testing process of A380
7 June 2004
TESTING THE A380
The first two A380s are now in the assembly line in Toulouse. Both aircraft are part of the certification programme. One will take part in the flight tests while the other will be used for structural tests.
Work on assembling the first A380 to fly, MSN01, began in the final week of May, with major elements such as the forward, central and rear fuselage and the wings, arriving on time in Toulouse.
Final assembly line employees are putting these elements into place on the A380 jig in the Jean-Luc Lagardère facility in Toulouse. Meanwhile, the first aircraft to be assembled – known as ES, or ‘essais statiques’ – is ready to move into the A380 static test hall for the next stage in its career.
The first flying aircraft
MSN01 will remain the property of Airbus and will make its first flight in 2005 with the flight test team. It is one of four A380 aircraft to be used on the A380 certification programme.
The aircraft’s test schedule can be divided into three sections: the first, lasting around two months, is to obtain initial knowledge of the behaviour of the aircraft. The second, which lasts approximately half-a-year, runs parallel to the ground-based structural tests and comprises the final development and optimisation of the aircraft’s systems. The third phase is dedicated to aircraft certification.
MSN01’s first series of tests is known as the ‘initial exploration of aero configuration’ and will analyse how the aircraft behaves in relation to the basic rules of flight and handling. Using sophisticated analysis tools, data produced from the first period is thoroughly explored and analysed both in real-time and post-flight.
The second flight test period is used to develop the A380’s flight controls, auto-pilot and primary systems, using data generated from the first set of tests.
In the third phase, the flight test team moves towards final certification. During flights with representatives of the aviation authorities, the aircraft will demonstrate compliance with the handling qualities and systems required for certification.
Further tests, focusing on particular environmental conditions, engine performance, and cabin development will be carried out throughout 2005.
The static test aircraft
The A380 ES aircraft will not fly and is not equipped with either hydraulics or avionics. It is destined for structural tests that will feed back aircraft performance data to the Airbus flight test team before the A380’s first flight in 2005. Post-flight, it will provide critical data for the aircraft certification process.
There are several phases in the two-year life of the static test aircraft, which starts in November with a nine-week programme. This involves testing how the aircraft’s structure, together with its flaps and slats, behaves at static load level and at maximum load level (when the team simulates an exceptional load situation on the wings, of a type an aircraft could encounter occasionally).
The test team will then begin a year-long certification test programme. This will look at how the aircraft resists ultra-high loads under a wide range of flying and rolling circumstances.
Post-certification, the team will run a series of tests to load the aircraft’s fuselage and wings until they break. These tests allow engineers to check that the ruptures are occurring where they are predicted to occur, and to aid future aircraft development programmes.
Completion of tests on both aircraft will lead to aircraft certification in early 2006, comfortably in time for the aircraft’s first commercial flight scheduled with Singapore Airlines that year.
TESTING THE A380
The first two A380s are now in the assembly line in Toulouse. Both aircraft are part of the certification programme. One will take part in the flight tests while the other will be used for structural tests.
Work on assembling the first A380 to fly, MSN01, began in the final week of May, with major elements such as the forward, central and rear fuselage and the wings, arriving on time in Toulouse.
Final assembly line employees are putting these elements into place on the A380 jig in the Jean-Luc Lagardère facility in Toulouse. Meanwhile, the first aircraft to be assembled – known as ES, or ‘essais statiques’ – is ready to move into the A380 static test hall for the next stage in its career.
The first flying aircraft
MSN01 will remain the property of Airbus and will make its first flight in 2005 with the flight test team. It is one of four A380 aircraft to be used on the A380 certification programme.
The aircraft’s test schedule can be divided into three sections: the first, lasting around two months, is to obtain initial knowledge of the behaviour of the aircraft. The second, which lasts approximately half-a-year, runs parallel to the ground-based structural tests and comprises the final development and optimisation of the aircraft’s systems. The third phase is dedicated to aircraft certification.
MSN01’s first series of tests is known as the ‘initial exploration of aero configuration’ and will analyse how the aircraft behaves in relation to the basic rules of flight and handling. Using sophisticated analysis tools, data produced from the first period is thoroughly explored and analysed both in real-time and post-flight.
The second flight test period is used to develop the A380’s flight controls, auto-pilot and primary systems, using data generated from the first set of tests.
In the third phase, the flight test team moves towards final certification. During flights with representatives of the aviation authorities, the aircraft will demonstrate compliance with the handling qualities and systems required for certification.
Further tests, focusing on particular environmental conditions, engine performance, and cabin development will be carried out throughout 2005.
The static test aircraft
The A380 ES aircraft will not fly and is not equipped with either hydraulics or avionics. It is destined for structural tests that will feed back aircraft performance data to the Airbus flight test team before the A380’s first flight in 2005. Post-flight, it will provide critical data for the aircraft certification process.
There are several phases in the two-year life of the static test aircraft, which starts in November with a nine-week programme. This involves testing how the aircraft’s structure, together with its flaps and slats, behaves at static load level and at maximum load level (when the team simulates an exceptional load situation on the wings, of a type an aircraft could encounter occasionally).
The test team will then begin a year-long certification test programme. This will look at how the aircraft resists ultra-high loads under a wide range of flying and rolling circumstances.
Post-certification, the team will run a series of tests to load the aircraft’s fuselage and wings until they break. These tests allow engineers to check that the ruptures are occurring where they are predicted to occur, and to aid future aircraft development programmes.
Completion of tests on both aircraft will lead to aircraft certification in early 2006, comfortably in time for the aircraft’s first commercial flight scheduled with Singapore Airlines that year.
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