Aircraft

Airbus has released a series of photographs from today's media flight aboard its test aircraft, manufacturer's serial number 007, which took to the skies above Toulouse earlier today, during which the some of the oxygen masks deployed on landing. 

Kieran Daly was on the flight. see his video from the cockpit

The aircraft (F-WWJB) took off after 13:00 today before flying down over Bordeaux before heading out over the Atlantic Ocean and back, cruising at 41,000ft (12,500m) burning 10t/h of fuel, Airbus says. The landing on runway 32 Left was bumpy, our reporters onboard as part of the 200-person media contingent (pictured below awaiting boarding) say, as there was a 20kt (37km/h) cross wind gusting to 30kt. The bumpy landing caused the oxygen masks to deploy, an embarassment  for the European airframer.

Takeoff on 32 Left (pictured below) was also bumpy with a 17kt wind at 270º, they add.  

Landing weight was 340t, take-off weight was 364t. This was the eleventh flight on MSN007 and the first one with non airbus employees. The flight featured a multi-class full representative cabin (pictured below).

Read Airline Business deputy editor Brendan Sobie's personal account of the flight by clicking here to visit the Flight blog page. The aircraft was described as resembling an A340 on the top deck, a Boeing 747 on its main deck.

Media waiting to board MSN007
Economy class cabin
MSN007 flying above Toulouse
MSN007 boarding media
A380 business class cabin
MSN007 cockpit
MSN007 premium cabin
MSN007 takes off
MSN007 waiting on stand at Airbus delivery centre
All images © Airbus

Kieran Daly was on the flight. Read his blog from Toulouse.

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