With just under a day to go before her maiden sortie, the Airbus A330-200F underwent rejected takeoff (RTO) testing at the Toulouse-Blagnac Airport in the south of France. The high-speed taxi tests are part of the final series of check-outs on the new freighter before its scheduled first flight tomorrow morning.
The first A330F (F-WWYE - MSN1004) is now wearing marketing stickers on either side of its windowless fuselage. The left side of the aircraft reads "the right aircraft right now" and the right side reads "Efficient, reliable, profitable".
RTO testing brings the aircraft to just under the takeoff decision speed known as V1. At anytime below the V1 speed, the aircraft is able to safely stop in the remaining length of the runway. The decision speed is determined based on many factors including the length of the runway, weight of the aircraft, thrust rating of the engine, as well as runway and weather conditions.
Airbus will be streaming live video of the A330F's first flight on its website beginning at 8:30 GMT (3:30 AM ET) Thursday morning.
Photo Credit Eurospot
The first A330F (F-WWYE - MSN1004) is now wearing marketing stickers on either side of its windowless fuselage. The left side of the aircraft reads "the right aircraft right now" and the right side reads "Efficient, reliable, profitable".
RTO testing brings the aircraft to just under the takeoff decision speed known as V1. At anytime below the V1 speed, the aircraft is able to safely stop in the remaining length of the runway. The decision speed is determined based on many factors including the length of the runway, weight of the aircraft, thrust rating of the engine, as well as runway and weather conditions.
Airbus will be streaming live video of the A330F's first flight on its website beginning at 8:30 GMT (3:30 AM ET) Thursday morning.
Photo Credit Eurospot
on November 4, 2009 2:42 PM | Reply
Looks like that project is running on time!
on November 4, 2009 5:35 PM | Reply
Is the A330F living up to its promises? did it meet its range and payload targets? With so many programs in trouble, I was just curious how the A330F turned out.
on November 4, 2009 6:04 PM | Reply
Well it is about 500kg underweight.
They must have done something right, then.
And the first flight preparations look
more like the regular "take off" from the
assembly line to me.
uwe
on November 4, 2009 7:07 PM | Reply
Nice backdrops to the photos - AF Concorde in one and an A380 in another!
on November 5, 2009 12:15 AM | Reply
Also on the picture with the Concorde, you can see the new buildings for the A350 FAL rising up from gound.
on November 5, 2009 4:49 AM | Reply
Reliable? Did they replace speed sensors with the new type? - Profitable? Not for European taxpayers, I guess...
on November 5, 2009 7:18 AM | Reply
Wow, Suland. Are you an intelligent life form?
What about the 50 billion U$ for GM? What about all the other billions for the stupid banks? Was that toy money? And how profitable will GM and Chrysler ever get?
Back to your cave!
mr.denali
on November 5, 2009 9:24 AM | Reply
Hi Sulan, Denali
Effectively, when looking at them fro real, state loans for AIRBUS programs are a few hundred M$.
Quite small change when considering state help & loans delivered last year !
Those loans go also with local country work repartition that is respected y AIRBUS - until today.
Last, loans are loans, better for taxpayer than definitive tax exemption like some Washington state cases sadly discussed those last days.
see you
on November 5, 2009 10:19 AM | Reply
I live in the US, so I guess that makes me biased toward it. Now, I also work in the finance business and for that I was tented to reply to Mr. Denali about his rather harsh reply to Suland. For once, some European are extremely sensitive whenever someone makes a statement about Airbus planes profitability and such. I'm not defending Mr. Suland here for what he wrote, but at the same time, Mr. Denali's reply bringing stuff that are not even related to aviation is shameful. Now, my biggest point here. Don't you know that by the US government putting a lot of billions of dollars to save many banks here was it also saving a lot of billions in European banks, therefore its customers (Europeans)? Perhaps the money put into GM was not a good investment, but this only came as an extreme emergency situation. Not done under a normal economy situation (hence Airbus launch aid). May be with should just stick to talking about aviation! And forgive me Jon for saying to much that no one will probably care.
on November 5, 2009 10:44 AM | Reply
Responding to Karl: Your comment is appropriate and well taken. This issue gets repeatedly aired when it comes to comparisons between Airbus and Boeing and continues to be played out in the Tanker Competition and now in discussions of the US economy.
It is not irrelevant but the point is made so many times that it is just noncontibutory to better understanding of the actual models and plans and strategies of the respective competitors.
We will soon read more about it when the final Tanker RFP is released. The cancellation by South Africa of its order for the A400 transports may also weigh in on the respective finances of Airbus.
But more on aviation and less on finances would be refreshing
on November 5, 2009 11:17 AM | Reply
Hi Karl and yann31,
thx for your comments and I know that mine was rather harsh. But let me put it this way: I was pissed that some American (probably) was this stupid to bring these things up, when a new Airbus has it's first flight. Some people just don't want to leave out every opportunity to get some stupid agenda across. I never read something like this from Europeans (or somebody else), when a Boeing aircraft achieves a milestone.
I know about the banks and this topic is related, because it is the government giving money to private enterprises. When an Airbus program reaches break-even, a percentage of the income from each aircraft goes to the lender and this is done even after the full loan is repayed. So quite a difference to the Boeing tax brakes.
The banks had to be rescued, I know. But the way to this crash was paved by the American government, because they didn't intervene and the banks got crazy. You know the end.
cheers and peace,
mr.denali
on November 5, 2009 11:23 AM | Reply
I think we all agree that Suland's comment is pretty stupid. As an European taxpayer I can ensure you that Airbus is for European countries much more a profit than a loss... I could even say that Airbus counts for a large part of the French exports, for example, and employs thousands of highly qualified people, finances several high schools dedicated to aeronautic, etc. I do not know any European taxpayer who complains about the loans to Airbus.
on November 7, 2009 6:08 AM | Reply
First of all, I am not american. Second, Airbus is officially convicted wrongdoing with the European government's support. Third, I did not call anyone stupid here, so let alone these words. Airbus has been promoting their "affordable" aircraft for many years, when the cost was almost identical to sale price. Don't say you did not know this. And all I was arguing about is their slogan on a body of the "All-new" A330. Take it easy, guys!