by the 787.

The problem of the A330-300 not having enough range is dealt with by swapping the wings for those of the A340, while the issue of four engines is solved by taking a saw to the third and fourth powerplants. The more efficient engines designed by General Electric and Rolls-Royce for the 787 would be appropriated for the new aircraft to finalise the airframe shape. The finishing touch, the actors say, would be to build some of the components from the Glare advanced composite "from the A380".

The advert has the sign-off that the Boeing 787 "is the only all-new middle-of-the-market airplane [sic]" and features the Boeing logo for the Dreamliner project.

This could lead some to assume that the video clip is an official Boeing advert. However, Flight believes it to be a parody. Does any reader have any further details? Do you know the actors involved? Do you know where and when it was filmed? Send your leads to our web editor Justin Wastnage.